Priza hii haifanyi kazi; tumia priza iliyo ukutani pale.

This socket does not work; use the one on the wall there.

Breakdown of Priza hii haifanyi kazi; tumia priza iliyo ukutani pale.

• hii: this
• kutumia: to use
• kufanya kazi: to work
• pale: there
• priza: the socket
• iliyo: which
• ukutani: on the wall

Questions & Answers about Priza hii haifanyi kazi; tumia priza iliyo ukutani pale.

What does the phrase haifanyi kazi literally mean, and how is the negative formed here?

It literally means “it does not do work,” i.e., “it doesn’t work/doesn’t function.”

• Affirmative would be inafanya kazi (“it works/it is working”).
• Negative present in Swahili drops the present marker -na-, adds a negative prefix, and changes the final vowel to -i:
  • Class 9 subject (like priza) uses negative hai-
    • verb stem + final -i → haifanyi.
  • So: inafanya → haifanyi.

Why is it hai- and not just ha- in haifanyi?

Because the noun priza is in noun class 9. In class 9, the subject marker is i-; the negative combines ha- (negation) + the class 9 subject marker i- → hai-.

• Contrast with class 1 (he/she): affirmative anafanya, negative hafanyi (no extra i).

Which noun class is priza, and how does it affect agreement?

Priza (a “power outlet/socket”) is typically class 9 (with plural in class 10, often the same form). Agreements:

• Demonstrative “this”: class 9 → hii → priza hii
• Affirmative present: class 9 subject i- → inafanya
• Negative present: hai- → haifanyi
• Relative “that is …”: class 9 relative → iliyo → priza iliyo …
  Plural examples:
• “these sockets” → priza hizi
• “they (pl.) work” → zinanafanya kazi
• “they don’t work” → hazifanyi kazi
• “that/which are …” → zilizo …

Why is the demonstrative after the noun (priza hii) instead of before (hii priza)?

Both orders exist, but the default, neutral placement in standard Swahili is after the noun: priza hii (“this socket”).
Placing it before (e.g., hii priza) is possible but tends to be marked or emphatic/colloquial in many contexts. Stick with noun + demonstrative for learners.

Could I use hiyo or ile instead of hii? What’s the difference?

Yes; they encode distance:

• hii = “this” (near the speaker)
• hiyo = “that” (near the listener or previously mentioned)
• ile = “that (over there)” (far from both)
  In the sentence, pale (“there (over there)”) already sets a distal location, so you could also find priza ile … in some contexts.

What exactly is iliyo in priza iliyo ukutani?

It’s the class-9 relative form meaning “that is.” Morphology:

• i- (class 9 subject)
• -li- (the copulative/“be” root used in relative forms, not the past tense here)
• -yo (relative ending)
  So iliyo ≈ “that is.” Example: priza iliyo ukutani = “the socket that is on the wall.”

Isn’t -li- the past tense? Why doesn’t iliyo mean “that was …”?

In relative constructions with “to be,” Swahili uses the copulative root -li- (not the past tense marker) because you can’t use ni inside relatives. So iliyo here means “that is,” not “that was.”
Compare:

• nyumba iliyo kubwa = “the house that is big.”

Can I say ambayo iko or iliyoko/iliyopo instead of iliyo?

Yes, all are acceptable, with slight nuances:

• ambayo iko ukutani (pale) = “which is on the wall (there).”
• iliyoko ukutani (pale) = “which is located on the wall (there)” (general location).
• iliyopo ukutani (pale) = same meaning, with -po often used for a specific/definite place already known in context.
  Your original iliyo ukutani pale is also fine and idiomatic.

What does ukutani mean exactly, and why add -ni?

Ukuta = “wall.” Adding the locative suffix -ni gives ukutani, meaning “at/on/in the wall,” depending on context. For outlets, “on/in the wall” is the intended sense.
You can also say:

• kwenye ukuta or katika ukuta = “on/at the wall.”
  All are natural; ukutani is concise and idiomatic.

What’s the difference between pale, hapo, and hapa?

They’re locative demonstratives with distance contrast:

• hapa = “here” (near the speaker)
• hapo = “there (near you)” or “that place just mentioned”
• pale = “over there” (farther away)
  The sentence uses pale to point to a more distant spot.

Is the order ukutani pale okay, or must it be pale ukutani?

Both are acceptable.

• ukutani pale = “on the wall there” (focus on the wall, then specify “there”).
• pale ukutani = “there, on the wall” (points first, then names the location).
  Natural usage allows either; choose based on what you want to emphasize first.

What’s the imperative form here, and how do I address more than one person?

• 2nd person singular imperative: verb stem → tumia (“use”).
• 2nd person plural imperative: add -eni → tumieni (“you all use”).
  Negatives:
• Singular: usitumie (“don’t use”)
• Plural: msitumie (“don’t [you all] use”) Polite options: tafadhali tumia …, tafadhali tumieni …

Could I avoid repeating the noun priza in the second clause?

Yes. Natural alternatives include:

• Tumia ile iliyo ukutani pale. (“Use the one that is on the wall there.”)
• Tumia priza nyingine iliyo ukutani pale. (“Use another socket that is on the wall there.”)
  Using just Tumia iliyo ukutani pale is usually avoided; add ile or repeat priza for clarity.

Is priza the only word for an electrical outlet?

No. Common synonyms/near-synonyms:

• priza (very common)
• soketi ya umeme / soketi (also widely understood)
• In some contexts: tundu la umeme (lit. “electric hole/port”), more descriptive/less common in everyday speech.
  All are understood across much of East Africa.

How would I say “it doesn’t work well” instead of “it doesn’t work”?

Add vizuri (“well”):

• Haifanyi kazi vizuri. = “It doesn’t work well.”
• Affirmative: Inafanya kazi vizuri.

How does this sentence change if we’re talking about multiple sockets?

For plural (class 10):

• Priza hizi hazifanyi kazi; tumia priza zilizo ukutani pale.
  Agreements:
• Demonstrative plural: hizi
• Negative subject prefix (class 10): hazi- → hazifanyi
• Relative plural: zilizo (“that are …”)

Any pronunciation tips for tough bits like priza, haifanyi, and iliyo?

• priza: roll or tap the single r lightly; stress usually on the first syllable: PRI-za.
• haifanyi: the ny = the palatal nasal (like Spanish ñ): “ha-i-fa-ɲi.”
• iliyo: keep syllables clear: i-li-yo. Don’t drop the y.