Learn Hardcore Swahili: Serikali ikipunguza kodi, biashara ndogo zitaweza kuajiri wafanyakazi wapya. - If the government reduces tax, small businesses will be able to hire new workers.

iki- is made of i- (the subject prefix for “serikali,” class 9/10) plus -ki- (the conditional marker “if/when”). So ikipunguza literally means “if/when it (the government) reduces.”

Why is the first verb ikipunguza instead of a future form like itapunguza?

itapunguza = i- + -ta- (future) + punguza would mean “it will reduce.” But here we need a conditional clause (“if/when the government reduces taxes”), so we swap -ta- for -ki- and get ikipunguza.

What is the function of -ta- in zitaweza?

-ta- is the future-tense marker. In zitaweza, you have zi- (subject prefix for plural biashara) + -ta- (future) + weza (“be able to”). So zitaweza = “they will be able to.”

Why use weza before kuajiri? Could you just say zitaajiri?

zitaweza kuajiri means “they will be able to hire,” stressing their capacity. zitaajiri merely states “they will hire” without highlighting ability or possibility.

Why is the infinitive kuajiri used instead of the bare stem ajiri?

After modal or auxiliary verbs like weza, Swahili requires the infinitive form of the next verb, which is ku- + stem. Hence kuajiri = “to hire.”

How do noun classes affect verbs and adjectives in this sentence?

• serikali (“government”) is class 9/10, so its subject prefix is i- in ikipunguza.
• biashara (“businesses”) is also class 9/10; taken as plural here, it uses zi- in zitaweza.
• wafanyakazi (“workers”) is class 2, so the adjective “new” takes the class-2 prefix wa-, giving wapya.

Why does kodi stay the same in singular and plural?

kodi belongs to noun class 9/10, which often has identical singular and plural forms. Number is shown by context and verb agreement, not by changing the noun’s ending.