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Mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi.

Mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi.
This participant will give a short speech tomorrow morning.
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Questions & Answers about Mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi.

What is happening morphologically inside the verb atatoa?

It’s built from three parts:

  • a- = subject marker for class 1 (he/she)
  • -ta- = future tense
  • toa = verb stem “give/issue/emit” So a-ta-toa = “he/she will give.” For reference: present is ana-toa, past is ali-toa, perfect is ame-toa.
How do I make the future negative here?

Use the negative subject marker plus the future marker:

  • Hatatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi. = “He/She will not give a short speech tomorrow morning.” Pattern: ha- (neg.) + -ta- (future) + verb. Other persons: nita- → sita-, uta- → huta-, tuta- → hatuta-, mta- → hamta-, wata- → hawata-.
Why is the demonstrative huyu after mshiriki? Can it go before?

Post-nominal position is the neutral/default: mshiriki huyu = “this participant.” Pre-nominal is also possible, often with stronger pointing/contrast: huyu mshiriki (something like “THIS participant (not another one)”). Both are correct; the post-nominal is more common in neutral statements.

Where does the time phrase kesho asubuhi go in the sentence?

It commonly comes at the end, but you can front it for emphasis or flow:

  • Kesho asubuhi, mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi. Either position is fine; fronting highlights the time.
Is asubuhi kesho okay, or should I say something else?
Use kesho asubuhi or asubuhi ya kesho. The sequence asubuhi kesho is not the usual phrasing.
Which noun classes are involved, and how do they affect agreement?
  • mshiriki is class 1 (m-/wa-). That’s why the subject marker on the verb is a-, and the class 1 proximal demonstrative is huyu.
  • hotuba is class 9/10 (N-class). Many class 9/10 nouns have the same form in singular and plural, so context/other markers show number.
Why is it hotuba fupi and not hotuba mfupi or something else?

Adjectives agree with the noun class. For many adjectives in class 9/10 (N-class), the adjective appears without a visible prefix. With hotuba (class 9), you say hotuba fupi. Contrast: the adjective “long” is -refu; in class 9/10 it appears as ndefu (e.g., barua ndefu). But -fupi stays fupi here: hotuba fupi.

How would I make the subject plural?

Change class 1 to class 2 (m-/wa- pair), and match the demonstrative and verb:

  • Washiriki hawa watatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi. Here wa- (on the verb: wa-ta-) agrees with plural washiriki, and hawa is the class 2 proximal demonstrative.
Is kutoa hotuba the idiomatic way to say “give a speech”? Can I use -sema or -ongea?

Yes, kutoa hotuba is the standard collocation for “deliver a speech.” Don’t say ataongea hotuba or atasema hotuba. Alternatives:

  • atahutubia (he/she will address [an audience])
  • atawasilisha hotuba (he/she will present a speech)
How do I turn this into a yes/no question?

Several options:

  • Je, mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi?
  • Mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi? (rising intonation)
  • Add a tag: Mshiriki huyu atatoa hotuba fupi kesho asubuhi, sivyo?
How do demonstratives contrast (this/that) for mshiriki?

Class 1 forms:

  • huyu = this (near speaker)
  • huyo = that (near listener or previously mentioned)
  • yule = that over there (far from both) Examples: mshiriki huyu / huyo / yule.
Can I attach an object marker to the verb for “give it”?

Yes. For a class 9 object (hotuba), the object marker is i-:

  • Ataitoa kesho asubuhi. = “He/She will give it tomorrow morning.” Breakdown: a-ta-i-toa. Usually you don’t use the object marker if the noun object is overt right after the verb, unless for emphasis/topicalization.
Is there any article like “the/a” in this sentence?
Swahili has no articles. Definiteness is shown by context or by words like demonstratives (huyu, huyo, yule), possessives, or numbers/quantifiers.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like mshiriki and toa?
  • mshiriki: the cluster msh is [mʃ]. The r is a tap [ɾ]. So roughly [mʃiɾíki].
  • toa: two vowels in a row; say both: [to.a] (not “towa”). Some speakers may pronounce it close to [to:a].
  • huyu: the y is like English “y” in “yes”: [húju].
  • kesho: sh is
  • asubuhi: [asubúhi].
I’ve seen people write “towa.” Is that correct?
Standard spelling is toa. You may hear a [w]-like glide in fast speech, but the correct orthography is toa (and therefore atatoa, not “atatowa”).