Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Benchi hilo lilichongwa na seremala kijijini, na litasafirishwa sokoni kesho.
What noun class does benchi belong to, and which subject marker does it take on the verb?
benchi is in noun class 5 (its plural class 6 form would be vibenchi). Class 5 uses the subject marker li- on verbs, as seen in lilichongwa (“it was carved”) and litasafirishwa (“it will be transported”).
Why does lilichongwa show only one li- prefix instead of two (for past tense and class 5 subject)?
In Swahili the past tense marker li- and the class 5 subject marker li- are identical and merge into a single li- prefix, so you don’t get lili-chongwa but just lilichongwa.
What is hilo doing in benchi hilo, and how is it different from hili?
hilo is the class 5 distal demonstrative meaning “that.” hili is the proximal demonstrative meaning “this.” So benchi hilo literally means “that bench” (as opposed to benchi hili, “this bench”).
How is the passive voice formed in Swahili, as in lilichongwa and litasafirishwa?
To form the passive you:
1) choose the correct verb stem (here chonga “to carve” and the causative safirisha “to transport”),
2) add the passive suffix -wa (after stems ending in –a) or -shwa/-ekwa (after stems ending in –i/–e),
3) prefix with the appropriate tense and subject markers.
Example breakdown:
- li- (past) + chonga + ‑wa → lilichongwa “it was carved”
- li- (class 5) + ta- (future) + safirisha + ‑wa → litasafirishwa “it will be transported”
How is the agent expressed in this passive sentence with na seremala?
In a Swahili passive you can introduce the doer with na + agent noun. Here na seremala means “by a carpenter,” identifying who did the carving.
What kind of form is kijijini, and how is it constructed?
kijijini is the locative of kijiji (“village”), formed by adding the locative suffix -ni to the noun. kijijini means “in/at the village.”
Why isn’t there a separate preposition like katika before kijijini?
The suffix -ni already carries the meaning “in/at,” so adding katika or ndani ya would be redundant.
What does sokoni mean, and why not say katika soko?
sokoni is the locative of soko (“market”), meaning “at/to the market.” In contexts of movement (e.g. with litasafirishwa) sokoni itself expresses destination, so katika isn’t needed.
Can the adverb kesho (“tomorrow”) appear elsewhere in the sentence, or must it come at the end?
Time adverbs like kesho are flexible. Ending the sentence with kesho is common, but you could also start with Kesho, benchi hilo litasafirishwa sokoni or insert it before the verb without changing the meaning.
How would you express this idea in the active voice, naming the carpenter as the subject?
Active voice:
Seremala alichonga benchi hilo kijijini, na atasafirisha benchi hilo sokoni kesho.
Here seremala (class 1) takes a- as subject prefix; alichonga is past active of “carve”; atasafirisha is future active of “transport.”