Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwalimu alitoa amri ya wanafunzi kukaa kimya darasani wakati wa mtihani. - The teacher gave a command for students to remain silent in class during the exam.

Mwalimu means "teacher." It is the subject because it appears at the beginning of the sentence, and the verb alitoa includes the subject marker a-, corresponding to a third-person singular subject.

How is the verb alitoa formed, and what tense does it express?

Alitoa is constructed by combining the subject marker a- (for third-person singular), the past tense marker li-, and the base verb toa (which means "to give"). Therefore, alitoa translates as "gave" in the past tense.

What is the significance of the phrase amri ya wanafunzi in the sentence?

The phrase amri ya wanafunzi means "an order for the students." Here, amri stands for "order" or "command," and ya serves as a possessive or genitive marker linking it to wanafunzi ("students"). This construction indicates that the teacher’s order is directed to the students.

How do kukaa and kimya function in this sentence?

Kukaa is the infinitive form of the verb "to sit," and kimya is an adverb meaning "quietly" or "silently." Together, kukaa kimya instructs that one should "sit quietly." This pattern is common in Swahili when giving orders or instructions describing how an action should be performed.

What does darasani mean, and how is it formed from darasa?

Darasa means "class" or "classroom." By adding the locative suffix -ni, it becomes darasani, meaning "in the classroom." The suffix -ni is widely used in Swahili to indicate location.

How is the time frame expressed using wakati wa mtihani?

Wakati means "time," and mtihani means "exam." The phrase wakati wa mtihani translates as "during the exam" (or "at the time of the exam"). The particle wa links wakati with mtihani in a possessive/genitive construction, specifying the time when the action in the sentence takes place.