Breakdown of Nataka ueleze sababu za kuchelewa kwa saruji kabla ya mteja kuuliza.
mimi
I
wewe
you
kutaka
to want
kwa
for
kabla ya
before
kuchelewa
to be late
za
of
kuuliza
to ask
mteja
the customer
sababu
the reason
saruji
the cement
kueleza
to explain
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Questions & Answers about Nataka ueleze sababu za kuchelewa kwa saruji kabla ya mteja kuuliza.
Why is za used after sababu instead of ya?
The word sababu (‘reason(s)’) belongs to Swahili noun class 9/10, which requires the genitive concord za to link it to whatever follows. That is why you say sababu za and not sababu ya.
What does kuchelewa mean, and why does it start with ku-?
In Swahili you turn a verb into a noun (a gerund) by adding the infinitive prefix ku-. So chelewa means ‘be late’ as a verb, while kuchelewa means ‘being late’ or simply ‘delay.’
Why do we say kuchelewa kwa saruji and not kuchelewa ya saruji?
When you want to specify what is delayed, Swahili often uses kwa rather than a direct genitive. Kuchelewa kwa saruji literally means ‘the delay with (respect to) the cement.’ This construction is common for talking about delays of things.
Why is the verb eleza changed to ueleze?
After a verb of desire like nataka, Swahili uses the present subjunctive for the following verb. You form it by taking the subject prefix for ‘you’ (u-), adding the verb stem (eleza), and ending with -e, giving ueleze.
Why is kabla ya followed by mteja kuuliza? Why an infinitive?
Kabla ya is a preposition meaning ‘before,’ and it must be followed by a noun or an infinitive (a gerund). To say ‘before the client asks,’ you supply the noun mteja (‘the client’) plus the infinitive kuuliza (‘to ask’).
I notice there’s no subject prefix on -uliza in mteja kuuliza. Why not?
In an infinitive construction (the ku- form), you do not use a subject prefix. The noun mteja serves as the subject, and the verb stays in its plain infinitive kuuliza.
Where are the English articles a or the? Why don’t we see them in Swahili?
Swahili does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand on their own, and context makes clear whether you mean ‘a client,’ ‘the client,’ or clients in general.
Is Nataka ueleze… polite enough, or should I add tafadhali?
Nataka ueleze… is not impolite—“I want you to explain…” is a normal request. If you want to be extra polite, you can simply add Tafadhali, at the beginning:
Tafadhali, nataka ueleze sababu za kuchelewa kwa saruji kabla ya mteja kuuliza.