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Samahani, nilikosea nambari kwenye fomu.

Samahani, nilikosea nambari kwenye fomu.
Sorry, I got the number wrong on the form.

Breakdown of Samahani, nilikosea nambari kwenye fomu.

kwenye
on
fomu
the form
samahani
sorry
nambari
the number
kukosea
to get wrong
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Questions & Answers about Samahani, nilikosea nambari kwenye fomu.

What exactly does Samahani mean here? Is it “sorry” or “excuse me,” and how is it different from Pole or Naomba radhi?

Samahani works both as “excuse me” (to get attention or preface a request) and a mild “sorry” (for small mistakes). It’s perfectly polite here.

  • Pole expresses sympathy for someone else’s misfortune; it’s not used to apologize.
  • Naomba radhi is a stronger, more formal “I apologize.”
  • Nisamehe means “forgive me,” used when you personally wronged someone.

Examples:

  • Samahani, nilichelewa. = Sorry, I’m late.
  • Naomba radhi kwa usumbufu. = I apologize for the inconvenience.
How is the verb nilikosea built, grammatically?

It’s subject + tense + verb:

  • ni- = I (1st-person singular subject prefix)
  • -li- = past tense marker (completed/definite past)
  • kosea = the verb “to be mistaken/make a mistake/be wrong (about)” So, nilikosea = “I made a mistake / I got it wrong.”
Why kosea and not kosa?

Kosea specifically means “to make a mistake; to get something wrong; to be mistaken about X,” and it naturally takes a direct object (e.g., kosea nambari, kosea jina, kosea hesabu). Kosa as a verb commonly means “to miss/lack” (Nilikosa basi = I missed the bus) and can also mean “to be at fault,” but for “I got the number wrong,” kosea is the natural choice. A neutral alternative is Nilifanya kosa = “I made a mistake.”

Could I say Nimekosea instead of Nilikosea? What’s the difference?

Yes.

  • Nimekosea uses -me- (perfect/recently completed, result still relevant): “I’ve made a mistake (just now/that still matters).”
  • Nilikosea uses -li- (simple past): “I made a mistake (earlier/at some point).” If you’re in the middle of filling out the form, Nimekosea nambari kwenye fomu will often sound more immediate and natural. Reporting it after the fact favors Nilikosea.
What does kwenye mean? Could I use katika or juu ya instead?

Kwenye is a very common, neutral preposition meaning “in/on/at,” chosen by context. Katika also means “in/inside/within” and feels more formal/literary. Juu ya literally means “on top of,” so it’s for physical “on top,” not “on a form.” Here:

  • ...kwenye fomu = on the form (natural, common)
  • ...katika fomu = in/on the form (a bit more formal)
  • ...juu ya fomu = “on top of the form” (not what you want idiomatically)
Is nambari singular or plural here?

Nambari is a class 9/10 noun whose singular and plural look the same. Context does the work. It can mean “number” or “numbers.” To make it explicit:

  • Singular: nambari moja = one number
  • Plural: baadhi ya nambari / nambari kadhaa = some/several numbers Agreement can also show it (see next Q&A on object markers).
Do I need an object marker with kosea (like niliikosea nambari)?

No—your sentence is fine without one. In Swahili, you usually omit the object marker when the object is present and inanimate. You can use an object marker for specificity/topicality:

  • Niliikosea nambari hiyo. = I got that number wrong. (i- marks class 9 singular)
  • Nilizikosea nambari hizo. = I got those numbers wrong. (zi- marks class 10 plural) But everyday speech often just says Nilkosea nambari (…hiyo/hizo) and lets context clarify.
Is nambari the same as namba? Which should I use?
They both mean “number.” Nambari is more standard/formal; namba is very common in everyday speech (especially for phone numbers: namba ya simu). Both are widely understood. In careful writing or exams, nambari is often preferred.
If I want to say “I wrote/entered the wrong number,” what verbs can I use?

Good options:

  • Niliandika vibaya nambari kwenye fomu. = I wrote the number incorrectly.
  • Niliingiza nambari isiyo sahihi kwenye fomu. = I entered an incorrect number. (isiyo sahihi = that is not correct)
  • Niliweka nambari isiyo sahihi kwenye fomu. = I put an incorrect number on the form. Vibaya is a handy adverb for “wrongly/incorrectly.” Isiyo sahihi is a precise “incorrect.”
Can I say Nilifanya kosa instead? How does that differ from Nilikosea nambari?

Yes:

  • Nilifanya kosa = I made a mistake (general).
  • Nilikosea nambari = I got the number wrong (specific about what you got wrong). If you want both: Nilifanya kosa kwenye fomu; nilikosea nambari. = I made a mistake on the form; I got the number wrong.
Can I front the object for emphasis, like “It’s the number that I got wrong”?

Yes, use a focus construction:

  • Singular (class 9): Nambari ndiyo niliyokosea kwenye fomu.
  • Plural (class 10): Nambari ndizo nilizokosea kwenye fomu. Ndiyo/ndizo agree with the noun class/number, and the relative marker on the verb (…-yo-/…-zo-) matches too.
Does kwenye fomu mean “on” or “in” the form?
Kwenye is flexible; English will choose “on” for a paper form and “in” for a digital one. Swahili doesn’t need to switch the preposition—kwenye fomu covers both.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • Samahani: all vowels pronounced; stress typically penultimate syllable: sa-ma-HA-ni.
  • Nilikosea: the “ea” is two syllables (e-a): ni-li-ko-SE-a.
  • Nambari: the “mb” is prenasalized (m + b together): nam-BA-ri.
  • Kwenye: “ny” is a palatal nasal [ɲ] (like Spanish ñ): kwe-ɲe.
  • Fomu: FO-mu (borrowed from “form”). Keep vowels clear and short; Swahili is very regular phonologically.
How could I follow up politely to ask to correct the form?

A few natural add-ons:

  • Samahani, nilikosea nambari kwenye fomu. Naweza kusahihisha? = … May I correct it?
  • Naomba nisahihishe nambari. = I’d like to correct the number, please.
  • Tafadhali, naomba mnirekebishie. = Please, kindly fix it for me.