Sanduku hili limetengenezwa mbao imara.

This box has been made from sturdy wood.

Breakdown of Sanduku hili limetengenezwa mbao imara.

• hili: this
• mbao: the wood
• sanduku: the box
• kutengenezwa: to be made
• imara: sturdy

Questions & Answers about Sanduku hili limetengenezwa mbao imara.

Why is hili used with sanduku? How do you pick the right demonstrative?

hili is the proximal (“this”) demonstrative for noun class 5 (the ji-/ma-class). sanduku (“box”) belongs to that class and is singular and near the speaker, so we use hili. Demonstratives in Swahili must agree in:
• noun class (here ji-/ma- → hili)
• number (singular vs. plural)
• proximity (near speaker, near listener, far away)
For example, class 5 plural would be haya (“these”), and the distal form (that) would be hilo.

What does the li- in limetengenezwa mean?

li- is the subject concord (agreement prefix) for a singular noun in class 5. It attaches to the verb to agree with sanduku and essentially means “it (the box) …”.

What is the -me- in limetengenezwa?

-me- is the perfect aspect marker. When you combine li- (class 5 subject) + -me- (has/have) + tengenezwa (passive “been made”), you get “it has been made.”

How is the passive of tengeneza formed?

1. Start with the verb stem tengeneza (“to make”).
2. Drop the final -a → tengenez-.
3. Add the passive suffix -wa → tengenezwa (“be made”).
4. Prepend the subject concord + tense/aspect marker: li-me-tengenezwa.

Why is there no kwa before mbao imara, and can I add it?

In many written and spoken contexts, the material (“wood”) can follow a passive verb without kwa. It’s understood as “made from/with.” If you want to be explicit, you can insert kwa:
“Sanduku hili limetengenezwa kwa mbao imara.”

Why doesn’t imara take a prefix to agree with mbao?

Adjectives of state such as nzuri (good), kubwa (big), bora (better/best) and imara (solid/strong) are invariable in Swahili. They simply follow the noun without additional class prefixes.

How can I mention who made the box (the agent) in this sentence?

Use na + agent after the verb. For example:
“Sanduku hili limetengenezwa na fundi.”
If you also want to specify the material:
“Sanduku hili limetengenezwa na fundi kwa kutumia mbao imara.”

How would I express “This box was made of strong wood” in the simple past tense?

Replace the perfect marker li-me- with the simple past li-…-a:
“Sanduku hili lilitengenezwa kwa mbao imara.”
That means “This box was made of strong wood.”

How do you ask “What was this box made from?” in Swahili?

Use na nini (“with what”):
“Sanduku hili limetengenezwa na nini?”

How do I say “This box will be made of strong wood” (future tense)?

Insert the future marker -ta- after the subject concord:
“Sanduku hili lita tengenezwa kwa mbao imara.”
Literally: “This box will be made from solid wood.”