Kulikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi.

There was parking behind the hall.

Breakdown of Kulikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi.

• kuwa: to be
• ukumbi: the hall
• nyuma ya: behind
• maegesho: the parking

Questions & Answers about Kulikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi.

What does kulikuwa na mean, and how is it built?

It’s the Swahili existential construction for English there was/there were. Literally, it’s be + with:

• ku- (existential/locative subject used in kuna) + -li- (past tense) + -kuwa (to be) + na (with) → something existed/was present. Common tense pairs:
• Present: kuna maegesho … (there is/are)
• Past: kulikuwa na maegesho … (there was/were)
• Future: kutakuwa na maegesho … (there will be) Negatives:
• Present: hakuna …
• Past: hakukuwa na …
• Future: hakutakuwa na …

Does kulikuwa na change for singular vs. plural?

No. kuna/kulikuwa na/kutakuwa na stay the same regardless of number. The noun after na handles number:

• Kulikuwa na gari … = There was a car …
• Kulikuwa na magari … = There were cars …

Why is na needed after kulikuwa?

With existential kuwa, na introduces what exists, so kulikuwa na X means there existed/there was X. Omitting na here would be ungrammatical in this pattern.

Could I say maegesho yalikuwa nyuma ya ukumbi instead?

Yes. Maegesho yalikuwa nyuma ya ukumbi = The parking was behind the hall. This treats maegesho as the subject and uses class 6 agreement (ya- in yalikuwa). It’s fine, but kulikuwa na maegesho … is the default way to express plain existence.

When would I use pana or mna instead of kuna?

All three are existential, but with locative nuance:

• kuna: general existence (most common and neutral).
• pana: at/around a specific spot or area (often with hapo/pale).
• mna: in/inside an enclosed place (often with ndani ya). Past/future forms follow the same pattern: kulikuwa/palikuw­a/…, but in everyday speech many speakers just use kuna/kulikuwa/kutakuwa for all cases unless they want to emphasize the location. Your sentence is perfectly natural with kulikuwa na; palikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi is also acceptable if you want to highlight that particular place.

What exactly does maegesho mean?

It refers to parking as a facility or parking area(s). It’s a class 6 noun derived from the verb -egesha (to park something). In practice, maegesho often behaves like an uncountable noun in English (parking), though grammatically it’s plural:

• Adjective agreement: maegesho mengi (a lot of parking), maegesho mapana (spacious parking), maegesho ya bure (free parking).

How do I say “a parking space” or “a parking lot” if maegesho is plural?

• A parking space: nafasi ya kuegesha or nafasi ya maegesho.
• A parking lot/area: eneo la maegesho or sehemu ya maegesho. To count lots/areas, count the head noun: maeneo mawili ya maegesho (two parking areas).

How would I ask “Is there parking behind the hall?”

• Kuna maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi?
• More formal: Je, kuna maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi?

How do I negate the original sentence?

Hakukuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi. = There was no parking behind the hall.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Place phrases can be fronted:

• Nyuma ya ukumbi kulikuwa na maegesho. Same meaning; the fronted version highlights the location.

Why is it nyuma ya ukumbi and not nyuma wa ukumbi?

Because nyuma (behind) is a relational noun in class 9/10, and these take the linker ya. The pattern is fixed for these location nouns:

• nyuma ya, mbele ya (in front of), ndani ya (inside), nje ya (outside), juu ya (on top of), chini ya (under).

What does ukumbi mean exactly?

Ukumbi is a hall/auditorium/lobby/reception room, depending on context. You can specify the type:

• ukumbi wa sinema (cinema hall), ukumbi wa mikutano (conference hall). Plural: kumbi.

How do I say the sentence in the present or future?

• Present: Kuna maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi. (There is parking…)
• Future: Kutakuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi. (There will be parking…)

How would I say “There used to be parking behind the hall” (but not anymore)?

Add a time adverb to show former state:

• Zamani kulikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi.
• Hapo awali kulikuwa na maegesho nyuma ya ukumbi.

How can I emphasize the specific spot behind the hall?

Use a demonstrative with a locative, often with pale/hapo:

• Pale nyuma ya ukumbi kulikuwa na maegesho. This strongly points to that particular place.

Any pronunciation tips?

• kulikuwa: ku-li-kwá (the g-like sound is in ge below, not here).
• maegesho: ma-e-ge-sho (hard g as in get; sh as in shoe).
• ukumbi: u-kum-bi (the u is like oo in food).