Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mlango huu umevunjwa na watoto. - This door has been broken by the children.

In Swahili, demonstratives follow the noun and agree with its noun class. Mlango is in noun class 3 (singular), so it takes huu for “this.” If it were in noun class 9/10, you would use hii instead, but for class 3 singular the correct form is huu.

What is the structure of umevunjwa (the verb form)?

umevunjwa breaks down as:
• u- = subject prefix for class 3 singular (agrees with mlango)
• me- = perfect tense marker (“has/have”)
• vunj = verb root from vunja (“to break”)
• -wa = passive suffix

Altogether, u-me-vunj-wa means “has been broken” referring to mlango.

How is the passive voice generally formed in Swahili?

To form the passive:
1) Add the passive suffix -wa (or -iwa/-ewa after certain vowels) to the verb root.
2) Use the appropriate subject prefix for the noun class of the subject.
3) Optionally introduce the agent with na + noun.

Example active → passive:
• Watoto wamevunja mlango huu. (The children have broken this door.)
• Mlango huu umevunjwa na watoto. (This door has been broken by the children.)

What does na watoto mean in this sentence?

In a passive construction, na marks the agent (the doer of the action). Watoto means “children,” so na watoto = “by the children.”

How would you express the same idea in the active voice?

You would switch agent and subject and remove the passive suffix:
• Watoto wamevunja mlango huu.
Here watoto (children) is the subject, wa-me-vunj-a is “have broken,” and mlango huu is the object.

Can you omit na watoto to form an agentless passive?

Yes. If you want to say “this door has been broken” without specifying who did it, simply drop the agent:
• Mlango huu umevunjwa.