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Jina likisahaulika, tutatafuta kwenye jalada.

Jina likisahaulika, tutatafuta kwenye jalada.
If the name is forgotten, we will look in the folder.
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Questions & Answers about Jina likisahaulika, tutatafuta kwenye jalada.

What does the -ki- in likisahaulika mean?
  • -ki- is a subordinate marker that often means “when/if/whenever (and then).”
  • It links a background condition or time with the main action. Here: “when/if it is forgotten, we will…”
  • It suggests a real or expected condition, not a hypothetical contrary-to-fact situation.
Why does the verb start with li-? Isn’t -li- the past tense?
  • The initial li- here is the subject agreement for noun class 5 (for the subject jina, “name”).
  • Structure is: Subject marker + TAM + verb. In li-ki-sahaul-ik-a, the slots are:
    • li- = class 5 subject marker (agrees with jina)
    • -ki- = “when/if”
    • sahaul-ik-a = verb stem
  • The past tense marker is also written -li-, but it comes after the subject marker. For example:
    • Jina li-li-sahaulika = “The name was forgotten” (li- = class 5 subject, -li- = past).
Is likisahaulika passive?
  • The stem sahaulika uses the suffix -ik-, which often forms a stative/inchoative: “to be forgettable / to end up forgotten.”
  • It feels passive in meaning (“be forgotten”), but it emphasizes the state/result rather than the action by a doer.
  • A more straightforward passive form with a doer implied is sahauliwa (“be forgotten [by someone]”).
Could I say Jina likisahauliwa instead? What’s the difference?
  • Yes: Jina likisahauliwa means “if/when the name is (gets) forgotten,” using the -liwa passive of sahau.
  • Nuance:
    • sahaulika = focuses on the state/result (“be forgotten/forgettable”).
    • sahauliwa = focuses on the action done by someone (a true passive event).
  • Both are acceptable here; choose based on whether you want “state” vs “action-by-someone.”
Why mention Jina at all if the verb already has li- for agreement?
  • In Swahili, it’s normal to state the noun and also have agreement on the verb. The noun anchors the reference; the prefix keeps grammatical agreement.
  • Omitting the noun (e.g., Likisahaulika, …) is possible in context, but it can be ambiguous out of context.
How would I say “If we forget the name…” in active voice?
  • Use a -ki- clause with a 1pl subject and an object marker for “name”:
    • Tu-ki-li-sahau jina, … → Tukilisahau jina, …
      • tu- = we (subject), -ki- = when/if, -li- = it (class 5 object), sahau = forget.
  • Or with kama:
    • Kama tutalisahau jina, … (If we will forget the name, …) — common in speech.
Can I combine kama and -ki- (e.g., “Kama jina likisahaulika…”)?
  • People do say this in casual speech, but it’s redundant. Prefer one:
    • Kama jina litasahauliwa, … (use kama + normal tense), or
    • Jina likisahaulika, … (use -ki- without kama).
What does kwenye mean here, and how is it different from katika or ndani ya?
  • kwenye = “in/at/on” in a broad, everyday sense. Very common in conversation.
  • katika = “in/within”; more formal or neutral.
  • ndani ya = “inside (of)”; emphasizes interior location.
  • All can work: kwenye jalada, katika jalada, ndani ya jalada (the last stresses “inside the file/folder”).
Can I say jaladani instead of kwenye jalada?
  • Yes. -ni is a locative suffix: jalada → jaladani (“in/at the folder/file”).
  • Tutatafuta jaladani is concise and natural.
Is jalada the best word for “folder/file”? What about computers?
  • jalada = “file/folder” (often physical, also used generally).
  • Synonyms/alternatives:
    • faili (loanword “file”; common, especially in Kenya).
    • folda (loanword “folder”; common for computer folders).
  • For a computer context, kwenye folda is very natural.
How is tutatafuta built?
  • tu- (we, subject) + -ta- (future) + tafuta (search/look for).
  • Meaning: “we will look/search.”
  • Negative: hatu-ta-tafuta → hatutatafuta (“we will not search”).
Should there be an object marker with tutatafuta?
  • Optional, depending on what you mean:
    • General place-focused: Tutatafuta kwenye jalada = “We’ll search in the folder.”
    • Object-focused (the thing we’re looking for is the name): Tuta-li-tafuta kwenye jalada → Tutalitafuta kwenye jalada (“We’ll look for it [the name] in the folder.”)
      • -li- = object marker agreeing with jina (class 5).
Can I switch the clause order?
  • Yes:
    • Jina likisahaulika, tutatafuta kwenye jalada.
    • Tutatafuta kwenye jalada, jina likisahaulika.
  • Both are fine. A comma helps readability; speech uses intonation to separate them.
How do I pronounce and stress the words?
  • Swahili stress is on the penultimate syllable.
  • likisahaulika: li-ki-sa-ha-u-LI-ka (stress on “LI” before the final “-ka”).
  • tutatafuta: tu-ta-ta-FU-ta (stress on “FU”).
  • jalada: ja-LA-da (stress on “LA”).
  • Pronounce adjacent vowels separately in saha-u (sa-ha-u), not as a diphthong.
How would this look in the plural (“names” / “folders”)?
  • Majina ya-kisahaulika, tutatafuta kwenye majalada.
    • majina (class 6 plural of jina), subject marker ya- for class 6.
    • majalada is the plural of jalada.
Is the -ki- clause tied to the same subject as the main clause?
  • No. Each clause carries its own subject agreement:
    • Jina li-ki-… (subject = jina, class 5)
    • tuta-… (subject = “we,” from tu-)
  • If you want “we” as the subject of the -ki- clause, you mark it there, e.g., Tuki…