Ni muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.

It is important not to make mistakes on the exam.

Breakdown of Ni muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.

• ni: to be
• muhimu: important
• mtihani: the exam
• kwenye: on
• kosa: the mistake
• kutofanya: to not make

Questions & Answers about Ni muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.

What does the phrase Ni muhimu do here, and why is there no explicit subject like “it”?

• Ni is the present-tense copula “is/are.”
• Muhimu means “important.”
• Together, Ni muhimu = “(It) is important.” Swahili often uses this impersonal construction without an explicit “it.”
• The “subject” idea is supplied by the following verbal-noun phrase (kutofanya makosa…) or understood generically.
• Other tenses: Ilikuwa muhimu… (it was important), Itakuwa muhimu… (it will be important).

How is kutofanya formed? Is this a negative infinitive?

• Base verb: kufanya “to do/make.”
• Negative infinitive/gerund is formed by replacing ku- with kuto-: kuto + fanya → kutofanya = “not to do / not doing.”
• It’s written as one word: kutofanya.

Can I say usifanye instead of kutofanya? When would each be used?

• Kutofanya is the negative infinitive/verbal noun: “not to do / not doing,” used after impersonal expressions like Ni muhimu…
• Usifanye is a 2nd person singular negative subjunctive/imperative: “don’t do.”
• Compare:
  • Ni muhimu kutofanya makosa… = a general statement.
  • Ni muhimu usifanye makosa… = addressing “you” directly.
• For plural “you”: msifanye. For 3rd person: asifanye/wasifanye.

Is kutokufanya also correct?

• The standard negative infinitive is kuto-
  • verb: kutofanya.
• You will see kutok- before some verbs, especially those that begin with a vowel or the special verbs kuwa/kwenda:
  • kutokuwa (not to be), kutokwenda (not to go), kutokula (not to eat).
  • With vowel-initial stems both kutoelewa and kutokuelewa are found.
• For fanya (consonant-initial), prefer kutofanya.

Why makosa and not kosa? What are the singular and plural?

• Kosa = “a mistake” (singular, noun class 5).
• Makosa = “mistakes” (plural, noun class 6).
• You could say kosa moja (one mistake) or makosa mengi (many mistakes), depending on meaning.

Could I use the verb kosea instead of fanya makosa?

• Yes. Kosea = “to err / to be wrong / to make a mistake.”
• Negative infinitive: kutokosea.
• So: Ni muhimu kutokosea kwenye mtihani ≈ “It’s important not to make mistakes in the exam.”
• Nuance: fanya makosa is a very common everyday way to say “make mistakes”; kosea is a single-verb alternative.

What does kwenye mean here? Can I use katika instead?

• Kwenye is a general preposition meaning “in/at/on.” Here, kwenye mtihani = “in the exam.”
• Katika also means “in/within” and is a bit more formal. Both work: kwenye mtihani / katika mtihani.
• Avoid kwa mtihani here; kwa usually means “by/with/for (the sake of),” which changes the meaning.

Does the -ni at the end of mtihani mark location?

• No. The -ni in mtihani is part of the noun itself (from Arabic); it’s not the locative suffix.
• To express “in the exam,” use a preposition like kwenye or katika: kwenye mtihani.
• A form like mtihanini (adding locative -ni) is not standard in this context; prefer the prepositional phrase.

What is the plural of mtihani, and how would the sentence change?

• Mtihani (singular, class 3) → mitihani (plural, class 4).
• Plural version: Ni muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mitihani.

How do I say “It’s very important,” or put it in past/future?

• Stronger: Ni muhimu sana kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.
• Past: Ilikuwa muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.
• Future: Itakuwa muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani.

Do I need any agreement with makosa in this sentence?

• Not here, because there are no adjectives or possessives attached to makosa.
• If you add them, use class 6 agreement:
  • makosa mengi (many mistakes)
  • makosa yangu (my mistakes)
  • makosa mabaya (bad mistakes)

Can I put the infinitive phrase first: Kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani ni muhimu?

• Yes. Both orders are fine:
  • Ni muhimu kutofanya…
  • Kutofanya… ni muhimu.
• Fronting the infinitive can add emphasis to the action itself.

What’s the difference between Ni muhimu and Ni lazima?

• Ni muhimu = “It is important” (strong recommendation/importance).
• Ni lazima = “It is necessary/mandatory” (obligation).
• For a stronger, obligatory tone: Ni lazima usifanye makosa kwenye mtihani.

How do I negate the whole statement (“It’s not important …”)?

• Use the negative copula si:
  • Si muhimu kutofanya makosa kwenye mtihani. = “It’s not important not to make mistakes in the exam.” (odd idea, but grammatical)
• In everyday speech you’ll also hear Sio/Siyo muhimu…

Any pronunciation tips for key words?

• kwenye: roughly “KWEN-yeh” (the “ye” as in “yes”).
• mtihani: “m-ti-HA-ni” (short vowels, stress commonly near the penultimate syllable).
• kutofanya: “ku-to-FAN-ya” (the ny is one sound, like Spanish ñ).