Breakdown of Mwalimu anataja majina ya wanafunzi darasani kila asubuhi.
mwanafunzi
the student
kwenye
at
asubuhi
the morning
mwalimu
the teacher
kila
every
ya
of
darasa
the class
jina
the name
kutaja
to mention
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Questions & Answers about Mwalimu anataja majina ya wanafunzi darasani kila asubuhi.
What does the verb form anataja tell us about the subject and the tense/aspect?
anataja breaks down into three parts:
- a- = 3rd person singular subject prefix (he/she/it)
- -na- = present tense/aspect marker (simple present or ongoing)
- -taja = verb root meaning “mention” or “list”
So anataja means “he/she lists” or “he/she is listing.”
Which noun class is mwalimu, and what does it mean?
mwalimu is class 1 (singular for human nouns). It means “teacher.” Its plural form is walimu (class 2), meaning “teachers.”
Why is majina used for “names” and which noun class does it belong to?
majina is the plural of jina (“name”). It belongs to class 6, which often takes the prefix ma- in the plural. Thus majina means “names.”
What role does ya play in majina ya wanafunzi?
ya is the genitive (possessive) concord for class 6 nouns (like majina). It links majina (“names”) to wanafunzi (“students”). So majina ya wanafunzi literally means “names of students.”
What is darasani, and how is it formed?
darasani = darasa (“classroom” or “lesson”) + locative suffix -ni (denoting “in”). So darasani means “in the classroom” or simply “in class.”
What does kila asubuhi mean, and why is asubuhi singular?
kila means “each” or “every” and always takes a singular noun. asubuhi (“morning”) remains singular, so kila asubuhi translates to “every morning.”
Why is wanafunzi used here, and what is its singular form?
wanafunzi is the class 2 plural of mwanafunzi (class 1), which means “student.” So wanafunzi means “students”; its singular is mwanafunzi.
Can we swap darasani and kila asubuhi in the sentence without changing its meaning?
Yes. Swahili word order is flexible for time and place phrases. You can say:
• Mwalimu anataja majina ya wanafunzi kila asubuhi darasani.
• Mwalimu anataja majina ya wanafunzi darasani kila asubuhi.
Both mean “The teacher lists the students’ names in class every morning.”
What’s the difference between the tense markers na- and hu- in present‐tense Swahili verbs?
- na- is commonly used for simple present or ongoing actions.
- hu- often marks habitual actions in some dialects.
Thus anataja can mean “he lists/is listing,” while hutaja more strictly means “he usually lists.” Usage varies regionally; many speakers use na- for both senses.