Ikiwa utavunja marufuku hiyo, utalipa faini kubwa.

If you break that prohibition, you will pay a big fine.

Breakdown of Ikiwa utavunja marufuku hiyo, utalipa faini kubwa.

• ikiwa: if
• kubwa: big
• hiyo: that
• kulipa: to pay
• marufuku: the prohibition
• kuvunja: to break
• faini: the fine

Questions & Answers about Ikiwa utavunja marufuku hiyo, utalipa faini kubwa.

Why is ikiwa used at the beginning instead of kama?

Both ikiwa and kama can mean if, but there are subtle differences:

• ikiwa is a fused conditional marker that pairs with a full verb form (subject-prefix + tense + verb). It’s common in more formal or written Swahili.
• kama is a standalone conjunction and more neutral or colloquial. You could say Kama utavunja marufuku hiyo, utalipa faini kubwa and the meaning stays the same, but ikiwa often feels more “official.”

What does the -ta- in utavunja and utalipa indicate?

The element -ta- is the future-tense marker. In both verbs:

• u- = you (2nd person singular subject prefix)
• -ta- = will (future)
• vunja = break; lipa = pay
  So utavunja means “you will break,” and utalipa means “you will pay.”

Why is the subject prefix u- used in both utavunja and utalipa?

Swahili verbs require a subject prefix that agrees with the person and number. Here the action is directed at “you” (singular), so u- appears on both verbs. If it were “he,” you’d see a-: atavunja… atalipa.

What noun class is marufuku, and why is the demonstrative hiyo used?

• marufuku is treated as a class 9 noun (many loanwords and miscellaneous items).
• The class-9 mid-distance demonstrative is hiyo (“that”).
  Hence marufuku hiyo = “that ban.”

Why does the adjective kubwa remain unchanged when describing faini?

• faini is also in class 9.
• Adjectives for classes 9/10 don’t take a special prefix; they stay in their base form.
  So faini kubwa = “a big/large fine.”

What is the normal order for noun, adjective, and demonstrative in Swahili?

The typical sequence is:

1. Noun (marufuku)
2. Adjective (if any)
3. Demonstrative (hiyo)
   In our example, marufuku hiyo follows noun → demonstrative (no separate adjective). If there were an adjective it’d slot between: nguo nzuri hii (“this nice cloth”).

Why isn’t there an object-concord prefix on the verbs when marufuku is their object?

Swahili allows two options for objects:

• Use a full noun phrase after the verb (no object concord needed).
• Attach an object concord to the verb and omit the noun phrase.
  Here we chose the first: utavunja marufuku hiyo. If you wanted the prefix version you could say utaivunja, but then you’d drop marufuku hiyo.

Why is there a comma after hiyo?

The comma separates the if-clause (subordinate clause) from the main clause. In written Swahili, it’s standard to punctuate “Ikiwa … , …” that way, just as you do in English.

Can I reverse the order of the clauses?

Yes. You can place the main clause first and the if-clause second:
• Utalipa faini kubwa ikiwa utavunja marufuku hiyo.
Often when the if-clause follows, you drop the comma, but the meaning remains identical.