Learn Hardcore Swahili: Je, umehakiki tarehe kwenye tangazo, na kuhesabu urefu wa uzi unaohitaji kushona pazia? - Have you verified the date on the notice, and counted the length of thread you need to sew the curtain?

Je is a yes/no question marker placed at the start of a sentence. It signals that a polar question is coming, much like “so/hey, did you…?” in tone. It’s optional in everyday speech: you can simply say Umehakiki tarehe…? and it’s still a question. Je is more common in formal or careful written Swahili. Don’t confuse this standalone Je with the suffix -je (as in imekuwaje? “how has it been?”), which is a different question-forming device.

Why is there a comma after Je?

Je is treated as a separate particle, so many writers set it off with a comma: Je, ume…? In casual writing the comma is sometimes omitted, but the pause is still there in speech.

How is umehakiki built, and what nuance does it carry?

It’s u-me-hakiki:

u-: 2nd person singular subject prefix “you”
-me-: perfect/completive aspect (“have/has done, with present relevance”)
hakiki: “verify/validate/check thoroughly” So umehakiki means “have you verified (it),” implying a completed check that matters now.

Could I use ulihakiki instead of umehakiki?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

umehakiki = “Have you verified… (by now)?” present relevance.
ulihakiki = “Did you verify… (at some past time)?” simple past, less about current relevance. You’ll also hear umeshahakiki…? (“have you already verified…?”), where -sha- adds the “already” sense.

Can I say umekagua or umeangalia instead of umehakiki?

You can, with slightly different nuance:

hakiki: verify/validate (thorough, confirm correctness).
kagua: inspect/examine (systematic check, e.g., items on a list).
angalia: look at/check (broadest, can be quick or superficial). Choose based on how thorough the check is meant to be.

What does kwenye mean here, and could I use katika or juu ya?

kwenye = “in/at/on” (very common, colloquial-neutral), e.g., kwenye tangazo “on the advertisement/notice.”
katika = “in/within” (more formal; also works: katika tangazo).
juu ya = “on top of” (literal “on,” less idiomatic for printed content; you’d typically still say kwenye for text printed on a poster).

Is tarehe kwenye tangazo different from tarehe ya tangazo?

Yes:

tarehe kwenye tangazo = “the date on the ad/poster” (physically printed there).
tarehe ya tangazo = “the date of the announcement/ad” (when it was issued). Use whichever matches your meaning.

Why does the second action appear as na kuhesabu instead of na umehesabu?

When coordinating two actions with the same subject and tense/aspect, Swahili often puts the first verb in the marked tense and the following verb(s) in the infinitive with ku-:

Umehakiki …, na kuhesabu …? You can repeat the tense (na umehesabu…?) for emphasis or clarity; both are acceptable. With a sequence nuance you might also see … kisha ukahesabu … in narratives, but that’s less typical in a yes/no question.

Is kuhesabu the best verb here? What about kupima or kukokotoa?

kuhesabu = to count/calculate (doing arithmetic, e.g., based on measurements).
kupima = to measure (physically, with a tape/ruler).
kukokotoa = to compute (more technical/mathematical). If you’re literally measuring thread with a tape, kupima urefu wa uzi is spot-on. If you’re calculating the needed length from dimensions, kuhesabu fits. For an estimate: kukadiria.

How does the phrase urefu wa uzi work? Why wa and not ya?

It’s a genitive/possessive link:

urefu (“length”) is a class 14 noun (u-), which takes the connector wa.
wa agrees with urefu, not with uzi. So urefu wa uzi = “length of (the) thread.” Using ya here would be ungrammatical because urefu doesn’t take ya.

What noun class is uzi, and how does that affect unaohitaji?

uzi (“thread”) is class 11 (singular), with plural nyuzi (class 10). In the short relative form unaohitaji, the agreement is with the head noun (uzi):

u- (class 11 subject agreement)
-na- (present/habitual TAM)
-o- (relative marker)
hitaji (root “need”) So uzi unaohitaji … = “the thread that you need …” (the “you” is understood from context).

Why doesn’t unaohitaji show “you” explicitly? Should it be unahitaji?

In the short relative unaohitaji, agreement attaches to the head noun (uzi), not to “you.” The embedded subject “you” is understood. You do not say unahitaji there; that would restart a new clause. If you want to be very explicit, you can add an object marker for “uzi” inside the relative: uzi unaouhitaji (“the thread that you need it”), which is also correct and common in careful style.

Could I use utakaohitaji to mean “that you will need”?

Yes. utakaohitaji uses the future -ta-: uzi utakaohitaji … = “the thread that you will need …”. Similarly, past would be uliouhitaji/uliohitaji depending on style.

What does unaohitaji kushona pazia mean structurally? Is this a purpose?

Yes, it reads as purpose: “that you need to sew a curtain.” The bare infinitive kushona after (ku)hitaji naturally conveys “need to do X.” You can make purpose explicit with ili: … unaohitaji ili kushona pazia (“… that you need in order to sew a curtain”).

Should it be pazia or mapazia?

pazia (class 5) = a curtain (or curtains in a generic sense).
mapazia (class 6) = curtains (plural, specific countable). If you mean curtains in general or you’re speaking generically, pazia is fine. If you literally mean multiple curtains and want to be explicit, use mapazia.

Is kushona pazia the right verb-object pairing? What about kushonea?

kushona pazia = to sew a curtain (direct object).
kushonea pazia = to sew for/on the curtain (applicative form, the curtain is the beneficiary/locative of the sewing). For “sew a curtain,” stick with kushona pazia.

If I want to specify “that ad” or “this thread,” where do demonstratives go?

kwenye lile tangazo = “on that ad/poster (over there).”
uzi huu/ule = “this/that thread.” So: Je, umehakiki tarehe kwenye lile tangazo, na kuhesabu urefu wa uzi huu unaohitaji…?

Is the coordination with na implying two separate tasks?

Yes. … umehakiki …, na kuhesabu …? asks whether both actions (verifying the date and calculating/measuring the thread length) have been done. The comma reflects the two-step feel in writing; it’s optional but helps readability.