Breakdown of Japokuwa mvua inanyesha, watasisitiza tukamilishe mchezo leo.
leo
today
mvua
the rain
kunyesha
to rain
kumaliza
to finish
mchezo
the game
kusisitiza
to insist
japokuwa
although
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Japokuwa mvua inanyesha, watasisitiza tukamilishe mchezo leo.
What does japokuwa mean and how is it functioning in this sentence?
japokuwa is a subordinating conjunction that means although or even though. It introduces a concession clause—here it links “although it is raining” to the main clause about insisting on finishing the game.
Why is mvua inanyesha in the present tense rather than past or future?
The concession clause describes a current or ongoing situation (“it is raining”), so Swahili uses the present/continuous aspect marker -na-. mvua (rain) is the subject, i- is the class 9 subject concord, -na- marks present tense, and nyesha is the verb root (“to rain/fall”).
How do we break down the agreement prefix in inanyesha?
inanyesha = i- (noun class 9 subject concord for mvua) + -na- (present tense marker) + nyesha (verb root “to rain/fall”) → “it is raining.”
What does watasisitiza express in terms of tense and subject?
watasisitiza = wa- (class 2 subject concord “they”) + -ta- (future tense marker) + sisitiza (verb root “insist”) → “they will insist.”
Why is tukamilishe in the subjunctive form instead of a normal future or present tense?
After verbs like watasisitiza, the following clause usually takes the subjunctive to express purpose or necessity. The subjunctive ending is -e, so tukamilishe means “(that) we finish.”
How is the subjunctive form tukamilishe constructed?
tukamilishe = tu- (class 1/2 subject concord “we”) + -kamilisha (verb root “finish”) + -e (subjunctive suffix) → “that we finish.”
What role does mchezo play and why isn’t there an object marker inside kamilishe?
mchezo means game and is the direct object of kamilishe (“finish the game”). In Swahili, when you explicitly state the full noun object right after the verb, you normally omit the object-marker prefix. Those markers are used mainly for pronouns or for extra emphasis.
Why is leo placed at the end, and could it appear elsewhere?
leo means today. Time adverbials in Swahili are flexible: putting leo at the end emphasizes “today,” but you could also start the sentence with it (e.g., Leo, japokuwa mvua inanyesha, …).
Can japokuwa be replaced by other conjunctions like ingawa or japo, and what’s the difference?
Yes. ingawa is a neutral “although,” japo is a more colloquial short form, and japokuwa is slightly more formal. All three express the same concessive meaning.