Breakdown of Moshi ukizidi, zima kifaa hicho ili kulinda mfumo wa umeme.
wa
of
ili
so that
hicho
that
kulinda
to protect
umeme
the electricity
kifaa
the device
mfumo
the system
moshi
the smoke
kuzidi
to increase
kuzima
to switch off
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Questions & Answers about Moshi ukizidi, zima kifaa hicho ili kulinda mfumo wa umeme.
What does moshi mean, and what noun class does it belong to?
moshi means smoke. It’s an uncountable (mass) noun in class 3. Class 3 subject prefixes are u-, which you see on the verb in ukizidi.
Why does zidi have u- and -ki- in ukizidi, and what does moshi ukizidi translate to?
The u- is the class 3 subject prefix agreeing with moshi, and -ki- is the conditional/relative marker meaning “if/when.” So u-ki-zidi literally means “if/when it exceeds.” Hence moshi ukizidi = “when there’s too much smoke” or “if the smoke increases.”
Could you use kama or ikiwa instead of the -ki- form? How would that look?
Yes. You could say:
• kama moshi utazidi
• ikiwa moshi utazidi
Here kama and ikiwa both mean “if,” and you attach the normal subject prefix u- plus a tense marker (for example ta- for future: utazidi, or no marker for present: uzidi). The -ki- form is simply a more compact way to express “if/when.”
What is zima? Is it an imperative, and what does it mean here?
zima is the second-person singular imperative of kuzima (“to turn off/put out”). Here it commands “turn off.” If you were addressing multiple people you’d use zimeni.
Why is it kifaa hicho and not hicho kifaa, and what do ki- and -cho represent?
Descriptive demonstratives in Swahili follow the noun. kifaa (“device”) is in class 7, so its demonstrative carries the class 7 agreement ki- plus the distal suffix -cho, giving kifaa hicho = “that device.” For “this device (near me)” you’d say kifaa hiki.
What does ili do in ili kulinda mfumo wa umeme, and why is kulinda in the infinitive?
ili is a purpose conjunction meaning “in order to.” After ili, the verb must be in the infinitive form (with ku-). So ili kulinda = “in order to protect.”
How does mfumo wa umeme work? What is the function of wa?
mfumo (“system,” class 3) + wa (genitive marker for class 3) + umeme (“electricity”) = mfumo wa umeme, literally “system of electricity,” i.e. “electrical system.”
Can the subordinate clause come before the main clause, and is the comma mandatory?
Yes. You can start with the -ki- clause and then give the command. The comma is optional and only for clarity. You could also write:
Moshi ukizidi zima kifaa hicho ili kulinda mfumo wa umeme.