Mhasibu alidai risiti zote kabla ya kufunga hesabu.

The accountant demanded all receipts before closing the accounts.

Breakdown of Mhasibu alidai risiti zote kabla ya kufunga hesabu.

• kabla ya: before
• zote: all
• risiti: the receipt
• mhasibu: the accountant

Questions & Answers about Mhasibu alidai risiti zote kabla ya kufunga hesabu.

How is the verb form alidai built, and what does it tell me about time?

• a- = 3rd person singular subject marker (he/she).
• -li- = past tense marker.
• dai = verb root “claim/demand.” So alidai means “he/she demanded/claimed,” a completed past action (simple past/perfective).

Does kudai mean “to ask for,” or is it stronger than that?

kudai is stronger: it means “to demand” or “to claim” (e.g., a right, payment, reimbursement). If you want a polite “ask for,” prefer:

• kuomba = to request
• kuuliza = to ask (a question) So “demanded all the receipts” fits alidai risiti zote; for a polite request: aliomba risiti zote.

What noun class is risiti, and how does that affect agreement?

risiti (receipt) is in the N class (class 9/10). In this class, singular and plural often look the same: one receipt = risiti moja; two receipts = risiti mbili. Adjective/quantifier agreement uses the z- pattern in the plural, hence risiti zote (“all the receipts”).

Why is it zote and not yote, wote, or vyote?

“All” agrees with the noun class: