Glasi ikivunjika, tumia plastiki ili usijikate.

If the glass breaks, use plastic so you don’t cut yourself.

Breakdown of Glasi ikivunjika, tumia plastiki ili usijikate.

• ili: so that
• kutumia: to use
• glasi: the glass
• kuvunjika: to break
• plastiki: the plastic
• kujikata: to cut oneself

Questions & Answers about Glasi ikivunjika, tumia plastiki ili usijikate.

How does the -ki form work in ikivunjika, and how does it express if/when?

Swahili uses the -ki clitic to turn a verb into a dependent clause meaning when or if. You insert -ki between the subject‐concord (SC) and the verb root: • i- = SC for noun class 5 (glasi)
• -ki- = dependent‐clause marker (when/if)
• vunjika = intransitive verb root meaning to break
Thus ikivunjika = when it breaks (or if it breaks).

Why is the verb vunjika used here, and what’s the difference between vunja and vunjika?

• vunja = transitive ‘to break something’
• vunjika = intransitive ‘to break’ (to break by itself or get broken)
Since the glass isn’t an active agent doing the breaking, we use the intransitive vunjika.

What’s the difference between using the -ki clause (ikivunjika) and the conjunction kama (e.g. Kama glasi itavunjika)?

• -ki clause (e.g. Glasi ikivunjika) often feels like whenever/if & when—it can imply a general condition.
• kama = if, a straightforward conditional conjunction.
Both are correct:
– Glasi ikivunjika, tumia plastiki… (Whenever/if the glass breaks…)
– Kama glasi itavunjika, tumia plastiki… (If the glass breaks…)
Choice depends on nuance and style.

Why is there no pronoun before tumia, and what form is tumia?

• tumia is the affirmative singular imperative of the verb tumia (“to use”).
• Swahili imperatives omit an explicit subject; the verb form itself indicates it’s a command addressed to you (singular).
• For addressing multiple people, you’d say tumieni plastiki (use plastic, pl.).

What is the role of ili in ili usijikate?

ili is a subordinating conjunction meaning so that or in order that. It introduces a purpose clause explaining why you should use plastic:
Glasi ikivunjika, tumia plastiki ili usijikate – “If the glass breaks, use plastic so that you don’t cut yourself.”

Why is usijikate used here, and how is the negative form constructed?

After ili, Swahili uses the jussive/subjunctive mood. The negative 2nd person singular jussive is formed as:
• usi- = negative prefix for “you (sing.)”
• ji- = reflexive pronoun (“yourself”)
• kat = verb stem “cut”
• -e = jussive/subjunctive final vowel
Putting it together: usijikate = (you) should not cut yourself.

What does the ji- in usijikate do?

The ji- element is the reflexive pronoun meaning “yourself.” It indicates that the action of cutting is directed back at the subject, so usijikate = “don’t cut yourself.”

How is plastiki adapted to Swahili spelling and pronunciation?

• plastiki is a loanword from English plastic.
• Swahili prefers a consonant–vowel pattern and words ending in a vowel, so we insert vowels to fit: pla-sti-ki.
• Stress normally falls on the penultimate syllable: pla-STI-ki.

What noun class does glasi belong to, and how do I know its subject prefix is i-?

• Loanwords like glasi usually take noun class 5 (singular) with class 6 plural maglasi.
• Class 5’s subject concord is i-, so when forming the -ki clause you get i-ki-vunjika.
That’s why we see ikivunjika rather than another form like nikivunjika or ukivunjika.