Breakdown of Kesho asubuhi, watalii hao wataongozwa na mlinzi mpaka ukumbi wa filamu.
wa
of
na
by
hao
those
kesho asubuhi
tomorrow morning
filamu
the film
ukumbi
the hall
mtalii
the tourist
kuongozwa
to be guided
mlinzi
the guard
mpaka
to
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Questions & Answers about Kesho asubuhi, watalii hao wataongozwa na mlinzi mpaka ukumbi wa filamu.
Why are both kesho and asubuhi used to express “tomorrow morning”? Can I just say kesho?
Kesho means tomorrow (the entire day) and asubuhi means morning. When you say kesho asubuhi, you specify the time of day – tomorrow morning. You could say just kesho, but then you lose the detail about it being in the morning.
Why is the verb wataongozwa in the passive form and how is it constructed?
wataongozwa is the passive form of “to lead.”
- wa-: subject concord for class 2 (they)
- ta-: future tense marker
- ongoz: verb root from ongoza (to lead)
- -w-: passive extension
- -a: final vowel
Together, wataongozwa means “they will be led.” Passive is used to focus on the tourists (watalii) rather than the guard.
What does na mlinzi mean here and why is na used?
In passive sentences, na marks the agent, equivalent to “by” in English. So na mlinzi means “by a guard.” Although na can also mean “with,” after a passive verb it indicates who performs the action.
What does mpaka mean in this sentence?
mpaka means “up to,” “as far as,” or “until” when talking about movement or spatial endpoints. Here it shows the tourists are being led up to the movie hall.
How does ukumbi wa filamu express “movie hall”? What role does wa play?
ukumbi is a class 11 noun (hall). To link it with another noun, you use the genitive marker wa (for class 11). filamu is a class 9 noun (film/movie). So ukumbi wa filamu literally means “hall of film,” i.e. movie hall.
Why is watalii hao used instead of just watalii? What does hao do?
Watalii means “tourists.” Hao is the class 2 demonstrative pronoun meaning “those.” Putting hao after watalii specifies “those tourists” (as opposed to tourists in general).
How would you say this sentence in active voice?
In active voice, the guard becomes the subject of the verb:
Mlinzi ataongoza watalii hao mpaka ukumbi wa filamu kesho asubuhi.
- Mlinzi: the guard (subject)
- ataongoza: he will lead
- watalii hao: those tourists (object)
- mpaka ukumbi wa filamu: up to the movie hall
- kesho asubuhi: tomorrow morning
Could I use hadi instead of mpaka here?
Mpaka is the standard preposition for indicating a spatial endpoint (“up to a place”). Hadi is more common for temporal endpoints (e.g., “until 5 o’clock”) or clauses. Using hadi before a location sounds less natural, so mpaka is the preferred choice.
What noun class is filamu, and how do you form its plural?
Filamu is typically treated as a borrowed class 9 noun and remains the same in both singular and plural. You use context or quantifiers (e.g., filamu nyingi “many films”) to show plurality.