Log inSign up

Nimekuarifu kuhusu mkutano; tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia.

Nimekuarifu kuhusu mkutano; tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia.
I have informed you about the meeting; please inform the parents too.
FromLesson 43inHardcore Swahili
……

Breakdown of Nimekuarifu kuhusu mkutano; tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia.

mimi
I
wewe
you
pia
also
tafadhali
please
mzazi
the parent
kuhusu
about
mkutano
the meeting
kuarifu
to inform
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Swahili grammar?”
Swahili grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Swahili

Master Swahili — from Nimekuarifu kuhusu mkutano; tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Swahili freeBrowse the full course

More from this lesson

alfajirikengeleAlfajiri, kengele ya simu ilinifanya niamke haraka.ikiliaSimu ikilia, tafadhali jibu kwa sauti ya heshima.kufunguliaMpokezi anafungulia wageni mlango wa ofisi.katibu

Questions & Answers about Nimekuarifu kuhusu mkutano; tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia.

What does each piece of the verb in Nimekuarifu mean?
It segments as: ni- (I) + -me- (perfect aspect, “have”) + -ku- (you, singular, as object) + -arifu (inform). So it literally says “I-have-you-informed.”
Why use -me- (perfect) in Nimekuarifu instead of the simple past -li-?
  • -me- presents a completed action with present relevance: “I have informed you (so you now know).”
  • -li- is a plain past: Nilikuarifu = “I informed you,” typically tied to a specific past time (e.g., yesterday).
  • You’d prefer -me- when the result matters now; use -li- when narrating past events or adding a time adverb like “jana.”
What does kuhusu mean and how is it used?

Kuhusu means “about/regarding.” It takes a noun phrase:

  • kuhusu mkutano = about the meeting Alternatives:
  • juu ya mkutano (also “about,” a bit more colloquial)
  • … kwamba … to introduce a clause: Nimekuarifu kwamba mkutano utakuwa kesho (“I’ve informed you that the meeting will be tomorrow”).
Why is there a semicolon between the two clauses?

It links two closely related independent clauses. You could also use:

  • A period: Nimekuarifu … . Tafadhali uwaarifu …
  • A linker: …; halafu/kisha hivyo/na tafadhali uwaarifu … Semicolons are acceptable in Swahili prose much like in English.
What is happening morphologically in uwaarifu?
u- (you, singular, as subject) + -wa- (them, object marker for human plural/class 2) + -arifu (inform). Writing shows the vowels together: u + wa + arifu → uwaarifu (the double “aa” is normal, as in nawaambia “I tell them”).
Is uwaarifu an imperative?

It’s the subjunctive, used here as a polite request because of tafadhali (“please”).

  • Polite/subjunctive: Tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi = “Please (you) inform the parents.”
  • Bare imperative (2sg): Waarifu wazazi! = “Inform the parents!” (more direct) Note: With verbs that don’t end in -a (like -arifu, -safiri), the final vowel typically doesn’t change to -e in the subjunctive, so uwaarifu is correct.
Do I need the object marker -wa- if I also say wazazi?

It’s optional in this post-verbal position. You can say:

  • Tafadhali uarifu wazazi pia (no object marker)
  • Tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia (with object marker) Including -wa- is very common with definite human objects and sounds natural. If you front the object (topicalization), the object marker becomes obligatory: Wazazi, tafadhali uwaarifu pia.
Could I use a different verb for “inform,” like “tell”?

Yes, depending on tone/register:

  • Neutral/common: -ambia (tell) → Tafadhali uwaambie wazazi pia.
  • Neutral/formal: -julisha (inform) → Tafadhali uwajulishe wazazi pia.
  • Slightly formal: -fahamisha (make aware) → Tafadhali uwafahamishe wazazi pia.
  • More formal: -arifu (inform) as in the given sentence.
How do I make the polite negative: “Please don’t inform the parents”?

Use the negative subjunctive usi-:

  • Tafadhali usiwaarifu wazazi. (u- + si + wa + arifu)
How do I say it to more than one addressee (“you all”)?

Two natural options:

  • Polite subjunctive (2nd plural subject prefix m-): Tafadhali mwaarifu wazazi pia.
  • Plural imperative with -ni: Tafadhali waarifuni wazazi pia.
Can pia go in other positions?

Yes. It’s flexible, with slight differences in emphasis:

  • Tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi pia. (… inform the parents too.)
  • Tafadhali pia uwaarifu wazazi. (Please also inform the parents.)
  • Pia, tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi. (Also, please inform the parents.)
Does wazazi need a possessive (e.g., “my parents”)?

Not necessarily; wazazi can mean “the parents” from context. If you need to specify:

  • wazazi wangu = my parents
  • wazazi wao = their parents Example: Tafadhali uwaarifu wazazi wangu pia.
What noun class is mkutano, and what’s the plural?

It’s class 3/4 (m-/mi-):

  • singular: mkutano (meeting)
  • plural: mikutano (meetings) So: kuhusu mkutano / kuhusu mikutano.
Can I drop kuhusu and just say “inform you the meeting”?

With -arifu, you normally say “inform [someone] about [something]”: kumuarifu mtu kuhusu kitu. Alternatives:

  • Use kwamba with a clause: Nimekuarifu kwamba kutakuwa na mkutano.
  • Use a different verb pattern: Nimekwambia habari za mkutano. (“I told you the news about the meeting.”)
Could -wa- in uwaarifu mean “you all” instead of “them,” and is that ambiguous?
Yes, -wa- is both the 2nd plural object marker (“you all”) and the class 2/3rd plural human object marker (“them”). Context disambiguates. Here, the explicit noun wazazi makes it clear that -wa- = “them.” If you were addressing “you all” as the object, you’d typically avoid ambiguity by naming the noun or adjusting the sentence.