Breakdown of Kesho, ukienda sokoni, nunua glavu za ziada kwa ajili ya wafanyakazi wapya.
kwenye
at
soko
the market
kesho
tomorrow
mpya
new
kununua
to buy
za
of
kwa ajili ya
for
mfanyakazi
the worker
ziada
extra
glavu
the glove
ukienda
when you go
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swahili grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kesho, ukienda sokoni, nunua glavu za ziada kwa ajili ya wafanyakazi wapya.
What is the structure and meaning of ukienda in this sentence?
Breakdown: u- (2nd person singular subject “you”) + -ki- (conditional marker “if/when”) + enda (root “go”). So ukienda = “if you go”.
How does sokoni express “to the market”?
soko means “market.” Adding the locative suffix -ni gives sokoni, meaning “in/at/to the market.” In ukienda sokoni, it’s “if you go to the market.”
Why use the -ki- form (ukienda) instead of kama utaenda?
The -ki- conditional is a concise, common way to say “if/when” in Swahili. kama utaenda (“if you will go”) is also correct but slightly more formal or explicit.
How is the verb nunua formed, and who is the subject?
nunua is the 2nd person singular imperative of kununua (to buy). Imperatives drop the subject prefix (u-), so nunua means “(you) buy.” The implied subject is you (singular).
What noun class does glavu belong to, and why do we use za in glavu za ziada?
glavu (“glove”) is a class 9/10 loanword with no visible prefix. For class 10 (plural) the adjective/genitive concord is za, so glavu za ziada literally means “gloves of extra” i.e. “extra gloves.”
What is the meaning and structure of kwa ajili ya?
kwa ajili ya means “for the sake of/for.”
- kwa = “by/for”
- ajili = “purpose/sake”
- ya is the genitive concord (class 9/10) linking ajili to the next noun.
Why is it wafanyakazi wapya instead of wafanyakazi wa mpya?
- mfanyakazi = worker (class 1/2).
- Plural prefix wa- gives wafanyakazi (“workers”).
- Adjective pya (“new”) takes the class 2 prefix wa-, so it becomes wapya.
Why does the sentence start with Kesho, and is the word order flexible?
Starting with Kesho (“tomorrow”) sets the time frame. The typical order is:
- Time expression (Kesho)
- Conditional clause (ukienda sokoni)
- Command (nunua…)
You can adjust order for emphasis, but time expressions often lead.