Je, sisi tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi?

Will we be involved in the wedding preparations?

Breakdown of Je, sisi tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi?

• sisi: we
• je: do
• na: with
• ya: of
• harusi: the wedding
• maandalizi: the preparations
• kuhusika: to be involved

Questions & Answers about Je, sisi tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi?

What does the word Je do here? Do I need the comma after it?

Je is a yes/no question particle placed at the beginning of a question. It signals that what follows is a question. The comma after Je is common and stylistically neat, but not strictly required. You’ll also see ..., je? placed at the end of a statement to turn it into a question: Sisi tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi, je?

Is sisi necessary when the verb already tells me the subject?

Not necessary. The verb already has the subject built in via the prefix tu- (“we”). Sisi adds emphasis or contrast (like “we, ourselves”). Without emphasis, most speakers would simply say: Je, tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi?

Can I put sisi anywhere else in the sentence?

The neutral place is before the verb: Sisi tutahusika... You can also put it right after Je as in your sentence. You might hear Tutahusika sisi..., but that’s marked for emphasis/contrast (e.g., “It’s us who will be involved, not them”).

How is the verb tutahusika built up?

• tu- = subject prefix “we”
• -ta- = future tense marker “will”
• husika = verb stem “be involved / be concerned / be relevant” So tu-ta-husika = “we will be involved.”

How do I say this in other tenses or in the negative?

• Present: Je, tunahusika na maandalizi ya harusi? (Are we involved…?)
• Past: Je, tulihusika na maandalizi ya harusi? (Were we involved…?)
• Future negative: Je, hatutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi? (Will we not be involved…?)
• Present negative: Je, hatuhusiki na maandalizi ya harusi? (Aren’t we involved…?)

Do I have to use Je to ask this, or can I just use intonation?

You can drop Je and use a rising intonation: Tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi? Written Swahili often uses Je, but in speech both are common. For confirmation questions, a tag like sivyo? / siyo? / si ndiyo? is also possible depending on the nuance you want.

What exactly does husika mean, and is it different from shiriki or kujihusisha?

• husika = “to be involved/concerned/relevant” (often neutral about how active the role is; also used in “relevant authorities” = mamlaka husika).
• shiriki = “to participate, take part” (actively doing things).
• kujihusisha (na) = “to involve oneself (with)” (emphasizes one’s own initiative). So you could also ask:
• Je, tutashiriki katika maandalizi ya harusi? (Will we participate…?)
• Je, tutajihusisha na maandalizi ya harusi? (Will we involve ourselves…?)

Why is it na after husika? Could I use katika instead?

Husika commonly takes na to mark what you are involved with: kuhusika na... You can also use katika (“in/within”), which sounds a bit more formal or location-like: tutahusika katika maandalizi ya harusi. Both are acceptable; na is very idiomatic with husika.

What does na mean here?

na can mean “with,” “and,” or sometimes mark possession. Here it means “with/in,” linking husika to the activity: “be involved with the wedding preparations.”

What is maandalizi? Is it singular or plural?

Maandalizi means “preparations/arrangements.” It’s a noun derived from andaa (“prepare”) with the ma-…-izi nominalizing pattern. It belongs to noun class 6 (the ma- class) and is typically treated as a plural/collective; a singular form (andalizi) exists but is rarely used.

Why is it ya in maandalizi ya harusi, not za or la?

The connective (genitive linker) agrees with the head noun maandalizi (class 6). Class 6 uses ya. Rough guide:

• Class 6 (ma- plural): ya → maandalizi ya harusi (“preparations of the wedding”)
• Class 5 (ji-/li- singular): la
• Class 10 (N-class plural): za So ya is correct because the head noun is maandalizi (class 6).

Does harusi need “the” or “a”? How do articles work here?

Swahili doesn’t use articles like English “a/the.” harusi can mean “a wedding,” “the wedding,” or “weddings” depending on context. If you need to be specific, you clarify with context or add detail (e.g., harusi yetu = “our wedding”).

Is harusi ever spelled differently?

Yes, you’ll also see arusi in some regions. harusi is widely used and understood; both refer to a wedding.

Could I rearrange the sentence slightly and still be correct?

Yes:

• Je, tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi? (most natural without the pronoun)
• Sisi tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi, je? (question particle at the end)
• With a tag for confirmation: Tutahusika na maandalizi ya harusi, sivyo?

How could I make this more polite or tentative?

Use ability or possibility verbs:

• Je, tunaweza kushiriki katika maandalizi ya harusi? (Could we participate…?)
• Je, tutaruhusiwa kushiriki katika maandalizi ya harusi? (Will we be allowed to participate…?)