Breakdown of Kiwanja chetu kipya cha michezo kiko umbali wa kilomita mbili tu kutoka hapa.
mpya
new
wa
of
kutoka
from
cha
of
chetu
our
mchezo
the sport
mbili
two
hapa
here
umbali
the distance
kilomita
the kilometre
tu
only
kiwanja
the field
kuko
to be located
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Questions & Answers about Kiwanja chetu kipya cha michezo kiko umbali wa kilomita mbili tu kutoka hapa.
Why are chetu and kipya both prefixed with ki-, and what is the purpose of cha before michezo?
Swahili modifiers must agree with the noun class of the head noun. Here Kiwanja (field) belongs to the ki-/vi- class (class 7 singular).
- chetu (“our”) = possessive pronoun with class 7 prefix ki-
- stem -etu
- kipya (“new”) = descriptive adjective with class 7 prefix ki-
- stem pya
- cha = genitive connector for class 7 linking Kiwanja to another noun (michezo), so cha michezo means “of games”
What is the function of kiko in kiko umbali wa kilomita mbili tu kutoka hapa?
Swahili uses the locative verb ko (“to be at/located”) with a subject prefix matching the noun class. Since Kiwanja is class 7, you attach the prefix ki- to ko, forming kiko. This says “the field is located at a distance of...”
What does umbali wa mean, and why is wa used?
umbali means “distance.” To link a noun to its qualifier or measure you use a genitive connector that matches the head noun’s class. Here umbali takes wa, so umbali wa = “distance of.”
How is the measure phrase kilomita mbili constructed and why does the number come after the noun?
In Swahili, measure words (like kilomita) act as nouns. The pattern is:
- Measure noun (kilomita)
- Cardinal number (mbili)
The number agrees with the noun’s class. kilomita is treated as class 9/10, and the standard form for “two” in most classes is mbili, hence kilomita mbili = “two kilometers.”
What does the particle tu add in kilomita mbili tu?
tu here means “only” or “just.” It limits or softens the statement: “just two kilometers.”
Why is kutoka hapa used at the end to indicate origin?
kutoka is the infinitive “to come from,” and in Swahili it precedes the place word to indicate origin. So kutoka hapa literally means “from here.” Reordering (hapa kutoka) would be ungrammatical.
Can I replace kiko umbali wa… with ni umbali wa…, and does it change the meaning?
Yes. You can say Kiwanja chetu kipya cha michezo ni umbali wa kilomita mbili tu kutoka hapa.
- ni is the equational verb “is,” focusing on identity/definition.
- kiko is the locative verb “is located,” emphasizing position/existence.
Both convey essentially the same idea in this context.