Nikiitumia lenzi hiyo usiku, picha zinaonekana wazi zaidi.

When I use that lens at night, the pictures appear clearer.

Breakdown of Nikiitumia lenzi hiyo usiku, picha zinaonekana wazi zaidi.

• kutumia: to use
• zaidi: more
• picha: the picture
• usiku: at night
• kuonekana: to appear
• hiyo: that
• wazi: clear
• lenzi: the lens

Questions & Answers about Nikiitumia lenzi hiyo usiku, picha zinaonekana wazi zaidi.

What is Nikiitumia and how is it constructed?

Nikiitumia breaks down as:

• ni-: first-person singular subject prefix (“I”)
• -ki-: conditional/relative marker (“when/if”)
• -i-: object concord for lenzi (class 9 singular)
• tumia: verb stem “use”
  Combined it literally means “when (or if) I use it.”

Why don’t we use a separate word for “when,” like ikiwa?

Swahili often attaches the conditional meaning “when/if” directly to the verb with -ki-.
While you could say ikiwa nitumia lenzi hiyo…, the -ki- form (nikitumia…) is more concise and idiomatic for real-time conditions.

Why is there an -i- before tumia in nikiitumia?

The -i- is the object concord matching lenzi (class 9 singular). It signals “I use that lens,” so you get ni-ki-i-tumia.

What does lenzi hiyo mean, and why hiyo instead of hii?

• lenzi = “lens”
• hiyo = “that” for class 9 nouns
  If you wanted to say “this lens” (near you), you’d use lenzi hii instead.

Can I move usiku (“at night”) to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Time-expressions in Swahili are flexible.
For example:
Usiku nikiitumia lenzi hiyo, picha zinaonekana wazi zaidi.
means exactly the same as the original word order.

What does picha zinaonekana mean?

• picha = “pictures” (class 10 plural)
• zinaonekana = “they appear,” “they are seen”
  Here -na- is the present-tense marker, and -onekana is the passive of ona (“see”).

Why is the subject prefix zi- used in zinaonekana?

Because picha (pictures) belongs to noun class 10, whose present-tense subject prefix is zi-. Hence zi-na-onekana.

What does wazi zaidi literally translate to?

• wazi = “clear”
• zaidi = “more”
  Together wazi zaidi = “clearer” (literally “more clear”).

Why is the verb -onekana in passive rather than the active ona?

We’re describing how the pictures look (“they appear clear”), not saying “I see them clearly.”

• Active ona = “to see” (someone/something)
• Passive onekana = “to appear,” “to be seen”
  Thus picha zinaonekana wazi zaidi = “the pictures appear clearer.”