Breakdown of Vitambulisho ambavyo vimepotea vitachapishwa tena mwisho wa mwezi huu.
wa
of
huu
this
mwisho
the end
tena
again
mwezi
the month
kuchapishwa
to be printed
ambavyo
which
kitambulisho
the ID
kupotea
to be lost
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Questions & Answers about Vitambulisho ambavyo vimepotea vitachapishwa tena mwisho wa mwezi huu.
What does Vitambulisho mean?
Vitambulisho is the plural form of kitambulisho, meaning identification document(s) or ID card(s).
Why is ambavyo used here instead of a different word?
Ambavyo is the relative pronoun for class 8 nouns (the class that vitambulisho belongs to). It introduces the clause vimepotea and means “that have…” in this context.
Why does the verb start with vi- in vimepotea?
The prefix vi- is the subject concord matching class 8 (the noun class of vitambulisho). After vi- comes me- (the perfect tense marker), and then the root potea (“to get lost”). So vimepotea literally means “they have gotten lost.”
How is the future passive vitachapishwa formed?
You assemble it as follows:
- vi- (class 8 subject concord)
- -ta- (future tense marker)
- chapisha (causative verb root “to print”)
- -wa (passive suffix)
The result vitachapishwa means “they will be printed.”
What role does tena play in the sentence?
Tena means “again.” It indicates that the lost IDs will be printed another time, not for the first time.
Why is it mwisho wa mwezi huu instead of mwishoni?
Both are correct but slightly different:
- mwisho wa mwezi huu is a noun phrase: “the end of this month.”
- mwishoni mwa mwezi huu uses the locative -ni (“at the end of this month”).
In formal writing you often see mwisho wa…, while spoken or casual contexts may use mwishoni mwa….
Could the time phrase mwisho wa mwezi huu be moved to the front of the sentence?
Yes. Swahili word order is flexible. You could say: “Mwisho wa mwezi huu, vitambulisho ambavyo vimepotea vitachapishwa tena.” The meaning remains unchanged.
Why is the passive voice used here instead of saying who will print the IDs?
The passive puts focus on the IDs and the action of printing rather than on the agent. It’s common when the agent (e.g., the authorities) is obvious or not important to mention.