Nia ya mkutano ilikuwa wazi: kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa.

The intention of the meeting was clear: to improve the cleanliness of the street.

Breakdown of Nia ya mkutano ilikuwa wazi: kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa.

• kuwa: to be
• wa: of
• ya: of
• mkutano: the meeting
• wazi: clear
• mtaa: the street
• kuimarisha: to improve
• usafi: the cleanliness
• nia: the intention

Questions & Answers about Nia ya mkutano ilikuwa wazi: kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa.

What exactly does the structure Nia ya mkutano mean? Which noun modifies which?

The head is Nia (intention/purpose), and ya mkutano is an “of”-phrase that specifies it. So it literally means “the purpose of the meeting.” In Swahili, the head noun comes first, then the associative linker -a (with agreement), then the noun that follows it.

Why is it ya mkutano and not wa mkutano or la mkutano?

Because the form of the associative linker -a agrees with the class of the head noun, here nia, which is class 9 (N class). Class 9 singular takes ya. Compare:

• nia ya mkutano (purpose of the meeting) — class 9 → ya
• lengo la mkutano (goal of the meeting) — class 5 → la
• kitabu cha mwanafunzi (student’s book) — class 7 → cha
• mji wa pwani (coastal town) — class 3 → wa

What is ilikuwa doing here? Could I just use ni?

Ilikuwa is the past tense of “to be” with class 9 subject agreement: i- (class 9 subject) + -li- (past) + -kuwa (be) → ilikuwa (“it was”). Ni is the present copula (“is/are”), so you’d use ni only for present time: Nia ya mkutano ni wazi (“The purpose of the meeting is clear”).

Is Ilikuwa ni wazi acceptable, or is Ilikuwa wazi better?

Both occur. Ilikuwa wazi is the lean, neutral form. Ilikuwa ni wazi adds emphasis/focus (roughly “it was indeed/clearly the case”), and is more formal or emphatic.

Why is there a colon after wazi? Could I write this another way?

The colon introduces an explanation or specification of what was clear. Natural alternatives:

• Nia ya mkutano ilikuwa kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa. (drops wazi and states the purpose directly)
• Ilikuwa wazi kwamba nia ya mkutano ilikuwa kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa. (uses kwamba “that” to introduce a clause)

What does the ku- in kuimarisha mean?

Ku- marks the infinitive/gerund. Kuimarisha functions like “to strengthen/improve” or “strengthening.” After a copula, this infinitive phrase can serve as the complement: … ilikuwa kuimarisha …

Is kuimarisha the best verb here? Could I use kuboresha or kusafisha?

• kuimarisha = to strengthen/consolidate (often used with abstract nouns like usalama, uchumi, uhusiano; here it means “improve” by making cleanliness more robust/consistent).
• kuboresha = to improve/upgrade (very common with quality/state nouns; kuboresha usafi is highly idiomatic).
• kusafisha mtaa = to clean the street/neighborhood (a concrete act of cleaning). So:
• Strategic/ongoing improvement: kuimarisha/kuboresha usafi
• A specific cleaning action: kusafisha mtaa

Why is it usafi wa mtaa and not usafi wa mitaa?

• usafi wa mtaa = cleanliness of the (one) street/neighborhood.
• usafi wa mitaa = cleanliness of (multiple) streets/neighborhoods. Choose singular or plural based on scope. You can also say usafi wa mazingira (“environmental cleanliness/sanitation”) for a broader idea.

How does agreement work inside usafi wa mtaa?

The -a linker agrees with the head noun usafi (class 14), so you use wa. The following noun mtaa (class 3) does not affect that choice. Head controls the agreement: head = usafi → wa.

What exactly does mtaa mean—street or neighborhood?

Both occur in practice:

• mtaa: a city street; also a residential neighborhood/ward (especially in Tanzanian usage).
• Related terms: barabara (road/highway), eneo (area), mji (town/city), kitongoji (suburb/hamlet). Context determines whether “street” or “neighborhood” fits best.

Could I drop wazi and say Nia ya mkutano ilikuwa kuimarisha usafi wa mtaa?

Yes. That version is perfectly natural and a bit more direct. Including wazi emphasizes that the purpose was explicitly clear.

Why is the subject prefix in ilikuwa an i- and not a-?

Because the subject is nia (class 9). Class 9 uses i- for subject agreement in the verb. a- is for class 1 (singular humans: “he/she”). Hence: i- + -li- + -kuwa → ilikuwa.

How should I pronounce tricky words like mtaa and mkutano?

• mtaa: m-taa (mt- cluster at the start; the final aa is long). Default stress is on the second-to-last syllable: m-TA-a.
• mkutano: m-ku-TA-no (initial mk cluster; stress on TA).
• ilikuwa: i-li-KU-wa (stress on KU).
• kuimarisha: ku-i-ma-RI-sha (stress on RI). Swahili generally stresses the penultimate syllable.

Are there other ways to say “clear” besides wazi?

Yes:

• dhahiri (evident, clear)
• bayana (plain, manifest)
• waziwazi (openly/explicitly; adverbial/idiomatic) In this sentence, wazi and dhahiri are the closest stylistic equivalents: … ilikuwa dhahiri: kuimarisha …