Breakdown of Wakati wa dharura, tupige simu ya polisi.
Questions & Answers about Wakati wa dharura, tupige simu ya polisi.
Swahili links two nouns in a possessive/genitive relationship with a connector that agrees with the noun class of the first noun (wakati here). Common connectors include:
• wa (classes 1/2 and some others)
• ya (classes 3/4, 9)
• cha (class 7)
• la (classes 5/6)
• za (class 10)
Wakati takes wa, so we get wakati wa dharura.
Breakdown of tupige (“let’s call”):
• tu- = subject prefix “we” (1st person plural)
• piga = verb root “hit/make (a call)”
• final -e = subjunctive/hortative mood marker (“let’s …”)
Put together, tu-piga-e = tupige = “let’s call.”
In Swahili the normal verb ending -a is used for the indicative (“we call/are calling”). To form the subjunctive/hortative (“let’s call”), you change -a to -e after the subject prefix:
• Indicative: tupiga = “we call/are calling”
• Hortative: tupige = “let’s call”
- kupiga simu = “to make a phone call” (literally “to hit phone”)
- kupigia polisi = “to call the police (on the phone)” using the applicative suffix -ia, which lets you turn the indirect object into a direct object of the verb.
So you can say:
• Tupige simu ya polisi. (“Let’s make a call of/the police.”)
• Tupigie polisi. (“Let’s call the police.”) – more direct.
Use the second-person singular imperative form of piga:
• Piga simu ya polisi! = “Call the police!” (to one person)
For “you all,” you’d say Pigieni simu ya polisi!
Yes—Swahili is flexible with adverbial phrases. Both are correct and equivalent:
• Wakati wa dharura, tupige simu ya polisi.
• Tupige simu ya polisi wakati wa dharura.
You can mirror the structure:
• Tupige simu ya ambulensi.
Or with the applicative:
• Tupigie ambulensi.