Learn Hardcore Swahili: Je, unajua kumeza dawa bila maji ni hatari? - Do you know that swallowing medicine without water is dangerous?

In Swahili Je is a question marker that introduces a yes/no question. It has no direct English equivalent but works like saying “do you” or “is it that” at the start of the sentence to show you’re asking a question.

How is unajua constructed in terms of subject, tense/aspect marker, and verb root?

Unajua breaks down into three parts:

u- = you (2nd person singular subject)
-na- = present/habitual tense-aspect marker
jua = know (verb root) So unajua literally means “you (u-) know (jua) right now or generally.”

What does the prefix ku- in kumeza indicate? Is it a subject marker?

The prefix ku- in kumeza is not a subject marker but the infinitive marker (verbal noun) on class 15 verbs. It turns meza (“swallow”) into “to swallow.” The subject marker was already used in unajua, so here we need the infinitive form to express “do you know to swallow medicine …”

What’s the difference between kumeza and kunywa when talking about medicine?

kumeza = to swallow, typically used for pills or solid dosage forms
kunywa = to drink, used for liquids or solutions
So if you’re taking a pill with water, you kumeza the pill and kunywa (drink) water.

How does the preposition bila work, and why is it followed directly by maji?

bila means “without.” In Swahili it is followed directly by the noun it governs, with no linking word. Hence bila maji = “without water.” You do not say bila ya maji here.

What part of speech is hatari, and why do we need ni before it?

hatari functions as an adjective meaning “dangerous” (it can also be a noun meaning “danger”).
Swahili uses ni as a copula to link the subject/topic of the sentence to a predicate adjective or noun. Here ni hatari means “is dangerous.”

How does the clause kumeza dawa bila maji function grammatically in the sentence?

The infinitive phrase kumeza dawa bila maji acts like a noun phrase (a verbal noun) and serves as the subject or topic of the nominal sentence. You could gloss it as “the act of swallowing medicine without water (subject) is dangerous.”

What noun class does dawa belong to, and when would you use madawa instead?

dawa is a class 9 noun (singular) that often has the same form in both singular and plural.
madawa is its class 6 plural form, meaning “medicines” or “drugs” in general. Use madawa when referring to multiple pills or medicines; dawa can mean one dose or medicine in general.

Can you ask the same question without using Je, and how does that affect the tone?

Yes. You could simply say: Unajua kumeza dawa bila maji ni hatari?
Dropping Je makes it slightly more informal or conversational. Adding Je is a bit more standard or polite in writing and formal speech.

Could you substitute hatari with salama to express the opposite idea?

Yes. salama means “safe.” So: Je, unajua kumeza dawa bila maji ni salama?
would ask “Do you know if swallowing medicine without water is safe?” Note that this flips the warning tone into asking about safety.