Tafadhali, fuata ishara za barabarani hata kama barabara ni tulivu.

Please follow the road signs even if the road is quiet.

Breakdown of Tafadhali, fuata ishara za barabarani hata kama barabara ni tulivu.

• ni: to be
• barabara: the road
• za: of
• tafadhali: please
• hata kama: even if
• kufuata: to follow
• ishara: the sign
• tulivu: quiet

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali, fuata ishara za barabarani hata kama barabara ni tulivu.

What is the role of the word in bold — Tafadhali — and is the comma necessary?

• Tafadhali means “please” and turns the command into a polite request.
• The comma after it is optional. Many writers set it off with a comma because it’s an interjection. Both “Tafadhali, …” and “Tafadhali …” are acceptable.
• Placement: most natural at the start (“Tafadhali, fuata …”), but end-position also occurs in speech (“Fuata ishara …, tafadhali.”).
• Capitalization: capitalize at the start of a sentence; otherwise it’s lowercase.

Why is it fuata and not kufuata?

• kufuata is the dictionary (infinitive) form “to follow.”
• The direct imperative (2nd person singular) drops the ku-: fuata! = “follow!”
• If speaking to more than one person, use the plural imperative ending -eni: fuateni!

How do I address several people instead of one?

Use the plural imperative: Tafadhali, fuateni ishara za barabarani hata kama barabara ni tulivu.

• Singular: fuata
• Plural: fuateni

What does the phrase ishara za barabarani literally mean?

• ishara = “sign(s), signal(s)”
• za = “of” (agreeing with a plural N-class head noun)
• barabarani = “on the road” (locative form of barabara) So literally: “signs of/on the road,” i.e., “road signs/traffic signs.”

Why is it za and not ya in ishara za barabarani?

• ishara belongs to noun class 9/10 (N-class). Its singular and plural look the same.
• The genitive “of” agrees with the head noun:
  • Singular (class 9): ya → ishara ya barabarani = “a road sign”
  • Plural (class 10): za → ishara za barabarani = “road signs”

What is barabarani, and how is it formed?

• barabarani = “on the road/along the road.”
• It’s barabara (road) + the locative suffix -ni, which often corresponds to English “in/on/at.”
• Similar patterns: nyumbani (at home), shuleni (at school), mjini (in town).

Could I say ishara za barabara instead of ishara za barabarani?

• You’ll hear both. … za barabarani is more explicitly “on the road,” which fits physical road signs very well.
• … za barabara (without -ni) can sound slightly more general (“of the road”), and is also used—context normally makes the meaning clear.

What exactly does hata kama mean? Is it “even if” or “even though”?

• hata kama covers both “even if” and “even though” (a concessive connector).
• Near-synonyms:
  • ingawa/ijapokuwa = “although/though”
  • licha ya
    • noun/verb-noun = “despite/in spite of”
• You could rephrase: Ingawa barabara ni tulivu, tafadhali fuata ishara za barabarani.

Can I start with the concessive clause instead?

Yes. Both orders are natural:

• Tafadhali, fuata ishara za barabarani hata kama barabara ni tulivu.
• Hata kama barabara ni tulivu, tafadhali fuata ishara za barabarani.
• With “although”: Ingawa barabara ni tulivu, tafadhali fuata ishara za barabarani.

Why barabara ni tulivu and not barabara iko tulivu?

• ni is the standard copula “is/are” used to link a noun and an adjective: “the road is quiet.”
• iko (to be located) is mainly for location/existence (“The road is there/located…”). Using iko with adjectives like tulivu is uncommon or sounds clumsy here. Stick with ni tulivu.

Is barabara singular or plural here?

• barabara (N-class) has the same form for singular and plural; context decides.
• “barabara ni tulivu” can mean “the road is quiet” (generic or specific). If you need to be explicit:
  • Singular: barabara hii ni tulivu (this road is quiet)
  • Plural: barabara hizi ni tulivu (these roads are quiet)

How do I say “a road sign” vs “road signs,” and how do I count them?

• Singular: ishara ya barabarani (“a road sign”)
• Plural: ishara za barabarani (“road signs”)
• Counting: ishara moja (one sign), ishara mbili (two signs), ishara tatu (three signs), etc.
  You can combine: ishara mbili za barabarani (two road signs).

Is ishara the same as alama or taa za trafiki?

• ishara = sign/signal broadly; in traffic, often “road/traffic signs” or signals (including hand signals).
• alama = sign/mark/symbol; alama za barabarani also means “road signs” and is common in many regions.
• taa za trafiki = traffic lights.
  So depending on context/region, you’ll hear ishara za barabarani and alama za barabarani for “road signs.”

Do I need the ni in barabara ni tulivu, or can I drop it?

• In full sentences, keep ni: barabara ni tulivu = “the road is quiet.”
• Dropping it is possible in headlines, notes, or when the adjective directly modifies the noun as a phrase (e.g., barabara tulivu = “a quiet road” as a noun phrase, not a full clause).

Pronunciation tips: How do I say the tricky bits like dh and sh?

• dh in tafadhali is like the “th” in “this” (voiced ð).
• sh in ishara is like “sh” in “ship.”
• Vowels are short and pure: a, e, i, o, u as in Italian/Spanish.
• Stress is typically on the penultimate syllable: ta-fa-dha-li; i-sha-ra; ba-ra-ba-ra-ni; tu-li-vu.