Bibi huenda kwa daktari wa meno mara moja kwa mwaka wakati wa likizo.

Grandmother usually goes to the dentist once a year during the vacation.

Breakdown of Bibi huenda kwa daktari wa meno mara moja kwa mwaka wakati wa likizo.

• kwa: to
• kwa: for
• kuenda: to go
• mwaka: the year
• bibi: grandmother
• daktari wa meno: the dentist
• mara moja: once
• wakati wa: during
• likizo: the vacation

Questions & Answers about Bibi huenda kwa daktari wa meno mara moja kwa mwaka wakati wa likizo.

What does Bibi mean in this sentence, and how would I say my grandmother?

Bibi means grandmother (or sometimes respectfully the old lady). To say my grandmother, add the possessive suffix -angu: Bibi yangu.

What does huenda mean, and how is it different from anaenda or simply enda?

huenda is the present-habitual form of enda meaning to go. It indicates a habitual action (she goes regularly). In contrast, anaenda is the present-continuous form (she is going right now), and enda alone is the imperative (go!).

Why is kwa used in kwa daktari wa meno? Could I use kwenye or drop it entirely?

When you are going to see a person (like a professional), Swahili uses enda kwa [person]. So kwa here means to (see) the doctor. kwenye would mean at/in the doctor’s location, not visiting. Dropping kwa makes it unclear that you are visiting someone.

What does daktari wa meno literally mean, and what role does wa play here?

daktari wa meno literally doctor of teeth, i.e. dentist. daktari means doctor, meno means teeth, and wa is the genitive link for class 5/6 showing of or specialization.

How do I express once a year, and why is it mara moja kwa mwaka? Can I say mara moja kila mwaka?

mara moja means one time, kwa mwaka means per year. Together mara moja kwa mwaka = once per year. You can also say mara moja kila mwaka, where kila means every. Both are correct: kwa mwaka emphasizes rate, kila mwaka emphasizes each repetition.

What does wakati wa likizo mean, and could I say katika likizo or wakati wa mapumziko instead?

wakati wa likizo means during vacation. wakati = time, wa = of, likizo = vacation. You can say katika likizo (in vacation), but wakati wa mapumziko is less common because mapumziko means rests rather than formal holidays. For school holidays, you could say wakati wa likizo za shule.

Why are the expressions mara moja, kwa mwaka, and wakati wa likizo placed at the end of the sentence?

In Swahili the typical word order is: subject – tense/aspect – verb – object – time/place/manner adverbials. That is why mara moja, kwa mwaka, and wakati wa likizo appear at the end.