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Questions & Answers about Ni kawaida yetu kusaidiana wakati wa kazi nzito.
Why does the sentence begin with ni? What is its function?
ni is the copula used in Swahili to link an implicit or explicit subject with a nominal predicate. It’s like saying “It is …” or “That is …” in English when there’s no action verb. Here it introduces the statement “It is our habit…”.
What part of speech is kawaida here?
In this context, kawaida functions as a noun meaning “habit” or “custom,” not as the adjective “usual” or “ordinary.” Following the copula ni, it serves as the predicate noun.
Why do we use yetu and not just etu? How does the possessive agree?
Swahili possessives agree with noun classes. kawaida belongs to noun class 9/10, whose possessive prefix is ya-. You attach the pronoun -etu to that prefix, giving yetu. Hence kawaida yetu = “our habit.”
Why is the verb kusaidiana used here? What does the -ana suffix do?
kusaidiana is formed from the infinitive marker ku-, the root saidia (“help”), and the reciprocal suffix -ana. The -ana indicates “each other,” so kusaidiana means “to help one another.”
Could we use tunasaidiana instead of ni kawaida yetu kusaidiana?
Yes, tunasaidiana means “we help each other” (present habitual or continuous). But ni kawaida yetu kusaidiana emphasizes that helping one another is “our custom/habit,” not merely something happening now.
How does wakati wa kazi nzito work? Why is there wa between wakati and kazi?
wakati means “time” or “when/during.” To show “during [something],” you use the genitive/possessive marker wa for class 9/10 nouns (like kazi). So wakati wa kazi = “during work.” The adjective nzito (“heavy”) follows kazi and agrees with class 9/10 by starting with n-.
Why does the adjective nzito come after the noun kazi?
In Swahili the typical noun–adjective order is noun first, adjective second. So you say kazi nzito (“work heavy”) literally, which translates to “heavy work.”
Can we say katika kazi ngumu instead of wakati wa kazi nzito?
You can, but there’s a nuance. katika kazi ngumu means “in difficult work,” focusing on being inside challenging tasks. wakati wa kazi nzito means “at the time of heavy work,” emphasizing helping one another when the labor is physically burdensome.