Breakdown of Tumekuwa tukifanya mazoezi ya kwaya kila Ijumaa jioni.
sisi
we
kuwa
to be
kufanya
to do
kila
every
ya
of
zoezi
the exercise
jioni
in the evening
kwaya
the choir
Ijumaa
Friday
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Questions & Answers about Tumekuwa tukifanya mazoezi ya kwaya kila Ijumaa jioni.
What does Tumekuwa mean in this sentence?
Tumekuwa is the perfect‐continuous form of kuwa (“to be”) with the subject we. It literally means “we have been.” In this sentence it kicks off the idea “we have been doing…”
Why do we use tukifanya after Tumekuwa?
The -ki- in tukifanya is a converb that links kuwa (“to be”) with another verb to show ongoing or habitual action. So tukifanya means “doing” (literally “when we do”), giving the sense “we have been doing.”
Can’t we just say Tumefanya mazoezi ya kwaya kila Ijumaa jioni?
You could, but Tumefanya (“we have done”) focuses on completed actions. Tumekuwa tukifanya (“we have been doing”) emphasizes that the choir practice happens regularly or continuously over time—which fits better for a weekly habit.
Why is it mazoezi ya kwaya instead of mazoezi wa kwaya?
Mazoezi is in noun class 6 (prefix ma-). The genitive (possessive) concord for class 6 is ya-, so “of choir” becomes ya kwaya. Wa- would match class 2 nouns, but here the head noun mazoezi is class 6.
What noun classes are involved in mazoezi ya kwaya?
Mazoezi (exercises/practice) has the plural prefix ma- (class 6), so it takes the genitive ya-. Kwaya (choir) is class 9/10 (no prefix in singular), so it stays kwaya. Hence mazoezi ya kwaya = “choir practice.”
What does kila Ijumaa jioni mean, and why use kila?
Kila means “every” or “each.” Ijumaa = “Friday,” jioni = “evening.” So kila Ijumaa jioni literally is “every Friday evening.”
Can the time phrase kila Ijumaa jioni appear at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Swahili word order is flexible with time expressions. You could say Kila Ijumaa jioni tumekuwa tukifanya mazoezi ya kwaya, and it would mean exactly the same thing.
What is the difference between jioni, usiku, and mchana, and why use jioni here?
Mchana means “daytime/afternoon,” jioni is “evening” (late afternoon until dusk), and usiku is “night” (after dark). Since the choir practice happens in the early evening, jioni is the correct choice.