Watoto walifikiria kutoroka mwalimu, lakini waligundua si busara.

The children thought of escaping from the teacher, but they realized it was not wise.

Breakdown of Watoto walifikiria kutoroka mwalimu, lakini waligundua si busara.

• mwalimu: the teacher
• mtoto: the child
• lakini: but
• busara: wise
• kufikiria: to think
• kutoroka: to escape
• kugundua: to realize

Questions & Answers about Watoto walifikiria kutoroka mwalimu, lakini waligundua si busara.

Why do both walifikiria and waligundua begin with wa-?

They begin with wa- because the subject of both verbs is watoto (children). In Swahili, verbs agree with their subjects by using the appropriate noun class prefix—in this case, wa- corresponds with plural or group subjects like watoto.

What does kutoroka mean and what is the purpose of the ku- prefix?

Kutoroka means "to run away." The ku- is the infinitive marker used in Swahili to form the base form of a verb. Here, it indicates that toroka is being used in its infinitive form, complementing the verb walifikiria.

What role does lakini play in the sentence?

Lakini functions as a conjunction meaning "but." It connects the two parts of the sentence, contrasting the children’s initial thought with what they later discovered.

How is negation expressed in the phrase si busara?

In this phrase, si serves as the negative form of the copula, meaning "is not." Since busara translates to "wisdom" or "good sense," the phrase si busara indicates that what the children thought was not wise.

What does mwalimu mean, and how is it structured?

Mwalimu means "teacher." It is constructed with the noun prefix mwa- (derived from the singular noun class for people) attached to the root. This formation is typical for words referring to individuals in Swahili.