Breakdown of Ukionyesha kadi hii ya mwanafunzi, utapata punguzo la ziada.
mwanafunzi
the student
ya
of
kupata
to get
hii
this
la
of
kuonyesha
to show
punguzo
the discount
kadi
the card
ziada
extra
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Questions & Answers about Ukionyesha kadi hii ya mwanafunzi, utapata punguzo la ziada.
What does ukionyesha mean and how is it constructed?
Breakdown of ukionyesha:
- u- = 2nd person singular subject prefix (“you”)
- -ki- = conditional tense marker (“if”/“when”)
- onyesha = verb stem “show”
Altogether ukionyesha = “if/when you show.”
Why is the demonstrative hii used after kadi, and how do I know to use hii rather than hiyo or huyu?
Swahili demonstratives agree with the noun class of the word they modify.
- Kadi belongs to class 9.
- The proximal singular demonstrative for class 9 is hii (“this [near me]”).
- Hiyo is the distal class-9 form (“that [over there]”).
- Huyu is for class 1 people (“this person”).
Why is ya used in kadi hii ya mwanafunzi instead of wa?
Ya is the genitive connector for class 9/10 nouns (like kadi). It links a noun to its possessor or descriptor.
- Class 9/10 genitive = ya
- Class 2/8 genitive = wa
Since kadi is class 9, we use ya to link to mwanafunzi.
What does punguzo la ziada literally mean?
- Punguzo = “discount” (class 5)
- la = class-5 genitive connector
- ziada = “extra” or “additional”
Literally “discount of extra,” i.e. “an extra discount.”
What’s the difference between punguzo la ziada and punguzo zaidi?
- Punguzo la ziada = “an additional discount” (ziada as a noun, “an extra”)
- Punguzo zaidi = “more discount” (zaidi as an adverb, “more”)
What is the difference between unapata and utapata?
- Unapata = present tense, “you get” or “you are getting”
- Utapata = future tense, “you will get”
How do I say “After showing this student card, you will get an extra discount”?
Use Baada ya + infinitive (ku- verb):
Baada ya kuonyesha kadi hii ya mwanafunzi, utapata punguzo la ziada.
How do I say “If you had shown this student card, you would have received an extra discount”?
Use the past conditional prefix -nge- in both verbs:
Ungeonyesha kadi hii ya mwanafunzi, ungetapata punguzo la ziada.
What is the difference between ukionyesha and ungeonyesha?
- Ukionyesha = present conditional (“if/when you show”)
- Ungeonyesha = past conditional (“if you had shown”)
How can I say “student identity card” more fully in Swahili?
Use kitambulisho for “identification”:
Kadi ya kitambulisho cha mwanafunzi.
Can I say hii kadi ya mwanafunzi instead of kadi hii ya mwanafunzi?
No. In Swahili the demonstrative follows the noun it modifies. The correct order is kadi hii ya mwanafunzi.
How do I make the sentence plural, addressing a group with multiple cards?
- Change the subject prefix to m- (2nd person plural)
- Use class 10 plural demonstrative hizi
- Use class 2 plural genitive za
- wanafunzi
Mkionyesha kadi hizi za wanafunzi, mtapata punguzo la ziada.
- wanafunzi