Tafadhali niletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni.

Please bring me lukewarm water in the evening.

Breakdown of Tafadhali niletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni.

• ya: of
• maji: the water
• tafadhali: please
• ni: me
• jioni: in the evening
• uvuguvugu: lukewarm
• kuletea: to bring (to/for)

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali niletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni.

What does the prefix ni- in niletee mean?

It’s the first-person singular object marker meaning “me.” So niletee literally means “bring (for) me,” not “I bring.”

Why does niletee end with two e’s (ee)?

The base verb is letea “bring for/to.” In the affirmative imperative with an object marker, the final -a changes to -e, so letea → letee. With the object marker ni-, you get niletee.

What’s the difference between leta, letea, nilete, and niletee?

• leta: “bring!” (2sg imperative; no explicit recipient).
• letea: “bring for/to (someone)!” (2sg imperative).
• nilete: “bring me!” (i.e., I am the thing being brought).
• niletee: “bring (something) for me!” (the natural choice here).

Can I say Tafadhali uniletee… instead of Tafadhali niletee…? Is there a difference?

Yes. uniletee uses the 2nd-person subject marker u- plus the subjunctive, which sounds a bit softer/more polite and conversational. niletee is a direct imperative (still polite here because of tafadhali).

How do I say this to more than one person?

Use the plural imperative suffix -ni: Tafadhali nileteeni maji ya uvuguvugu jioni. Alternatively, a polite plural request with the subjunctive: Tafadhali mniletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni.

What does ya in maji ya uvuguvugu do?

It’s the associative linker “of,” agreeing with the noun class of maji (class 6), hence ya (not la or wa). Literally: “water of lukewarmness.”

Is maji vuguvugu also correct, or must I say maji ya uvuguvugu?

Both are fine. maji ya uvuguvugu treats uvuguvugu as a noun (“lukewarmness”), while maji vuguvugu uses vuguvugu descriptively. You’ll hear both in everyday speech.

How do I say “hot water” and “cold water”? Are there other ways to say “lukewarm/warm” water?

• Hot water: maji ya moto (also heard as maji moto).
• Cold water: maji ya baridi (very common as maji baridi).
• Lukewarm/warmish: maji (ya) vuguvugu or maji ya uvuguvugu; also maji ya joto kidogo (“slightly hot/warm”).

Why is it maji ya… and not maji la…?

Because maji is class 6, and the associative linker for class 6 is ya. la would be for a class 5 singular noun, which maji is not.

Where does jioni go in the sentence? Can I move it?

Time expressions often come at the end, but you can put jioni at the beginning for emphasis: Jioni, tafadhali niletee maji ya uvuguvugu. Both orders are natural.

Does jioni mean “this evening” or “in the evening (generally)”?

By default it means “in the evening” and usually implies “later today” in a context like a request. To be explicit: leo jioni = “this evening,” kila jioni = “every evening.”

How do I say “Please don’t bring me lukewarm water in the evening”?

Use the negative imperative: Tafadhali usiniletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni. For plural addressees: Tafadhali msiniletee…

Is Tafadhali required? Are there other polite options?

You can drop it, but the request becomes more direct. Other polite openers include Naomba… (“I request…”) and Samahani, … (“Excuse me, …”). For example: Naomba uniletee maji ya uvuguvugu jioni.

Any pronunciation tips for words like tafadhali, uvuguvugu, and niletee?

• tafadhali: dh is like “th” in “this” (voiced), not a hard “d.”
• uvuguvugu: syllables are even—u-vu-gu-vu-gu; keep the repeated “vugu” smooth.
• niletee: pronounce the final “ee” as a long “e” sound.

How can I specify an amount, like “a glass/cup/bottle of lukewarm water”?

Use a measure word + ya + maji:

• glasi moja ya maji vuguvugu (one glass),
• kikombe kimoja cha maji vuguvugu (one cup),
• chupa moja ya maji vuguvugu (one bottle).