Breakdown of Je, unaogopa sindano?
wewe
you
kuogopa
to be afraid
je
Are ...? (at the start of a yes/no question)
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?