Breakdown of Tafadhali andika nambari yako kwenye fomu.
kuandika
to write
yako
your
tafadhali
please
kwenye
on
fomu
the form
nambari
the number
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Questions & Answers about Tafadhali andika nambari yako kwenye fomu.
What does tafadhali mean in this sentence?
Tafadhali means please. It’s used to make a command or request polite.
Why is andika used instead of uandika?
In Swahili positive imperatives drop the subject prefix (here u- for “you”). You simply use the verb stem, so andika means “write!” directed at one person.
How would I address more than one person?
Use the plural imperative by adding -ni: andikeni means “(you all) write.”
Example: Tafadhali andikeni nambari zenu kwenye fomu (“Please write your numbers on the form.”)
Why is it nambari yako and not yako nambari?
In Swahili, modifiers—including possessive pronouns—follow the noun. So you say nambari yako (“your number”), never yako nambari.
Why yako and not yenu or another form?
Nambari belongs to noun class 9/10 (consonant stem), whose singular second-person possessive is yako (“your” to one person). Yenu would be “your” to multiple people; other forms like wako don’t agree with that noun class.
What does kwenye mean in kwenye fomu?
Kwenye is a locative preposition meaning on, in, or at. Here it means “on the form” (i.e. on the document).
Could I use katika fomu instead of kwenye fomu?
Yes. Katika also means “in/inside,” so andika nambari yako katika fomu is acceptable. However, kwenye fomu is more idiomatic for “on the form.”
Where does the word kwenye come from?
Historically it’s a fusion of the infinitive prefix ku- plus enye (“having/with”), but today you treat kwenye as a standard preposition meaning “in/on/at.”
What’s the plural of fomu? It looks the same as the singular.
Fomu is a loanword in class 9/10, which typically has identical singular and plural forms. To show plurality you add a quantifier, e.g. fomu nyingi (“many forms”).
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like wewe or a copula?
Imperatives in Swahili omit the explicit subject (it’s implied by the verb form) and don’t use a copula. You don’t need wewe andika, just andika.
Can I replace tafadhali with naomba?
Yes. Naomba means “I request” and is more formal: Naomba uandike nambari yako kwenye fomu. Using tafadhali + imperative is more direct and common in everyday speech.