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Je, watoto wanaweza kutumia darubini hii shuleni?

Je, watoto wanaweza kutumia darubini hii shuleni?
Can the children use this telescope at school?
FromLesson 26inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Je, watoto wanaweza kutumia darubini hii shuleni?

What is the function of Je at the beginning of the sentence?
Je is an interrogative marker used to turn statements into yes-no questions. It doesn’t translate directly into English but signals that a question follows. In casual speech you can drop Je if the question is clear from intonation.
How is wanaweza constructed, and what do its parts mean?

wanaweza breaks down into:
• wa- – subject prefix for third-person plural (they)
• na- – present-tense marker
• weza – verb root meaning “be able”
Combined, wanaweza means “they can” or “they are able.”

Why is hii used with darubini instead of another demonstrative?
Swahili nouns are grouped into classes, each with its own demonstratives. Darubini belongs to noun class 9/10, whose proximal demonstrative is hii. Hence darubini hii means “this microscope (or telescope).” Other classes use huyo, hilo, etc., depending on proximity and class.
What does the suffix -ni in shuleni signify?
The -ni suffix marks the locative case, meaning “at” or “in.” Shule is “school,” so shuleni literally means “at school” or “in school,” without needing a separate preposition.
How do you form the negative of this question?

You replace wanaweza with its negative form hawawezi (ha- + wa- + weza + –i):
Je, watoto hawawezi kutumia darubini hii shuleni?
= “Are the children not able to use this microscope at school?”

How would you change the sentence to ask about a single child instead of children?

Switch watoto (children) to mtoto (child) and use the third-person singular prefix a-:
Je, mtoto anaweza kutumia darubini hii shuleni?
= “Can the child use this microscope at school?”

Can you give a literal, word-for-word breakdown of the sentence?

• Je – question marker
• watoto – children
• wa-na-weza – they-present-be able = “they can”
• kutumia – to use
• darubini – microscope/telescope
• hii – this (class 9/10 demonstrative)
• shuleni – at school (locative)

Is Je always necessary to form a question in Swahili?

No. You can omit Je if rising intonation or context makes it clear you’re asking a question:
Watoto wanaweza kutumia darubini hii shuleni?

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