Question 1

Why is there la between tokeo and jaribio?

Accepted Answer

la is the genitive (possessive) marker for class 5 nouns like tokeo (“result”). It links tokeo to jaribio (“test”), literally giving “the result of the test.”

Question 2

What noun classes are tokeo and jaribio, and how can I tell?

Accepted Answer

Both tokeo and jaribio are class 5 singular. Clues:
- Their plurals take ma- (→ matokeo, majaribio).
- Class 5 uses genitive la on the head noun (→ tokeo la).

If you pluralize the head, you switch to class 6 genitive ya:
“Matokeo ya majaribio…”

Question 3

Why do we use ni before zuri?

Accepted Answer

Swahili has no separate present-tense “to be” verb. Instead, the copula ni links a subject/topic to a predicate (adjective, noun, etc.). Here it means “is,” so tokeo la jaribio ni zuri = “the result of the test is good.”

Question 4

Why is the adjective zuri unchanged, and not mzuri or nzuri?

Accepted Answer

In predicate position, adjectives in Swahili always use their base form (the citation stem), without noun-class prefixes. So regardless of noun class, you say ni zuri for “is good.”

(When used attributively—before the noun—adjectives do agree: e.g. mazuri matokeo for “good results.”)

Question 5

How do I say “the test results are good” in the plural?

Accepted Answer

Pluralize both nouns and adjust the genitive:
“Matokeo ya majaribio ni zuri.”  
- matokeo (results, cls 6)  
- ya (genitive for cls 6 head)  
- majaribio (tests, cls 6)  
- predicate still ni zuri

Question 6

How do I ask “Is the test result good?” in Swahili?

Accepted Answer

You can:
• Add the question word Je:  
  Je, tokeo la jaribio ni zuri?  
• Or simply use rising intonation:  
  Tokeo la jaribio ni zuri?  
Both mean “Is the test result good?”

Tokeo la jaribio ni zuri.

Breakdown of Tokeo la jaribio ni zuri.

Questions & Answers about Tokeo la jaribio ni zuri.

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Master Swahili — from Tokeo la jaribio ni zuri to fluency