Breakdown of Shule yetu inataka kuajiri walimu zaidi.
kutaka
to want
mwalimu
the teacher
shule
the school
yetu
our
zaidi
more
kuajiri
to hire
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Questions & Answers about Shule yetu inataka kuajiri walimu zaidi.
Why do we say shule yetu instead of shule wetu?
shule is a class 9 noun. The first-person-plural possessive pronoun is etu, but for class 9/10 nouns it takes a “y” linking consonant, yielding yetu. In contrast, wetu is used with class 1/2 nouns (e.g. mtoto wetu “our child/our children”).
How is the verb inataka built? Can you break it down?
inataka = i- (subject prefix for class 9, matching shule) + -na- (present/habitual tense marker) + -taka (verb root “want”). So i + na + taka = “it wants.”
What tense does the -na- in inataka indicate?
The -na- marker denotes the present or habitual aspect in Swahili. Here it means “wants” (right now or as a general desire).
Why is kuajiri in the infinitive form instead of a simple verb?
When one verb follows another in a construction like “want to do something,” Swahili uses the infinitive prefix ku- on the second verb. Thus “want to hire” = inataka kuajiri.
What is walimu, and how do we form it?
walimu is the plural of mwalimu (“teacher”). Swahili class 1/2 nouns use m- for singular and wa- for plural, so mwalimu → walimu (“teachers”).
What role does zaidi play in walimu zaidi?
zaidi means “more” or “additional.” Placed after a noun, it indicates an increase: walimu zaidi = “more teachers.”
Can we change the subject from “our school” to “we”? How would that look?
Yes. If the subject is “we,” replace the class 9 prefix i- with the first-person-plural prefix tu-. You get tunataka kuajiri walimu zaidi = “we want to hire more teachers.”
Do we need an object prefix for walimu in kuajiri walimu?
No. Swahili object-prefixes are optional when the object is indefinite or general. Here walimu is indefinite (“teachers in general”), so no object infix is used.
What is the basic word order in this sentence?
Swahili follows Subject–Verb–Object (SVO).
Subject: shule yetu
Verb: inataka
Object phrase: kuajiri walimu zaidi