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Mwalimu hodari anafundisha wanafunzi kila siku.

Mwalimu hodari anafundisha wanafunzi kila siku.
The skilled teacher teaches students every day.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Swahili
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Breakdown of Mwalimu hodari anafundisha wanafunzi kila siku.

mwanafunzi
the student
mwalimu
the teacher
kufundisha
to teach
kila
every
siku
the day
hodari
skilled

Questions & Answers about Mwalimu hodari anafundisha wanafunzi kila siku.

What does the prefix ana- in anafundisha signify?

anafundisha breaks down into three parts:
• a-: subject concord for 3rd person singular (class 1, e.g. mwalimu)
• -na-: present/habitual tense marker (“is/does …”)
• -fundisha: verb stem “teach” (causative form of funda)

Why is there no separate word for he (or “he is”) in the sentence?
Swahili is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun is built into the verb via its subject concord (here a-). You don’t need an extra yeye (“he/she”) unless you want to emphasize or contrast.
Why does hodari come after mwalimu, and why doesn’t it take any prefix?
In Swahili most adjectives follow the noun they modify. Loan-word adjectives like hodari (“capable/clever”) are invariable—they do not receive noun-class agreement prefixes.
What’s the difference between funda and fundisha?

• funda = “to learn, to study”
• fundisha = causative of funda, “to teach” (literally “cause to learn”)

What does kila siku mean, and can I move it around?

kila = “each/every,” siku = “day.” Together kila siku = “every day.”
It’s usually placed after the verb as a frequency adverb, but you can front it for emphasis:
“Kila siku mwalimu hodari anafundisha wanafunzi.”

Why doesn’t the verb show an object marker for wanafunzi? Could I say anawafundisha wanafunzi?
You may add the class 2 object prefix wa- → anawafundisha (“he teaches them”). If you then include wanafunzi, it’s mostly for emphasis or clarity. Omitting the prefix and keeping the noun is also perfectly normal.
How would I express “taught” or “will teach” instead of “teaches/is teaching”?

Change the tense marker in the verb:
• Past: a-na- → a-li- ⇒ alifundisha = “he taught”
• Future: a-na- → a-ta- ⇒ atafundisha = “he will teach”

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