Tulifurahi kuruhusiwa kuogelea baharini.

Breakdown of Tulifurahi kuruhusiwa kuogelea baharini.

kuogelea
to swim
kufurahia
to be happy
kuruhusiwa
to be allowed
baharini
in the sea
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Questions & Answers about Tulifurahi kuruhusiwa kuogelea baharini.

How is Tulifurahi formed and what does it mean?

Tulifurahi breaks down as follows:
tu- = subject prefix “we”
-li- = past tense marker
furahi = verb root “be happy”

Together, Tulifurahi means “we were happy.”

What is the difference between the active infinitive kuruhusu and the passive infinitive kuruhusiwa?

kuruhusu = “to allow” (active infinitive of ruhusu)
kuruhusiwa = “to be allowed” (passive infinitive)

The suffix -wa turns the verb passive, so kuruhusiwa literally means “to be allowed.”

Why are there two ku- prefixes in kuruhusiwa kuogelea?

Each verb infinitive in Swahili takes its own ku- prefix:

  1. ku-ruhusi­­wa = “to be allowed”
  2. ku-ogelea = “to swim”

They’re independent infinitives linked by meaning (“to be allowed to swim”).

What does kuogelea mean and how is it formed?

ku- = infinitive marker (“to …”)
ogelea = verb root for “swim” (intransitive)

So kuogelea means “to swim.”

What does baharini mean and why is there a -ni ending?

bahari = “sea”
-ni = locative suffix (“in/at/on”)

Together, baharini means “in the sea.”

How would you say “They allowed us to swim in the sea” in active voice?

Use walituruhusu kuogelea baharini:
wa- = “they” (class 2 subject)
li- = past tense
tu- = “us” (object prefix)
ruhusu = “allow”
kuogelea baharini = “to swim in the sea”

How can I make the sentence present tense: “We are happy to be allowed to swim in the sea”?

Change tu-li-furahi to tu-na-furahi (present tense):
Tunafurahi kuruhusiwa kuogelea baharini
na- = present tense marker (“are”)

How would I say “I was happy to be allowed to swim in the sea” (first person singular)?

Adjust the subject to ni- and add -li- for past:
Nilifurahi kuruhusiwa kuogelea baharini
ni- = “I”
-li- = past tense marker on the verb “be happy”