Mwamuzi alisimamisha mchezo wakati kanuni zilivunjwa.

The referee stopped the match when the rules were broken.

Breakdown of Mwamuzi alisimamisha mchezo wakati kanuni zilivunjwa.

• wakati: when
• mwamuzi: the referee
• kusimamisha: to stop
• mchezo: the match
• kanuni: the rule
• kuvunjwa: to be broken

Questions & Answers about Mwamuzi alisimamisha mchezo wakati kanuni zilivunjwa.

What does Mwamuzi mean and what noun class does it belong to?

Mwamuzi means “referee” or “umpire.” It belongs to noun class 1 (human singular), which is why the verb that refers to it takes the subject marker a- for “he” or “she.”

How is the verb alisimamisha constructed? Break down its parts.

alisimamisha is made up of:

• a-: 3rd person singular subject marker (“he/she/it”)
• li-: past‐tense marker
• simamisha: causative form of simama (“to stand”), so “to cause to stand” or “to stop (something).”
  Altogether alisimamisha means “he stopped (something).”

What’s the difference between simama and simamisha?

• simama = “to stand” or “to stop (oneself).”
• simamisha = causative “to cause to stand,” i.e. “to stop (someone or something).”
  In our sentence, Mwamuzi alisimamisha mchezo means “The referee stopped the game.”

Why isn’t there an object marker on alisimamisha when it has the object mchezo?

In Swahili, if you explicitly state the object as a noun phrase (here mchezo), you don’t need to attach an object‐marker prefix to the verb. You could, but it’s more natural to leave the noun as is: alisimamisha mchezo.

What role does wakati play in this sentence?

wakati is a conjunction meaning “when.” It introduces the time clause wakati kanuni zilivunjwa (“when the rules were broken”).

Break down zilivunjwa. What are its components?

zilivunjwa =

• zi-: 3rd person plural subject marker for class 10 (rules)
• li-: past‐tense marker
• vunj-: root “to break”
• -wa: passive extension + final vowel
  Together, “they (the rules) were broken.”

Why is the subordinate clause kanuni zilivunjwa in the passive? Could one express it actively?

The passive highlights the rules (kanuni) without naming who broke them. An active alternative is:
wakati watu walivunja kanuni
= “when people broke the rules.”
But the passive version keeps the actor unspecified and stresses the rules themselves.

Can you use a different tense in the wakati clause?

Yes. Each clause can carry its own tense. Examples:

• Present:
  Mwamuzi anasimamisha mchezo wakati kanuni zinavunjwa.
  (“The referee stops the game when the rules are being broken.”)
• Future:
  Mwamuzi atasimamisha mchezo wakati kanuni zitavunjwa.
  (“The referee will stop the game when the rules are broken.””)