Breakdown of Nimepokea mwaliko wako wa sherehe.
mimi
I
wa
of
sherehe
the celebration
kupokea
to receive
wako
your
mwaliko
the invitation
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Questions & Answers about Nimepokea mwaliko wako wa sherehe.
What do the prefixes Ni- and -me- in Nimepokea stand for?
Ni- is the subject prefix for I, and -me- marks the perfect aspect (a completed action). Together with the verb root pokea (“to receive”), Nimepokea means I have received.
Why isn’t the infinitive prefix ku- included in Nimepokea?
When you conjugate a verb into a finite form (with subject and tense/aspect markers), you drop the infinitive ku- and attach the subject and tense prefixes directly to the verb root. So kupokea becomes ni-me-pokea.
How is the noun mwaliko formed?
It derives from the verb alika (“to invite”). By adding the noun-forming prefix m-…-o (noun class 3), alika becomes mwaliko, meaning an invitation.
Why do we say mwaliko wako for “your invitation” instead of mwaliko yako?
Possessive adjectives must agree with the noun class. Mwaliko is class 3, whose possessive prefix is wa-, so wako = your. Yako would be used for class 9/10 nouns.
What is the role of wa in mwaliko wako wa sherehe?
Wa is the genitive (link) prefix for class 3. It connects mwaliko (class 3) to sherehe, yielding “invitation of/to the celebration.”
Why doesn’t sherehe take any prefix to show its class in that phrase?
In genitive constructions only the head noun (mwaliko) carries the class-linking prefix (wa-). The modifying noun (sherehe, class 9) remains in its base form.
How would you say “I will receive your invitation to the celebration”?
Replace the perfect -me- with the future marker -ta-: Nitapokea mwaliko wako wa sherehe.
How can I say “Thank you for your invitation” in Swahili?
You can use Asante kwa mwaliko wako or Nashukuru kwa mwaliko wako, both meaning Thank you for your invitation.
What’s the difference between kupokea and kubali when discussing invitations?
Kupokea means to receive an invitation (get it). Kubali means to accept or agree to the invitation. So:
- Nimepokea mwaliko wako = I have received your invitation.
- Nimekubali mwaliko wako = I have accepted your invitation.