Breakdown of Ni muhimu kufanya chemsha-bongo pamoja na marafiki.
ni
to be
rafiki
the friend
na
with
kufanya
to do
pamoja
together
muhimu
important
chemsha-bongo
the puzzle
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Questions & Answers about Ni muhimu kufanya chemsha-bongo pamoja na marafiki.
What does Ni muhimu mean and why is Ni used instead of a subject like “we” or “you”?
Ni muhimu literally means “It is important.” In Swahili, many general statements use an impersonal construction with Ni (the verb “to be”) plus an adjective. There’s no need for a specific subject pronoun—Ni alone conveys “it is.” English often supplies an “it” for weather, time or general truths; Swahili does the same with Ni.
Why is kufanya in the infinitive form here instead of a conjugated verb?
After Ni muhimu, Swahili normally uses the infinitive (prefix ku- plus the verb stem) to express “to do” something. So kufanya = “to do” or “doing.” You could translate Ni muhimu kufanya… as “It is important to do…”
What exactly is chemsha-bongo?
Chemsha-bongo is a colloquial compound noun meaning “brainstorming” or “brain-teasing.”
• Chemsha = “to cook/boil”
• Bongo = “brain” (slang)
Put together (and hyphenated) it literally means “brain-boiling,” i.e. exercising your mind or generating ideas.
Why is it hyphenated as chemsha-bongo rather than written as two separate words?
In Swahili, hyphens often link two nouns to form a single concept. Here chemsha-bongo functions as one idea (a noun), so the hyphen shows they belong together. Without it, you might read them as two unrelated words.
What’s the difference between pamoja na marafiki and just saying na marafiki?
- Na simply means “and” or “with.”
- Pamoja na emphasizes “together with.”
In this sentence, pamoja na marafiki underlines the idea of doing the brainstorming session jointly with friends, not just mentioning friends alongside the action.
Why is marafiki plural here? Could I say rafiki (singular)?
Yes, you could say “pamoja na rafiki” if you mean “together with a (single) friend.”
Marafiki is the plural of rafiki, so pamoja na marafiki means “with friends.” The form matches the number of people you’re referring to.
Is chemsha-bongo formal or informal? When should I use it?
It’s fairly informal or conversational, often used in spoken Swahili or casual writing. In a formal context you might say “kuzalisha mawazo” (to generate ideas) or “kutafakari kwa pamoja” (to reflect together). But in everyday speech, chemsha-bongo is lively and widely understood.