Kwa bahati mbaya, mfuko wa Juma ulilowa, lakini karatasi za Asha zilibaki salama.

Unfortunately, Juma’s bag got wet, but Asha’s papers remained safe.

Breakdown of Kwa bahati mbaya, mfuko wa Juma ulilowa, lakini karatasi za Asha zilibaki salama.

• Asha: Asha
• Juma: Juma
• wa: of
• lakini: but
• salama: safe
• za: of
• mfuko: the bag
• karatasi: the paper
• kubaki: to remain
• kwa bahati mbaya: unfortunately
• kulowa: to get wet

Questions & Answers about Kwa bahati mbaya, mfuko wa Juma ulilowa, lakini karatasi za Asha zilibaki salama.

What does the phrase Kwa bahati mbaya literally mean, and can I leave out kwa?

It literally means “by bad luck,” i.e., “unfortunately.” You’ll often hear both forms:

• Kwa bahati mbaya = unfortunately (more formal/complete)
• Bahati mbaya = unfortunately (perfectly natural in speech) They’re interchangeable here.

Why is it mfuko wa Juma and not mfuko ya Juma?

The “of” linker is the possessive particle -a, which agrees with the noun owned (the head noun). Mfuko is class 3 (m-/mi-), and class 3 takes wa. So:

• Singular: mfuko wa Juma (Juma’s bag/pocket)
• Plural: mifuko ya Juma (Juma’s bags/pockets)

Does mfuko mean “bag” or “pocket”?

Both, depending on context. Common uses:

• Clothing pocket: mfuko wa suruali/wa koti
• Plastic/paper bag or sack: mfuko wa plastiki/wa karatasi For a travel/school “bag,” Swahili often uses loanwords like begi (bag) or mkoba (handbag/satchel).

How is ulilowa formed, and why does it start with u-?

Breakdown:

• u- = subject prefix for class 3 (agreeing with mfuko)
• -li- = past tense
• lowa = “to get/become wet” So ulilowa = “it (class 3) got wet.”

What’s the difference between lowa, loweka, and lowesha?

• lowa: to get/become wet/soaked (intransitive). Example: mfuko ulilowa.
• loweka: to soak (something) or be soaking. Commonly used transitively: Loweka maharagwe (Soak the beans).
• lowesha: to wet/moisten (transitive, causative): Mvua ililowesha ardhi (The rain moistened the ground).

Why is there a comma before lakini, and can I start a sentence with lakini?

Yes—Swahili punctuation is similar to English here. Lakini means “but/however,” and you can:

• Keep it after a comma mid-sentence: …, lakini …
• Or start a new sentence: Lakini karatasi za Asha zilibaki salama.

Why is it karatasi za Asha and not karatasi ya Asha?

Because karatasi is plural here, and the associative -a must agree with the head noun:

• Singular (class 9): karatasi ya Asha (Asha’s paper)
• Plural (class 10): karatasi za Asha (Asha’s papers)

How can I tell that karatasi is plural in this sentence?

Two clues:

• The possessive linker is za (class 10 plural), not ya (class 9 singular).
• The verb starts with zi- in zilibaki, the class 10 plural subject prefix.

What does zilibaki break down into?

• zi- = class 10 subject prefix (agreeing with plural karatasi)
• -li- = past tense
• baki = remain, stay So zilibaki = “they remained.”

Why doesn’t salama change form to agree with karatasi?

Salama is an invariable adjective/noun meaning “safe, unharmed, peaceful.” In predicative use (after verbs like “be/remain”), it typically stays salama regardless of the noun class: ilibaki salama, zilibaki salama, wamekuwa salama, etc.

Could I say ulilowa maji to emphasize it got wet with water?

Yes. Ulilowa maji literally adds “with water,” which is often redundant but acceptable for emphasis or clarity. Without maji it’s already clear.

Can I move the adverbial to the middle: Mfuko wa Juma, kwa bahati mbaya, ulilowa?

Yes. Swahili allows that; the commas help readability. You can place kwa bahati mbaya at the start, middle, or end, depending on emphasis and rhythm.

Why is it za Asha even though Asha is a person? Shouldn’t people take wa?

The agreement is with the head noun (karatasi), not with the possessor (Asha). Since karatasi is class 10 plural, you must use za, regardless of whether the possessor is a person or a thing.

If I wanted a single paper, how would the whole second clause change?

You’d switch to class 9 singular agreement:

• karatasi ya Asha ilibaki salama Breakdown:
• ya (class 9 associative)
• i- (class 9 subject prefix) + -li- (past) + baki → ilibaki

Is there any gender marking for the names Juma and Asha in the sentence?

No. Swahili doesn’t mark grammatical gender on verbs or adjectives the way many European languages do. Agreement is by noun class, not by natural gender.