Mfanyakazi mmoja aligoma kufanya kazi kwa sababu hajalipwa mshahara.

One worker refused to work because he has not been paid his salary.

Breakdown of Mfanyakazi mmoja aligoma kufanya kazi kwa sababu hajalipwa mshahara.

• kwa sababu: because
• kufanya kazi: to work
• mfanyakazi: the worker
• mmoja: one
• kulipwa: to be paid
• mshahara: the salary

Questions & Answers about Mfanyakazi mmoja aligoma kufanya kazi kwa sababu hajalipwa mshahara.

What does the sentence "Mfanyakazi mmoja aligoma kufanya kazi kwa sababu hajalipwa mshahara" mean in English?

It means "One employee refused to work because he was not paid his salary." Each part of the sentence translates directly: "mfanyakazi mmoja" is “one employee”, "aligoma" means “refused”, "kufanya kazi" stands for “to work”, "kwa sababu" translates as “because”, and "hajalipwa mshahara" means “was not paid his salary.”

How is the verb "aligoma" constructed, and what does it signify?

"Aligoma" is a past tense form. It combines the subject prefix a- (referring to “he/her”), the past tense marker -li-, and the root goma, which means “to refuse.” Thus, "aligoma" simply means “he refused.”

What is the grammatical function of the phrase "kufanya kazi" in this sentence?

"Kufanya kazi" is an infinitive phrase meaning “to work.” In this context, it acts as the object of the verb "aligoma," specifying what the employee refused to do.

How is negation expressed in the word "hajalipwa"?

Negation in "hajalipwa" is formed by using the negative subject prefix ha- combined with the past tense marker -ja- before the verb root lipa plus the passive ending -wa. This entire construction translates as “was not paid.”

What role does the phrase "kwa sababu" play in the sentence?

"Kwa sababu" is a conjunction or prepositional phrase that means “because” or “due to.” It introduces the reason behind the employee's refusal to work.

Why is "mmoja" used in the phrase "mfanyakazi mmoja", and what does it indicate?

"Mmmoja" means “one”, and it follows "mfanyakazi" (meaning “employee”/“worker”) to indicate that the sentence is referring to a single individual. The numeral agrees with the noun in terms of its grammatical class in Swahili.