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Kutoweza kulipa ada ni tatizo shuleni.

Kutoweza kulipa ada ni tatizo shuleni.
Being unable to pay fees is a problem at school.
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Questions & Answers about Kutoweza kulipa ada ni tatizo shuleni.

What does each word in the sentence mean, and how is it built?
  • kutoweza = kuto- + weza → negative infinitive “not be able”
  • kulipa = ku- + lipa → infinitive “to pay”
  • ada = “fees” (can mean fee/fees depending on context)
  • ni = copula “is/are”
  • tatizo = “problem” (plural: matatizo)
  • shuleni = shule + -ni → “at/in school” (locative suffix -ni)

Literal shape: “Not-being-able to-pay fees is problem at-school.”

Why is the negative written as kutoweza and not something like a finite form (siwezi, hauwezi, etc.)?
Because the whole idea “not being able to pay fees” is the subject of the sentence. Swahili uses the infinitive as a noun-like subject. The negative of the infinitive is formed with kuto- + verb, giving kutoweza (“not to be able”). Finite negatives like siwezi (“I can’t”) or huwezi (“you can’t”) would make a full clause with a person subject, not a noun phrase.
How do you form the negative infinitive in general?

Use kuto- + the verb:

  • kusoma → kutosoma “not to read/study”
  • kuingia → kutoingia “not to enter”
  • Special case with irregular kula (“to eat”): kutokula
  • Our verb kuweza (“to be able”) becomes kutoweza (you replace the initial ku- with kuto-, you don’t keep both)
Is kutokuweza also correct?
You will see kutokuweza in the wild, but the standard, tidy form is kutoweza. The pattern is “replace” infinitive ku- with negative kuto-, not “add” kuto- in front of an already ku- prefixed verb. Keep kutokula as an exception because of the irregular verb kula (“to eat”).
Why is it kulipa after (kuto)weza—could it just be lipa?

After -weza (“to be able”), the following verb appears in the infinitive: ku- + verb. So you say:

  • naweza kulipa “I can pay”
  • siwezi kulipa “I can’t pay”
  • kutoweza kulipa “not being able to pay” Dropping ku- and saying lipa here is ungrammatical in standard Swahili.
What exactly does shuleni mean? Is it “in school” or “at school”? Could I use something else?

Shuleni is the locative of shule and comfortably covers both “at school” and “in school,” depending on context. Synonymous options:

  • katika shule = in/at school
  • kwenye shule = at school Shuleni is the neatest, most idiomatic choice here.
Could I say tatizo la shule instead of tatizo shuleni? What’s the difference?
  • tatizo shuleni = “a problem at/in school” (locative: the problem occurs there)
  • tatizo la shule = “the school’s problem / a problem of the school” (associative: belonging/pertaining to the school as an institution) Both can be correct, but they don’t always mean the same thing. In your sentence, the locative shuleni is the natural choice.
Is ada singular or plural? Why no plural ending?

Ada is an N-class noun; its singular and plural look the same. It can mean “fee” or “fees” from context. If you need to show agreement:

  • singular qualifier: ada ya shule “school fee”
  • plural qualifier: ada za shule “school fees (various kinds)”
Are there more specific or alternative words for “school fees”?

Yes:

  • ada ya shule = school fee(s) (very common and neutral)
  • karo ya shule = school fees (widely used, especially in Kenya)
  • malipo = payments (generic)
  • gharama = costs/expenses (broader than “fees”)
Can I change the word order, e.g., Tatizo shuleni ni kutoweza kulipa ada?

Yes. Both are natural:

  • Kutoweza kulipa ada ni tatizo shuleni (focus on the inability)
  • Tatizo shuleni ni kutoweza kulipa ada (focus on identifying the problem) Swahili allows either side of an equational sentence to come first; it’s mostly about emphasis and flow.
How would I put this in past, present perfect, or future?

Use the verb kuwa with class 15 (ku-) agreement, because the subject is an infinitive (class 15):

  • Past: Kutoweza kulipa ada kulikuwa tatizo shuleni. “...was a problem...”
  • Present perfect/has become: Kutoweza kulipa ada kumekuwa tatizo shuleni.
  • Future: Kutoweza kulipa ada kutakuwa tatizo shuleni.

Note: ni is present-time “is/are”; for other times, switch to kuwa forms.

How do I negate the whole statement (“is not a problem”)?

Use the negative copula si:

  • Kutoweza kulipa ada si tatizo shuleni. “Not being able to pay fees is not a problem at school.” For emphasis or contrast, you might also see siyo, but si is the standard negative of ni.
Does ni change for plural? What if I say “problems”?

Ni doesn’t change; it’s used for both singular and plural equatives.

  • Singular: ... ni tatizo ...
  • Plural: ... ni matatizo ... Example: Kuchelewa kwa ada ni matatizo shuleni. “Delays in fees are problems at school.”
What’s the nuance difference between kutoweza kulipa, kutolipa, and kushindwa kulipa?
  • kutoweza kulipa = “not be able to pay” (inability, e.g., lack of money/means)
  • kutolipa = “not to pay” (simple negation; no reason implied)
  • kushindwa kulipa = “to fail to pay” (attempted but failed, or an outcome framed as failure) Choose based on the nuance you want.
How do I say “at schools / in schools” (plural)? Is mashuleni okay?

Standard Swahili keeps shule the same in singular and plural, so shuleni can already mean “at/in school(s)” from context. To make plurality explicit, use:

  • katika shule nyingi = “in many schools”
  • shuleni kote = “in schools everywhere/throughout schools” You will hear mashule/mashuleni informally in some areas, but it’s nonstandard.
How do I pronounce the tricky bits?
  • kutoweza: ku-to-WE-za (stress on the second-to-last syllable: WE)
  • kulipa: ku-LI-pa (LI stressed)
  • ada: A-da (A stressed)
  • tatizo: ta-TI-zo (TI stressed)
  • shuleni: shu-LE-ni (LE stressed) Swahili generally stresses the penultimate syllable.