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Tulifuata ajenda hiyo ili tusipoteze muda katika mazungumzo marefu.

Tulifuata ajenda hiyo ili tusipoteze muda katika mazungumzo marefu.
We followed that agenda so that we would not waste time in long discussions.
FromLesson 32inHardcore Swahili
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Questions & Answers about Tulifuata ajenda hiyo ili tusipoteze muda katika mazungumzo marefu.

How do you break down Tulifuata into its parts, and what does each part mean?

Tulifuata = tu- (we) + -li- (past tense marker) + fuata (stem “follow”).
So it literally means “we followed.”

Why doesn’t the sentence include a separate word for “we” before Tulifuata?
In Swahili, the subject (“we”) is built into the verb via the tu- prefix. You don’t need a separate pronoun because tu- already tells you the subject is “we.”
What function does ili serve in ‘…ajenda hiyo ili tusipoteze muda…’?
Ili is the conjunction “so that” or “in order that.” It introduces a purpose clause, signaling why the action was done.
Why is tusipoteze in the negative subjunctive form?

After ili (purpose clause), Swahili requires the subjunctive mood. To form the negative subjunctive for “we”:
• tu- (we)
• -si- (negative marker)
• potez (stem “waste/lose”)
• -e (subjunctive final)
Result: tusipoteze = “that we don’t waste.”

How do you say “waste time” in Swahili, and what are the individual words?

“Waste time” = kupoteza muda, where:
• kupoteza = “to waste” (“ku-” infinitive + “poteza” stem)
• muda = “time”

Why is it ajenda hiyo and not ajenda hii or ajenda ile?
Ajenda is treated as a class 9 noun (borrowed from English). The class 9 demonstrative meaning “that” is hiyo. Thus ajenda hiyo = “that agenda.”
In mazungumzo marefu, why does the adjective refu become marefu?

Mazungumzo (“conversations”) is class 6 (ma- prefix). Adjectives must agree with noun class:
• Adjective root: refu (“long”)
• Class 6 agreement adds ma-: marefu
So “long conversations” = mazungumzo marefu.

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