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Kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.

Kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.
That carpet needs to be washed next week.

Breakdown of Kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.

wiki
the week
kuhitaji
to need
hilo
that
ijayo
next
kufuliwa
to be washed
kapeti
the carpet
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Questions & Answers about Kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.

What does each part of linahitaji mean?

It’s built from three pieces:

  • li- = subject prefix for noun class 5 (agreeing with kapeti, treated here as class 5)
  • -na- = present/ongoing tense marker (“is/does”)
  • hitaji = verb root “need” So linahitaji ≈ “it (class 5) needs.”
Is the li- in linahitaji the past tense?

No. Here li- is the class 5 subject prefix. The past-tense marker is also -li-, but it would appear after the subject prefix. For example:

  • Present: li-na-hitaji → linahitaji (“it needs”)
  • Past: li-li-hitaji → lilihitaji (“it needed”)
Why is it li- agreement? What noun class is kapeti?

In this sentence kapeti is treated as noun class 5 (singular) and agrees with class 5 markers:

  • Demonstrative: hilo (that)
  • Subject prefix: li- (→ linahitaji) Some speakers put loanwords like kapeti in class 5/6; others use class 9/10. This sentence chooses class 5.
If someone treated kapeti as class 9 instead, what would change?

You would switch to class 9 agreement:

  • Demonstrative: hiyo
  • Subject prefix: i- Result: Kapeti hiyo inahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo. Both patterns exist regionally; just keep agreement consistent.
Why does the demonstrative come after the noun (kapeti hilo) instead of before?

Swahili allows both positions. Post-nominal is very common for identifying/pointing out a specific thing:

  • Post: kapeti hilo (“that carpet” being referred to)
  • Pre: hilo kapeti (more emphatic/contrastive, like “that carpet (as opposed to another)”) Both are correct; nuance and emphasis differ.
What exactly is kufuliwa?

It’s the passive infinitive of -fua (“to launder/wash clothes/fabrics”). Morphology:

  • ku- (infinitive “to”)
  • fua (wash/launder)
  • passive extension → -uliwa So kufuliwa = “to be laundered/washed (like fabric).”
Why use the passive (kufuliwa) instead of the active (kufua)?

Because English “needs to be washed” focuses on the carpet, not on who does it. Swahili mirrors that with the passive infinitive: linahitaji kufuliwa (“it needs to be washed”). If you want the active with an understood subject, you could say:

  • Tunapaswa kufua kapeti hilo wiki ijayo. (“We should wash that carpet next week.”)
What’s the difference between -fua, -osha, and -safisha?
  • -fua = launder/wash fabrics and clothes (often with soap and water). Passive: kufuliwa.
  • -osha = wash (general surfaces, dishes, hands, cars). Passive: kuoshwa.
  • -safisha = clean/make clean (not necessarily with water). Passive: kusafishwa. For a carpet, you’ll hear any of these depending on method/region:
  • kufuliwa (launder-like washing),
  • kuoshwa (washed),
  • kusafishwa (cleaned). Your sentence chooses the “launder” nuance.
What does wiki ijayo literally mean, and why ijayo?

Literally “the coming week” → “next week.” ijayo is a relative/adjectival form from the verb -ja (“to come”), agreeing with class 9 (wiki is class 9):

  • Class 9 agreement prefix: i-
  • Stem: jayo (“coming”) So: wiki ijayo = “next week.” Compare:
  • mwezi ujao (next month; class 3 uses u-)
  • mwaka ujao (next year)
Can the time phrase move? For example, can I start with it?

Yes. Both are fine:

  • Kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.
  • Wiki ijayo, kapeti hilo linahitaji kufuliwa. Placing time at the start adds emphasis to when.
How would I say “This carpet needs to be washed next week”?

Change the demonstrative to proximal class 5:

  • Hili kapeti or kapeti hili Full sentence: Kapeti hili linahitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.
How do I make it negative (“does not need”)?

Use the negative subject prefix for class 5 (ha-) and drop -na-:

  • Kapeti hilo halihitaji kufuliwa wiki ijayo.
How would I express a stronger obligation, like “must/should be washed”?

Several options:

  • Using “should/ought”: Kapeti hilo linapaswa kufuliwa wiki ijayo.
  • Using “must”: Kapeti hilo lazima kufuliwa wiki ijayo (colloquial) or better with subjunctive passive:
    • Kapeti hilo lifuliwe wiki ijayo. (“Let/should that carpet be washed next week.”)
Pronunciation tips for the tricky words?
  • linahitaji: li-na-hi-TA-ji (clear h sound; j ~ English “j”)
  • kufuliwa: ku-fu-LI-wa (light “w” in “wa”)
  • ijayo: i-JA-yo (j ~ “j” in “jam”) All vowels are pure and pronounced; stress is typically penultimate (second-to-last syllable).