Vijana wakifanya kazi pamoja, nafasi ya mafanikio inaongezeka mno.

When young people work together, the chance of success increases greatly.

Breakdown of Vijana wakifanya kazi pamoja, nafasi ya mafanikio inaongezeka mno.

• kazi: the work
• ya: of
• pamoja: together
• kijana: the young person
• kuongezeka: to increase
• mafanikio: the success
• kufanya: to work
• mno: greatly

Questions & Answers about Vijana wakifanya kazi pamoja, nafasi ya mafanikio inaongezeka mno.

What does vijana mean in this sentence, and why does it affect the verb form that follows?

Vijana means "youth" or "young people." Being a plural noun referring to a group, it determines the subject concord used in the following verb. In this instance, wakifanya begins with wa-, which agrees with the noun class for people, ensuring that the verb aligns with its subject.

How does wakifanya function grammatically in the sentence?

Wakifanya combines the subject concord wa- (reflecting that the subject is plural) with the verb stem -kifanya (from kufanya, meaning "to do" or "to work"). It acts as a participial form describing what the youth are doing, essentially functioning as a relative clause (“...who are working together”) that qualifies the subject vijana.

What is the meaning of the phrase nafasi ya mafanikio, and why is mafanikio in plural form?

Nafasi ya mafanikio translates to "opportunity of success" or "chance for success." While nafasi means "opportunity" or "chance," mafanikio means "success." In Swahili, many abstract concepts—including success—are conventionally expressed in the plural form. The plural usage here does not indicate multiple instances but is simply the standard way to refer to the concept.

How is intensification expressed with mno at the end of the sentence?

The word mno is an intensifier that means "a lot" or "very much." When attached to inaongezeka ("is increasing"), it emphasizes that the opportunity for success is rising significantly, adding a sense of abundance or a high degree of increase.

What tense or aspect is conveyed by inaongezeka, and how is this structure formed?

Inaongezeka is in the present continuous or habitual present tense. It is formed with the subject concord ina- (meaning "it is") attached to the verb stem -ongezeka (meaning "increasing"). This structure is commonly used in Swahili to indicate actions that are currently ongoing or regarded as regularly happening.

Can you explain the overall sentence structure in terms of Swahili syntax?

Certainly. The sentence is split into two parts. The first part, Vijana wakifanya kazi pamoja, functions as a descriptive phrase where the subject (vijana) is further detailed by the participial clause (wakifanya kazi pamoja, meaning "working together"). The second part, nafasi ya mafanikio inaongezeka mno, is the main clause, stating that "the opportunity for success is increasing greatly." This division using a comma is typical in Swahili, allowing additional descriptive information to lead into the central statement.