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Questions & Answers about Bweni likiwa na taa za sola, halitahitaji umeme wa gridi.
What is the function of likiwa in this sentence?
likiwa is a conditional/relative form that links bweni (“the dormitory”) with “having solar lights.” Literally it’s li- (the class-5 subject concord for bweni) + -akiwa, a variant of ikiwa (“if it is, if it has”). So bweni likiwa na… means “when/if the dormitory has…”
Why does likiwa start with li- instead of na- or some other prefix?
li- is the subject concord for singular nouns in class 5 (the “ji/ma” class) like bweni. Any verb or verbal form referring back to bweni needs that concord. Thus li- + ikaw a for “when it has.”
Could we start the sentence with ikiwa instead of likiwa?
Yes, you can use ikiwa plus a full verb and subject:
“Ikiwa bweni litakuwa na taa za sola, halitahitaji umeme wa gridi.”
Here ikiwa introduces the condition, and litakuwa is the future tense of “to be.” The original likiwa is just a more compact way to say “if it has.”
How is the negative future halitahitaji constructed?
It’s built from four parts:
- ha-: negative marker for class 5
- li-: class 5 subject concord (referring to bweni)
- -ta-: future tense marker
- -hitaji: verb root “need.”
Put together ha- + li- + ta- + hitaji = halitahitaji (“it will not need”).
What does taa za sola mean, and why is za used?
Taa is “light/lantern.” Za is the plural/genitive connector for class 10 nouns (the plural of class 9 taa). Sola is a borrowed adjective meaning “solar.” So taa za sola = “solar lights” (literally “lights of solar”).
Why is it umeme wa gridi and not umeme ya gridi?
Umeme (“electricity”) is a class 3 noun, which takes the genitive connector wa. Gridi is treated as a noun in class 9/10 (borrowed from English “grid”), but the genitive links to umeme. So umeme wa gridi = “electricity of the grid,” i.e. “grid electricity.”
Can we rephrase “if the dormitory has…” using kama instead of ikiwa?
Yes. For example:
“Kama bweni litakuwa na taa za sola, halitahitaji umeme wa gridi.”
Here kama means “if,” litakuwa is future “it will have,” and the rest stays the same. This is slightly more formal but perfectly natural.