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Wanafunzi hawapendi kelele darasani.

Wanafunzi hawapendi kelele darasani.
The students do not like noise in the classroom.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Wanafunzi hawapendi kelele darasani.

What does Wanafunzi mean in this sentence?
Wanafunzi means students. It is the plural form of mwanafunzi (student). The prefix wa- is used to indicate that the noun refers to people in plural.
How is the negative verb form hawapendi formed from kupenda?
In Swahili, the verb kupenda means to like. For affirmative sentences with plural subjects, you might see something like wanapenda. In the negative, the subject marker is replaced with ha-, so wanapenda becomes hawapendi, meaning do not like or don’t like.
What does the noun kelele represent in the sentence?
Kelele translates to noise or loud sounds. In this context, it is the object that the students do not like. It refers to any disruptive or unwanted sound.
How does darasani indicate location in this sentence?
The base word darasa means classroom. The suffix -ni is a locative marker indicating where something happens—namely, in or at a location. Thus, darasani means in the classroom.
Is the word order in this Swahili sentence similar to English?
Yes, the sentence follows a structure that is quite similar to English. The order is: subject (Wanafunzi), verb (hawapendi), object (kelele), followed by a locative phrase (darasani). This Subject–Verb–Object order, with the additional location marker at the end, should seem familiar to English speakers.

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