Breakdown of Ukosefu wa usingizi usiku unaweza kusababisha uchovu mchana.
wa
of
kuweza
to be able
uchovu
the tiredness
usingizi
the sleep
usiku
at night
kusababisha
to cause
ukosefu
the lack
mchana
during the day
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Questions & Answers about Ukosefu wa usingizi usiku unaweza kusababisha uchovu mchana.
Could you break down Ukosefu wa usingizi? How do you express “lack of sleep” in Swahili?
Swahili forms abstract nouns of deficiency by using the prefix u- and the suffix -fu on a verb root. Here, kosa (to lack/miss) becomes ukosefu (lack/absence). Then wa usingizi (“of sleep”) uses wa to link the noun class 11 abstract ukosefu with the class 7 noun usingizi. So Ukosefu wa usingizi literally means “lack of sleep.”
Why is usiku not preceded by a preposition to mean “at night”?
Time words like asubuhi (morning), mchana (daytime) and usiku (night) function as adverbial nouns without extra prepositions. So usiku by itself means “at night” or “during the night.”
In the sentence, usingizi usiku puts usiku after usingizi. Is that fixed?
Yes—modifier + noun order in Swahili is usually noun + modifier when the modifier specifies the noun. Here usiku qualifies usingizi, so you say usingizi usiku (“sleep at night”). You could front usiku for emphasis—Usiku, ukosefu wa usingizi…—but the basic link is usingizi usiku.
What is unaweza, and why is kusababisha in the infinitive form?
Unaweza comes from weza (to be able). The prefix u- here is an impersonal “it can,” and -na- is the present‐tense marker. As a modal verb, unaweza requires the next verb in the infinitive (ku- + root). Thus kusababisha means “to cause,” giving unaweza kusababisha = “can cause.”
Why not use inasababisha instead of kusababisha?
Inasababisha (class 9 subject “it causes”) is the simple present tense of “cause.” But because we need the structure “can cause,” we use the modal unaweza plus the infinitive kusababisha. If you just wanted “it causes,” you would say inasababisha without unaweza.
Why is uchovu used for “tiredness”?
Uchovu is the class 11 abstract noun from the root choka (to tire). The prefix u- plus no suffix form the noun “tiredness” or “fatigue.” It’s the standard term for that concept.
Can I add adjectives like “deep” to usingizi?
Yes. For “deep sleep” you can say usingizi mzito. The adjective mzito (heavy/deep) takes the class 7 agreement (no prefix change). E.g.:
Ukosefu wa usingizi mzito usiku unaweza kusababisha uchovu mchana.
How do noun classes matter here (ukosefu, usingizi, uchovu)?
- Ukosefu (lack) and uchovu (tiredness) are class 11 abstract nouns with prefix u-.
- Usingizi (sleep) is class 7 with prefix u- and pairs with the class 8 plural usingizi (same form).
Knowing the classes helps you match connectors (wa for class 7/8) and agreement on adjectives or verbs if needed.
Could I start the sentence with Mchana (“In the day”) for emphasis?
Yes. Swahili allows you to front time adverbials:
Mchana, ukosefu wa usingizi usiku unaweza kusababisha uchovu.
This puts focus on daytime before stating the main clause.