Breakdown of Eneo likisafishwa kila Ijumaa, utalii utaongezeka.
kila
every
eneo
the area
kuongezeka
to increase
kusafishwa
to be cleaned
Ijumaa
Friday
utalii
the tourism
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Questions & Answers about Eneo likisafishwa kila Ijumaa, utalii utaongezeka.
What does likisafishwa mean and how is it formed?
likisafishwa breaks down into:
- li-: the noun class 5 relative/subject prefix agreeing with eneo (area)
- -ki-: a tense–mood marker that introduces a “when/if” (temporal or conditional) clause
- safisha: the verb root “clean”
- -wa: the passive voice suffix
So likisafishwa literally means “when/if it (the area) is cleaned.”
Why is the passive form safishwa used instead of an active like safisha?
The passive safishwa focuses on the action happening to eneo without specifying who does the cleaning. In general statements (especially about routines or results), Swahili often uses the passive to keep the agent unknown or unimportant.
How does kila Ijumaa work here?
kila Ijumaa means “every Friday.”
- kila = every
- Ijumaa = Friday
It’s a time adverbial telling us when the area is cleaned.
What about utalii utaongezeka? How is the future tense formed?
utaongezeka is built from:
- u-: subject prefix agreeing with utalii (tourism), a noun in class 11
- -ta-: future tense marker
- ongezeka: verb root “increase” (with the extension -a)
Altogether, utalii utaongezeka means “tourism will increase.”
Do you have to say utalii if the verb already has u- at the start?
No, you could simply say utaongezeka and the u- would refer back to utalii. Including utalii is optional and mainly for clarity or emphasis.
Could I use kama instead of the li-ki- construction for “if”?
Yes. You could rephrase the sentence in the active or passive with kama (“if”):
- Active: Kama eneo linasafishwa kila Ijumaa, utalii utaongezeka.
- Passive: Kama eneo litafanyiwa usafi kila Ijumaa, utalii utaongezeka.
Here kama replaces the li-ki- relative form, and you use normal verb conjugation after it.
Is there any nuance between “when it is cleaned” and “if it is cleaned” with likisafishwa?
In Swahili, the li-ki- form often carries both temporal (“when”) and conditional (“if”) meanings. Context tells you whether it’s a certainty (every Friday it is cleaned) or a condition (if it happens). In your sentence, since you follow with a future result, it leans more on “if the area is cleaned every Friday, then tourism will increase.”