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Tangazo litasomwa kwa redio ya shule kila saa.

Tangazo litasomwa kwa redio ya shule kila saa.
The announcement will be read on the school radio every hour.
FromLesson 25inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Tangazo litasomwa kwa redio ya shule kila saa.

What does tangazo mean?
tangazo means announcement. Its plural form is matangazo (announcements).
How is litasomwa formed, and what does it mean?

litasomwa means will be read and is a future-passive verb. It breaks down into:
• li-: subject prefix for class 5 (agreeing with tangazo)
• -ta-: future tense marker
• -som-: root from soma (to read)
• -wa: passive voice suffix
• -a: final vowel for indicative mood

Putting it together: li-ta-som-wa-a → litasomwa.

Why do we use kwa in kwa redio ya shule, and what does it mean?
kwa here marks the medium or instrument, so kwa redio means over the radio or via the radio. Swahili uses kwa to express by/with/through when referring to tools, channels, or means.
Why is it redio ya shule and not redio shule?
To link two nouns (“A of B”), A takes a genitive connector based on its noun class. redio is class 9, so its connector is ya. Thus redio ya shule literally means radio of school (the school’s radio).
What does kila saa mean?
kila means each or every, and saa means hour. So kila saa = every hour (each hour). Without kila, saa alone just means hour or hours but not “every.”
Can the word order change without altering the meaning?

Yes. You could front the medium for emphasis:
Kwa redio ya shule, tangazo litasomwa kila saa
The sentence still means The announcement will be read on the school radio every hour.

How would you say “Announcements will be read every hour on the school radio” (plural)?

Use the plural noun matangazo and its class 6 prefix ya-:
Matangazo yatasomwa kwa redio ya shule kila saa
Here ya- agrees with matangazo, -ta- remains the future marker, and -somwa is the passive.

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