Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Lifti iko karibu na ngazi.
Why is lifti used here instead of the English word elevator or another Swahili term?
lifti is a direct loanword from English and is the standard term for “elevator” in modern Swahili. There isn’t a widely recognized native equivalent, so learners should use lifti when referring to an elevator.
What does iko mean and why is it used instead of kuna?
iko is the locative form of kuwa (“to be”), used for stating the location of something already known to both speaker and listener. By contrast, kuna expresses existence or presence (“there is/are”) when introducing something new or unknown.
Why is it iko and not yuko or upo?
Swahili noun classes determine the subject prefix: lifti belongs to class 9, which takes the prefix i-. Adding the locative suffix -ko gives iko. yuko would pair with class 1/2 nouns (prefix yu-), and upo is an alternative contraction often heard in casual speech but less common for class 9.
What does karibu na mean?
karibu means “near” or “close,” and na is the preposition “with/to.” Together karibu na literally means “near to” or “close to.”
Why is there na after karibu? Can’t I just say karibu ngazi?
In Swahili, many relation words (like karibu, pamoja, sawa) require the connector na before the noun that follows. Omitting na (e.g. karibu ngazi) would be ungrammatical—you need karibu na ngazi.
Why ngazi and not ngazis or another plural form?
ngazi (“stair” or “ladder”) belongs to noun class 9/10, which has an identical form for both singular and plural. Context tells you whether it means “a stair/ladder” or “the stairs/ladder.” Here it clearly refers to “the stairs.”
How would I ask “Where is the elevator?” in Swahili?
You can say Lifti iko wapi?
wapi means “where.” A natural answer is Lifti iko karibu na ngazi (“The elevator is near the stairs”).
When would I use kuna lifti instead of lifti iko?
Use kuna lifti (“there is an elevator”) when announcing or pointing out the existence of an elevator to someone who didn’t know about it. Use lifti iko when locating an already‐mentioned or known elevator.
Is there any difference between iko and ipo here?
They’re interchangeable locative forms of kuwa for class 9/10 nouns. i-ko and i-po both work; ipo is slightly more colloquial but both are correct.
Can I replace karibu na with something like kando ya or juu ya?
You can’t replace karibu na if you mean “near to.”
• kando ya ngazi would mean “beside the stairs.”
• juu ya ngazi means “on the stairs.”
For “near the stairs,” stick with karibu na ngazi.