Learn Hardcore Swahili: Juma alilinganisha bei za vitabu kwenye jedwali jipya. - Juma compared book prices on the new chart.

a-: 3rd person singular subject marker (he/she).
-li-: past tense marker (did).
linganish-: verb root meaning “compare” (dictionary form: kulinganisha).
-a: final vowel for the simple indicative. So a-li-linganisha = “he/she compared.”

Why is it za and not ya after bei?

Because bei belongs to noun class 9/10, which uses the genitive connectors ya (singular) and za (plural). Here we have bei za vitabu, so za tells you we’re talking about plural “prices,” not a single “price.”

How can I tell that bei is plural here when the word doesn’t change?

Agreement shows number. Bei has the same form in singular and plural; the connector reveals it:

Singular: bei ya kitabu = the price of a book.
Plural: bei za vitabu = the prices of books. In the sentence, za signals plural.

Could I ever say bei ya vitabu?

Yes, if you mean a single price that applies to the set of books collectively (e.g., “the price for the books” as one total). If you mean individual prices for multiple books, use bei za vitabu.

What noun classes are involved in this sentence?

bei: class 9/10 (invariable form; uses ya/za for “of”).
kitabu/vitabu: class 7/8 (singular kitabu, plural vitabu).
jedwali: class 5 (its agreeing adjective is jipya here; plural would be class 6 with ma- for agreement).
Juma: proper name (no class agreement needed here).

Why is it jedwali jipya and not jedwali mpya?

The adjective “new” is -pya, which changes with noun class:

Class 5 (singular, like jedwali): jipya.
Class 6 (plural): mapya. Forms like mpya go with other classes (e.g., class 3/4 nouns: mti mpya, miti mipya), not class 5.

Where do adjectives go in Swahili noun phrases?

They follow the noun and agree with it in class:

jedwali jipya (class 5)
vitabu vipya (class 8)
mti mpya (class 3) Swahili adjectives typically come after the noun they modify.

What’s the difference between jedwali and meza for “table”?

jedwali: a data table or chart (e.g., in a spreadsheet, a report).
meza: the physical piece of furniture. So “on the new table (chart)” is kwenye jedwali jipya; “on the new table (furniture)” is juu ya meza mpya.

Does kwenye mean “on,” “in,” or “at”? Could I use katika?

kwenye is a very common, versatile locative meaning roughly “in/at/on” depending on context. katika also means “in/within” and can often replace kwenye in formal or written contexts:

kwenye jedwali jipya ≈ katika jedwali jipya (in/on the new table/chart). For “on top of,” use juu ya; for “inside,” use ndani ya.

How would I say “on top of the new table (furniture)”?

Use juu ya with meza:

juu ya meza mpya = on top of the new table.

How do you say “compare X with Y” in Swahili?

Use linganisha X na Y:

Juma alilinganisha bei za vitabu na gharama za usafiri = Juma compared book prices with travel costs. The conjunction na here means “with.”

Can I use an object marker for bei? For example, “He compared them”?

Yes. For class 10 plurals, the object marker is -zi-:

Juma ali-zi-linganisha (He compared them). If you keep the noun, you can still include the object marker for definiteness/emphasis: Juma ali-zi-linganisha bei za vitabu, but it’s not required.

How would I make the sentence negative (“Juma did not compare …”)?

Use the negative past with ha-…-ku-:

Juma hakulinganisha bei za vitabu kwenye jedwali jipya = Juma did not compare the prices of books on the new table.

How do I ask a yes/no question (“Did Juma compare …?”)?

You can add Je, at the beginning or just use questioning intonation:

Je, Juma alilinganisha bei za vitabu kwenye jedwali jipya?
Juma alilinganisha bei za vitabu kwenye jedwali jipya?

Can the location phrase move elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Default and clearest is after the object: … bei za vitabu kwenye jedwali jipya. You can front it for emphasis:

Kwenye jedwali jipya, Juma alilinganisha bei za vitabu. Placing it between the verb and object is possible but less typical in careful style.

Why is it za (of) and not na (and/with) between bei and vitabu?

Because you need the genitive “of” relation. -a with class agreement (here za) links nouns as “of”: bei za vitabu = prices of books. na means “and/with,” which would change the meaning.