Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya chakula.

Please clean the frying pan after the meal.

Breakdown of Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya chakula.

• kusafisha: to clean
• baada ya: after
• chakula: the meal
• tafadhali: please
• kikaango: the frying pan

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya chakula.

What does each word do in this sentence?

• Tafadhali = please (politeness marker)
• safisha = clean (2nd person singular imperative)
• kikaango = frying pan (class 7 noun, ki-/vi-)
• baada ya = after (literally “after of”)
• chakula = food/meal (class 7 noun)

The structure is: Please + clean + frying pan + after + meal.

Is safisha a command? How do I make it plural or softer/more polite?

• Yes, safisha is the 2nd-person singular imperative: Clean!
• Talking to more than one person: safisheni.
• Softer request using the subjunctive: Tafadhali usafishe kikaango baada ya chakula. (you should clean…)
• Very polite option: Naomba usafishe kikaango baada ya chakula. (I request that you clean…)

Can tafadhali go at the end or in the middle?

Yes. All are natural:

• Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya chakula.
• Safisha kikaango baada ya chakula, tafadhali.
• Safisha, tafadhali, kikaango baada ya chakula. (with commas, a bit more formal/emphatic)

Why is it baada ya and not something like baada cha?

The associative/linking word agrees with the head noun, which here is baada (a class 9/10 noun). Class 9/10 takes ya, so you get baada ya X. It’s a fixed pattern: say baada ya + noun/pronoun/verb (gerund).

What’s the difference between baada ya and baadaye?

• baada ya = after (followed by a noun or a verb-noun): baada ya chakula, baada ya kula.
• baadaye (one word) = later (adverb): Tutaongea baadaye (We’ll talk later).

Can I say “after eating” instead of “after the meal”?

Yes: baada ya kula. Both are common:

• baada ya chakula = after the meal/food
• baada ya kula = after eating (often sounds a bit more natural in conversation)

Do I need an object marker on the verb for kikaango (class 7), like ki-?

Not when you name the object after the verb: Safisha kikaango… is perfect.
Use the object marker when replacing the noun:

• Kisafishe! = Clean it! (class 7 object marker ki-, imperative takes final -e when an object marker is present) Avoid doubling (e.g., Kisafishe kikaango) unless you’re doing special emphasis; normally it’s not used that way.

How do I pronounce tricky bits like dh and ng here?

• dh in tafadhali is typically [ð], like the th in English “this” (many speakers also use [d] in everyday speech).
• ng in kikaango is like “ng” in “finger” ([ŋg]). Syllables: ki–kaa–ngo. The long aa in kaa is held slightly longer.

What’s the plural of kikaango, and how would I tell several people to clean several pans?

• Plural: vikaango (class 8).
• Talking to one person: Safisha vikaango baada ya chakula.
• Talking to several people: Safisheni vikaango baada ya chakula.

Is kikaango the only word for frying pan?

You’ll also hear:

• kikaangio (variant/instrumental form)
• sufuria ya kukaangia (a pot used for frying) All are understood; kikaango and kikaangio are concise and common.

What’s the difference between safisha, osha, and futa?

• safisha = clean (make clean; general result)
• osha = wash (with water/soap)
• futa = wipe (with a cloth) For a greasy pan, you might osha (wash) it to safisha (get it clean), and also futa (wipe) it dry.

Could I say “before the meal” instead? How?

Use kabla ya:

• Tafadhali safisha kikaango kabla ya chakula. = Please clean the frying pan before the meal.

Can I front the time phrase?

Yes. It’s common and natural:

• Baada ya chakula, tafadhali safisha kikaango.
• Baada ya kula, tafadhali safisha kikaango.

Is chakula “food” or “meal”? Are there other words for “meal”?

Chakula covers both “food” and “a meal,” depending on context. Other options:

• mlo = a meal (more formal/precise)
• mlo wa mchana = lunch; chakula cha mchana is more common in everyday speech.

How would I say “Please clean the frying pan after we eat”?

• Natural and enough: Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya kula. (subject is understood from context)
• If you must specify “we”: Tafadhali safisha kikaango baada ya sisi kula. (explicit but less necessary)

Is there a negative command?

Yes, use the negative imperative with the subjunctive:

• 2nd singular: Usisafishe kikaango… = Don’t clean the frying pan…
• 2nd plural: Msisafishe kikaango…

Why does chakula sometimes use cha (e.g., chakula cha mchana) but here we see ya?

• cha is the associative for head nouns in class 7 (e.g., chakula as the head: chakula cha mchana = midday meal).
• In baada ya chakula, the head is baada (class 9), which takes ya. So it’s the head noun that controls the linker, not the following noun.