Je, unaogopa sindano?

Are you afraid of injections?

Breakdown of Je, unaogopa sindano?

• wewe: you
• kuogopa: to be afraid
• je: are
• sindano: the injection

Questions & Answers about Je, unaogopa sindano?

What does Je mean, and do I have to use it?

Je is a yes/no question particle. It makes the sentence explicitly a question and adds a touch of formality. It’s optional in everyday speech, so Unaogopa sindano? is also fine. Intonation and the question mark signal the question even without Je.

How is unaogopa built morphologically?

It’s three parts:

• u- = you (singular) subject marker
• -na- = present/ongoing or general present
• -ogopa = verb stem “fear/be afraid” The infinitive is kuogopa (“to fear”).

Does -na- mean “are you …ing” or “do you …” here?

Both. -na- covers present progressive and simple present. Context decides. If you mean “usually,” you can add huwa: Huwa unaogopa sindano?

Why is there no word for “of” (as in “afraid of”)?

In Swahili, kuogopa takes a direct object. So the thing feared follows the verb without a preposition: unaogopa sindano (“you fear needles/are afraid of needles”).

Is sindano singular or plural?

It’s a class 9/10 noun whose singular and plural look the same: sindano. Context tells you which. To be explicit:

• one needle: sindano moja
• many needles: sindano nyingi

Does sindano mean “needle” or “injection”?

Both. It can mean the physical needle or a medical injection/shot. Context decides.

How do I ask this to more than one person?

Use the 2nd-person plural subject marker m-:

• Je, mnaogopa sindano? (“Are you [plural] afraid of needles?”)

How do I answer yes or no naturally?

• Yes: Ndiyo, ninaogopa (sindano).
• No: Hapana, siogopi (sindano). Note the negative present: si-
  • final -a changes to -i → siogopi (“I don’t fear”).

Can Je go at the end, like “Unaogopa sindano, je?”?

Sentence-final je usually means “what about…/how about…?” (e.g., Wewe je? = “What about you?”). Use initial Je for a plain yes/no question. So stick with Je, unaogopa sindano?

Do I need the comma after Je?

You’ll often see Je, ... ? with a comma in writing; it’s stylistic. Meaning doesn’t change with or without the comma.

How do I say “this/that needle” or “these/those needles”?

Use class 9/10 demonstratives after the noun:

• this needle: sindano hii
• that needle: sindano ile
• these needles: sindano hizi
• those needles: sindano zile Example: Je, unaogopa sindano hii?

Can I add an object marker to stress a specific, known needle?

Yes, you can add the class 9/10 object marker for definiteness/focus:

• singular (class 9 OM i-): Je, unaiogopa sindano? (“Are you afraid of the needle [we’re talking about]?”)
• plural (class 10 OM zi-): Je, unaziogopa sindano? It’s optional and used when the object is already known/topical.

Do I need to include wewe (“you”)?

No. The subject marker u- already encodes “you (singular).” Add wewe only for emphasis/contrast: Wewe unaogopa sindano?

Any pronunciation tips?

• Je = “jeh” (j as in “jam”)
• unaogopa = “oo-nah-oh-GOH-pah” (pronounce both vowels in nao)
• sindano = “seen-DAH-noh” All vowels are pure and pronounced; nothing is silent.

Is there a more formal or different verb than kuogopa?

• kuogopa = everyday “to be afraid.”
• kuhofu/kuhofia = more formal/literary “to fear/be concerned about.”
• Related causative: kuogofya = “to scare/frighten (someone).”

How would I say “Don’t be afraid of the needle”?

Use the negative imperative: Usiogope sindano. (2nd person singular) For plural: Msiogope sindano.