Breakdown of Kiwango cha maji baharini kimeongezeka.
maji
the water
cha
of
kuongezeka
to increase
kiwango
the level
baharini
in the sea
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Questions & Answers about Kiwango cha maji baharini kimeongezeka.
What is cha doing in kiwango cha maji baharini?
cha is the genitive concord (linking particle) for noun class 7. It agrees with the head noun kiwango (class 7) and connects it to its complement maji.
Why does bahari become baharini?
The suffix -ni marks the locative case (“in/at/on”). baharini therefore means “in the sea.”
Why is there no preposition before baharini—couldn’t I say katika bahari instead?
You can. Saying katika bahari (“in/at the sea”) is also correct, but if you use the locative suffix -ni, you omit the separate preposition. So both maji baharini and maji katika bahari are valid.
Can I say kiwango cha maji ya bahari instead of maji baharini?
Yes. ya is the genitive concord for class 9, which bahari belongs to. So maji ya bahari means “water of the sea.” The nuance is slight: maji baharini emphasizes location (“water in the sea”), while maji ya bahari frames it as possession (“the sea’s water”).
What does kimeongezeka break down into?
It’s composed of: ki- (subject prefix for class 7, agreeing with kiwango) + -me- (perfect/experiential aspect marker, “has/have”) + ongezeka (verb root “to increase/become more”). Altogether: “it has increased.”
What is the difference between the tense markers -me- and -li- in Swahili verbs?
-li- marks simple past (actions completed in the past), e.g. kiliongezeka “it increased.” -me- marks the present perfect or experiential aspect, indicating the action has occurred and its result is relevant now, e.g. kimeongezeka “it has increased.”
Why does the verb start with ki- and not ni- or something else?
The verb must carry a subject prefix that agrees with the subject noun class. kiwango is a class 7 noun (singular “ki-”), so the verb takes the class 7 subject marker ki-.
What noun class is kiwango, and how do I know?
kiwango begins with ki-, which is the singular prefix of noun class 7. Its plural form would take vi- (class 8), e.g. viwango if you needed “levels.”
Why does maji remain in its base form after cha? Shouldn’t it take a prefix too?
In genitive constructions you only mark the head noun with the genitive concord (here cha for kiwango). The complement (maji) appears in its citation form without additional prefixes or suffixes.
Why is the verb ongezeka instead of the transitive form ongeza?
ongezeka is formed from ongeza (“add/increase [something]”) by applying the intransitive/passive extension -ek-, giving “become more/increase.” It’s intransitive, so it doesn’t take a direct object.