Ukikosa kutekeleza ahadi yako, marafiki watahuzunika.

If you fail to fulfill your promise, your friends will be sad.

Breakdown of Ukikosa kutekeleza ahadi yako, marafiki watahuzunika.

• rafiki: the friend
• yako: your
• ahadi: the promise
• kukosa: to fail
• kutekeleza: to fulfill
• kuhuzunika: to be sad

Questions & Answers about Ukikosa kutekeleza ahadi yako, marafiki watahuzunika.

What does ukikosa mean, and how is it constructed in Swahili?

Ukikosa is a conditional form meaning “if you fail” or “if you do not succeed.” It is built by taking the second-person singular subject prefix u-, inserting the conditional marker -ki-, and then adding the verb root kosa (“to fail”). This construction is typical in Swahili to express hypothetical conditions.

Why is the infinitive kutekeleza used in this sentence instead of a conjugated form?

In Swahili, when expressing failure to perform an action, verbs like kosa (“to fail”) are commonly followed by an infinitive. Here, kutekeleza means “to fulfill” or “to carry out,” forming a structure equivalent to the English “fail to keep” as in “fail to keep your promise.” The use of the infinitive clearly ties the failure to a specific action.

How is possession indicated in ahadi yako, and what does this phrase mean?

Ahadi yako translates to “your promise.” In this phrase, ahadi means “promise” and yako is the possessive pronoun for “your” that agrees with the noun. The structure directly expresses that the promise belongs to you, mirroring the way possession is shown in English.

How is the future tense formed in the clause marafiki watahuzunika, and what does it indicate?

In watahuzunika, the future tense is marked by the prefix ta- attached to the verb root huzunika (“become sad”). The subject marafiki (“friends”) is indicated by the prefix wa- in the verb form, ensuring agreement. Together, watahuzunika means “will be sad,” indicating a future result following the condition expressed earlier.

What does marafiki mean in this context, and how does it function within the sentence?

Marafiki means “friends.” It serves as the subject of the second (result) clause. The verb form watahuzunika uses a subject prefix that corresponds to marafiki (a plural noun), ensuring proper subject–verb agreement in the sentence.

How does the structure of this Swahili sentence compare to its English equivalent in expressing a conditional idea?

The structure is similar to English conditionals. In English, you might say, “If you fail to keep your promise, your friends will be sad.” In Swahili, the sentence begins with a conditional clause—ukikosa kutekeleza ahadi yako (“if you fail to keep your promise”)—followed by a result clause—marafiki watahuzunika (“friends will be sad”). The conditional marker -ki- in the first clause and the future tense marker ta- in the second clause are key grammatical tools that parallel the typical “if … then …” construction in English.