Breakdown of Karani aliweka barua kwenye sanduku la posta.
kwenye
at
barua
the letter
ya
of
kuweka
to put
sanduku
the box
karani
the clerk
posta
the post office
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Questions & Answers about Karani aliweka barua kwenye sanduku la posta.
What does karani mean?
Karani means “clerk” or “secretary.” In this sentence it refers to the person at the post office who handles mails and letters.
How is the verb aliweka formed and what information does it give?
aliweka breaks down as:
- a- = 3rd person singular subject prefix (“he/she”)
- li- = past tense marker
- weka = verb root meaning “to put” or “to place”
Put together, aliweka means “he/she put” in the simple past.
Why is there no article before barua (letter)?
Swahili does not have definite or indefinite articles (no equivalents of “the” or “a/an”). You simply state the noun. If you need to specify “one letter,” you add a numeral: barua moja.
What does kwenye mean, and could I use katika instead?
- kwenye means “in,” “into,” “at,” or “onto” and is often used for concrete locations or containers (“in/into the box”).
- katika also means “in” or “inside,” but is a bit more general or formal.
In many contexts they’re interchangeable:
• aliweka barua katika sanduku la posta
• aliweka barua kwenye sanduku la posta
Both are correct, though kwenye is very common in everyday speech.
Why is it sanduku la posta and not sanduku ya posta?
Swahili uses different genitive connectors (linkers) depending on the noun class of the head noun.
- sanduku belongs to noun class 7 (the “ki/vi” class), even though it doesn’t show a “ki-” prefix in its form. Class 7’s genitive/linker is la.
So “the post box” = sanduku la posta. If it were class 9/10 (like barua), the linker would be ya.
Can barua here mean a single letter or mail in general?
Barua can mean “a letter” or “mail” (uncountable). Context often makes the meaning clear. If you want to count letters, you add a number:
- barua moja = one letter
- barua mbili = two letters
Without a numeral, it simply means an indefinite letter or mail item.
Why don’t we attach barua as an object prefix to the verb (e.g., aliibarua)?
Swahili object-prefixes in the verb are only used for pronominal objects (e.g., alimwambia “he told him/her”). When the object is a full noun (like barua), you leave the verb un-infixed and place the noun after it: aliweka barua.