Watoto wanafundishwa misingi ya heshima wakiwa bado wadogo.

Children are taught the foundations of respect while they are still young.

Breakdown of Watoto wanafundishwa misingi ya heshima wakiwa bado wadogo.

• kuwa: to be
• kufundisha: to teach
• mtoto: the child
• ya: of
• bado: still
• heshima: the respect
• msingi: the foundation
• mdogo: young

Questions & Answers about Watoto wanafundishwa misingi ya heshima wakiwa bado wadogo.

What does the verb form wanafundishwa indicate and how is it constructed?

Wanafundishwa is built from several components. The subject prefix wana- corresponds to watoto (children), the tense marker -na- denotes the present, and the passive form of the verb fundisha is created by adding the suffix -shwa. Altogether, it means “are being taught,” emphasizing that the children are the recipients of the teaching rather than the ones doing the teaching.

How is the passive voice formed in this sentence?

In Swahili, the passive voice is generally formed by modifying the verb stem. In this case, the active verb fundisha (to teach) transforms into fundishwa by appending the passive marker -shwa. When you combine this with the subject prefix wana- and the present tense marker -na-, it constructs wanafundishwa, which means “are being taught.” This structure shifts the focus from the teacher to the children receiving the instruction.

What does the phrase misingi ya heshima translate to in English?

Misingi ya heshima translates to “the fundamentals of respect.” Here, misingi means “basics” or “foundations,” ya serves as the possessive connector (equivalent to “of”), and heshima means “respect.” Together, the phrase explains that the children are being taught the basic principles or foundations of respect.

What role does the clause wakiwa bado wadogo play in the sentence?

The clause wakiwa bado wadogo adds important contextual information. Wakiwa is a participial form derived from kuwa (to be), indicating a simultaneous state or condition. It means “while being” or “when they are.” Bado translates to “still,” and wadogo means “small.” Thus, this clause informs us that the children are taught these fundamentals of respect while they are still young.

How does the participial form wakiwa function grammatically in this sentence?

Grammatically, wakiwa acts as a participle that links the main clause with a subordinate clause. It modifies the subject watoto by specifying the state they are in at the time of the action. Essentially, it means “while being” or “as they are,” showing that the teaching occurs concurrently with the children’s state of being small. This structure is common in Swahili to provide additional timing or condition details without forming a separate sentence.

Why might a speaker choose to use the passive construction in this sentence instead of an active one?

A speaker may opt for the passive construction to emphasize the experience or state of the subject—in this case, the children—rather than focusing on who is performing the action. With wanafundishwa, the emphasis is on the children receiving the lesson in respect, not on the teacher delivering it. This is particularly useful when the identity of the teacher is either obvious, unimportant, or intentionally left unspecified, making the passive voice a popular choice in Swahili for highlighting the process or condition over the actor.