Breakdown of Utalii umeleta maendeleo kijijini.
katika
in
kuleta
to bring
kijiji
the village
maendeleo
the development
utalii
the tourism
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Questions & Answers about Utalii umeleta maendeleo kijijini.
Which noun class does utalii belong to, and how does that affect the verb form?
Utalii (“tourism”) is an abstract noun in class 14, marked by the prefix u-. In Swahili, the verb’s subject prefix must agree with the noun class. That is why we see u- at the start of umeleta instead of the usual a- for class 1.
Break down umeleta into its component parts—what does each part signify?
• u-: subject prefix agreeing with utalii (class 14)
• -me-: perfect aspect marker (“has …”)
• leta: verb root meaning “bring”
Together, umeleta means “has brought.”
Why is the tense/aspect marker -me- used in umeleta, and what would uleta mean without it?
The infix -me- signals the perfect aspect (“has …”). Without it, uleta (subject prefix + root) simply means “brings” or “is bringing” (present/habitual), not “has brought.”
Why does maendeleo look plural but translate as singular “development”?
Maendeleo is a class 6 noun with the prefix ma-. Class 6 often marks plurals or abstract/mass concepts. Although it appears plural in form, it functions as a mass/abstract noun—hence rendered in English as the singular “development.”
How is kijijini formed, and why does it mean “in the village”?
Take kijiji (“village”) and add the locative suffix -ni. The suffix -ni itself carries the meaning “at/in,” so kijijini = “in the village.”
Do you need a separate word for “in” or “at” in Swahili?
No. Swahili typically uses locative suffixes (like -ni, -e, -s) attached directly to nouns instead of standalone prepositions for basic spatial relations.
What is the default word order in this sentence, and can it be changed?
The default is Subject–Verb–Object–Locative:
Utalii (S) umeleta (V) maendeleo (O) kijijini (Loc).
You can front elements for emphasis, e.g. Kijijini utalii umeleta maendeleo.
Could you use kwenye kijiji instead of kijijini?
Yes. kwenye + noun also expresses “in/at,” so kwenye kijiji = “in the village.” Both are correct; kijijini is simply shorter and more directly shows locative via suffix.
How would you change the sentence to future tense (“will bring”)?
Replace the perfect marker -me- with the future marker -ta-, keeping the same subject prefix:
Utalii utaleta maendeleo kijijini = “Tourism will bring development to the village.”
If you wanted to say “in the villages” (plural), how would kijijini change?
Pluralize kijiji to vijiji (class 8) and then add -ni: vijijini.
So: Utalii umeleta maendeleo vijijini = “Tourism has brought development in the villages.”