Kabla hatujaanza, tafadhali sahihisha makosa kwenye muhtasari.

Before we begin, please correct the mistakes in the summary.

Breakdown of Kabla hatujaanza, tafadhali sahihisha makosa kwenye muhtasari.

• kwenye: in
• tafadhali: please
• kuanza: to begin
• kosa: the mistake
• kabla: before
• muhtasari: the summary
• kusahihisha: to correct

Questions & Answers about Kabla hatujaanza, tafadhali sahihisha makosa kwenye muhtasari.

Why does the clause after Kabla use hatujaanza and not something like tuanze?

In Swahili, when “before …” is followed by a finite clause, the usual pattern is to use the negative “not-yet” aspect marker -ja-. So Kabla hatujaanza literally means “Before we have (not yet) started,” which corresponds to English “Before we start.” Using tuanze (subjunctive) after kabla is not standard in this structure. Also note: hatuanza would mean “we will not start,” which is a different meaning entirely.

Can I say Kabla ya kuanza instead? What’s the difference from Kabla hatujaanza?

Yes. Both are correct:

• Kabla hatujaanza uses a finite clause and makes the subject explicit via the prefix tu- (“we”). It slightly emphasizes the non-occurrence up to that point.
• Kabla ya kuanza uses the infinitive (“before starting”) and is neutral/formal. The subject is not specified; context supplies it. If you need to specify, you can say: kabla ya sisi kuanza, kabla ya mimi kuanza, etc.

How is hatujaanza built morphologically?

• hatu- = negative subject prefix for “we” (1st person plural)
• -ja- = “not yet” aspect
• anza = verb root “start”

Other persons with -ja-:

• sijaanza (I haven’t started yet)
• hujaanza (you sg haven’t started yet)
• hajaanza (he/she hasn’t started yet)
• hatujaanza (we haven’t started yet)
• hamjaanza (you pl haven’t started yet)
• hawajaanza (they haven’t started yet)

Does kabla always force the -ja- form?

If kabla is followed by a finite clause, yes: you normally use the negative “not-yet” perfect (-ja-), e.g., kabla sijaanza, kabla hujaanza, kabla hajaanza, etc. If you use a non-finite construction, you use kabla ya + infinitive: kabla ya kuanza. Both patterns are common and correct.

Is the comma after Kabla hatujaanza necessary?

It’s optional but recommended. A comma after the initial time clause improves readability: Kabla hatujaanza, ...

What does tafadhali do here, and where can it go?

Tafadhali means “please.” It can go at the start, before the verb, or at the end:

• Tafadhali sahihisha...
• Sahihisha, tafadhali. If you want to be more indirect/polite, you can say:
• Naomba usahihishe... (I request that you correct...)
• Unaweza/Unaweza tafadhali kusahihisha... (Could you please correct...)

Is sahihisha singular? How do I address more than one person?

Yes, sahihisha is the 2nd-person singular imperative. For plural, add -ni:

• Singular: Sahihisha makosa...
• Plural: Sahihisheni makosa... Both can be softened with tafadhali.

What’s the difference between sahihisha, rekebisha, and hariri?

• sahihisha: “correct” errors (very natural with makosa; common in teaching/marking).
• rekebisha: “fix/adjust/correct” in a broader sense (mechanical, procedural, or linguistic).
• hariri: “edit” (revise text for content/style/structure). In this sentence, sahihisha makosa is the most idiomatic collocation.

What noun class is kosa/makosa, and how do I show singular/plural?

kosa (singular) is class 5, and makosa (plural) is class 6.

• Singular: kosa moja, kosa kubwa
• Plural: makosa mawili, makosa makubwa

Why kwenye muhtasari? Could I use katika or the locative -ni?

• kwenye muhtasari and katika muhtasari both mean “in the summary/outline”; katika is a bit more formal, kwenye is very common in speech and writing.
• A locative -ni form is generally used with place nouns; with text/document nouns like muhtasari, speakers prefer kwenye/katika rather than a coined form like “muhtasarini.” So stick with kwenye or katika here.

Does muhtasari mean “summary” or “outline”? Any synonyms I should know?

Muhtasari can mean “summary,” “synopsis,” or “outline,” depending on context. Related words:

• Ajenda = agenda (list of items to discuss)
• Ratiba = schedule/timetable
• Hitimisho = conclusion (not a summary)
• Kwa kifupi = “in brief” (adverbial phrase) Note: You’ll also see the variant spelling muktasari in some sources.

How do I change the subject in the “before … start” part?

Use the appropriate -ja- form:

• kabla sijaanza = before I start
• kabla hujaanza = before you (sg) start
• kabla hajaanza = before he/she starts
• kabla hatujaanza = before we start
• kabla hamjaanza = before you (pl) start
• kabla hawajaanza = before they start

Can I add bado here, like “Kabla bado hatujaanza ...”?

No. bado (“still/yet”) with -ja- is fine in a standalone sentence (Bado hatujaanza = We still haven’t started), but after kabla it’s unnecessary and sounds odd. Just use Kabla hatujaanza or Kabla ya kuanza.

Does the verb need to agree with makosa?

No. Verbs agree with the subject, not the object. In an imperative like sahihisha, the subject is the implied “you,” so there’s no agreement with makosa and no object marker is needed.