Usalama wa umma ni muhimu.

Public safety is important.

Breakdown of Usalama wa umma ni muhimu.

• ni: to be
• wa: of
• muhimu: important
• usalama: the safety
• umma: the public

Questions & Answers about Usalama wa umma ni muhimu.

What does the word in bold—wa—do in this sentence?

It’s the genitive connector meaning of, linking two nouns. So usalama wa umma literally reads “safety of (the) public.” In Swahili, this connector agrees with the head noun (the first noun—in this case usalama), not with the second noun.

Why is it specifically wa, and not something like ya, za, la, cha, or vya?

Because the head noun usalama belongs to a noun class that takes wa for the “of” connector. A quick guide with safe examples:

• Head noun in the u- classes (abstracts like usalama, uhuru, etc.): use wa → usalama wa umma
• Class 1/2 (people: mtu/watu): wa → mwalimu wa watoto
• Class 3/4 (m-/mi-): wa/ya → mti wa matunda, miti ya matunda
• Class 5/6 (ji-/ma-): la/ya → jina la mtoto, majina ya watoto
• Class 7/8 (ki-/vi-): cha/vya → kikombe cha chai, vikombe vya chai
• Class 9/10 (N-class): ya/za → ramani ya mji, nguo za mtoto

What noun class is usalama, and does that affect the sentence?

Usalama is an abstract noun in the u- class (often class 14 in grammar tables). That’s why the genitive connector is wa: usalama wa …. Abstract u- nouns don’t usually have a plural.

Is muhimu an adjective that changes to match the noun class?

No. Muhimu (important) is invariable—it does not change with noun class. You’ll see it stay the same in phrases like siku muhimu, jambo muhimu, habari muhimu, and in predicates like ni muhimu.

Could I say Usalama wa umma ni wa muhimu?

No. When an adjective like muhimu is used predicatively after ni, you don’t add an agreement marker like wa. The correct form is … ni muhimu, not … ni wa muhimu.

Where do adjectives usually go in Swahili?

Attributive adjectives typically follow the noun:

• siku muhimu (an important day)
• msichana mrefu (a tall girl) In your sentence, muhimu is used predicatively after the copula ni, which is also normal: … ni muhimu (… is important).

What exactly is ni?

Ni is the copula “to be” in the present tense for equational/predicative sentences. It doesn’t change with person or number:

• Mimi ni mwalimu (I am a teacher)
• Wao ni wagumu (They are tough) The negative is si:
• Usalama wa umma si muhimu (Public safety is not important)

Can ni be omitted?

In standard, neutral sentences, keep ni. You might see it dropped in headlines or very informal notes, but Usalama wa umma muhimu is not good style in ordinary speech/writing. Use … ni muhimu.

What does umma mean here? Is it religious?

In everyday Swahili, umma means “the public” or “the general populace.” It’s from Arabic and can also mean a religious community in specific contexts, but in phrases like usalama wa umma, it’s the secular “public.”

How do I say “Public safety is very important”?

Add sana after the adjective: Usalama wa umma ni muhimu sana.

How do I say “Public safety is important for everyone”?

Use kwa to mark “for”: Usalama wa umma ni muhimu kwa kila mtu.

How do I make the original sentence negative?

Replace ni with si: Usalama wa umma si muhimu. (grammatical, though it states the opposite idea)