Breakdown of Ununuzi wa samaki sokoni hufanyika mapema kila asubuhi.
samaki
the fish
kwenye
at
soko
the market
asubuhi
the morning
kila
every
wa
of
mapema
early
ununuzi
the purchase
kufanyika
to happen
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Questions & Answers about Ununuzi wa samaki sokoni hufanyika mapema kila asubuhi.
What is the difference between nunua and ununuzi?
nunua is a verb meaning to buy. ununuzi is a noun (a nominalization of nunua) formed with the prefix u- and the suffix -zi, meaning buying or purchase (the act or process of buying).
Why is there wa in ununuzi wa samaki?
The particle wa is the genitive or possessive linker for class 11 nouns like ununuzi. It connects two nouns to express of. So ununuzi wa samaki literally means purchase of fish.
Why does samaki look the same whether it’s singular or plural?
samaki is an irregular noun for fish that stays unchanged in both singular and plural. It behaves like a mass noun or a class 6/10 noun. Context or number words clarify whether you mean one fish or many.
What does sokoni mean, and why isn’t it just soko?
soko means market. Adding the locative suffix -ni gives sokoni, meaning in or at the market. Locative endings mark place.
How is hufanyika constructed, and what does the prefix hu- indicate?
Breakdown of hufanyika:
• hu- = habitual aspect marker (regularly)
• fanyika = verb meaning to take place (passive form of fanya, to do)
Together, hufanyika means it regularly takes place or it happens.
Why use fanyika here instead of the verb nunua?
The sentence describes the event or process of buying fish itself, not the buyers. Using hufanyika (to take place) focuses on when that event occurs. If you used wanunua (they buy), the emphasis would shift to who does the buying.
What part of speech is mapema, and can it move around in the sentence?
mapema is an adverb meaning early. It modifies when the event happens. Time adverbs in Swahili are relatively flexible; you can say mapema kila asubuhi or kila asubuhi mapema with little change in meaning, though position can affect emphasis.
What does kila asubuhi mean, and how is it formed?
kila means each or every, and asubuhi means morning. Together, kila asubuhi means every morning.
Why are there no equivalents of “the” or “a” in this sentence?
Swahili does not have articles. Noun classes and context indicate definiteness or indefiniteness. Thus ununuzi wa samaki sokoni can be understood as the purchase of fish at the market or purchasing fish at the market, depending on context.
How would you express this idea in active voice, focusing on buyers?
One active-voice version is:
Watu hununua samaki sokoni mapema kila asubuhi
Here watu means people, hununua is the habitual they-buy, and mapema kila asubuhi is early every morning. This shifts the focus onto the buyers rather than the event.