Breakdown of Nauli ya daladala ni nafuu leo.
ni
to be
leo
today
ya
of
daladala
the minibus
nauli
the fare
nafuu
cheap
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Questions & Answers about Nauli ya daladala ni nafuu leo.
What does nauli mean exactly? Is it just a general “price”?
Nauli is the fare for transport (bus, minibus, taxi, etc.). It is not a general price. The general word for price is bei.
- Nauli ya daladala = the minibus fare
- Bei ya mkate = the price of bread
Why is it ya and not wa/cha/la between nauli and daladala?
The connector meaning “of” (the associative) agrees with the head noun, which is nauli. Nauli is in noun class 9, whose singular associative is ya. Some common associative linkers:
- wa: class 1/2 (people), e.g., mwalimu wa watoto
- la: class 5, e.g., gari la mwalimu
- cha: class 7, e.g., kiti cha plastiki
- ya: class 9/10 singular, e.g., nauli ya daladala
- za: class 9/10 plural, e.g., nauli za daladala
What exactly is a daladala?
A daladala is a privately operated minibus used for public transport in Tanzania (roughly like a shared minivan). It’s smaller and more informal than a big bus (basi).
Why use ni here? Could I say iko nafuu?
Ni is the copula “is/are,” used to equate the subject with a description: Nauli … ni nafuu. Iko mainly expresses location/existence (“it is located/there is”). Some speakers do say iko nafuu colloquially to mean “it’s cheap right now,” but the standard, safest form here is ni nafuu.
Does nafuu mean “cheap” or “cheaper”? How is it different from rahisi?
- Nafuu often implies “more affordable/at a reduced rate/better than usual,” so it can carry a comparative feel from context.
- Rahisi means “cheap” (and also “easy” in other contexts).
- Nafuu is also used for health or improvement: Yuko nafuu = “He/She is better (improved).”
How do I say “cheaper than yesterday”?
Use kuliko or zaidi:
- Nauli ya daladala ni nafuu kuliko jana.
- Leo nauli ya daladala ni nafuu zaidi.
Where should leo go? Can it start the sentence?
Time words are flexible:
- Leo, nauli ya daladala ni nafuu. (fronted for emphasis)
- Nauli ya daladala leo ni nafuu.
- Nauli ya daladala ni nafuu leo. All are fine; moving leo changes emphasis more than meaning.
There are no articles here. How do we know if it’s “the” or “a” fare?
Swahili has no articles. Context supplies definiteness. This sentence reads naturally as a general statement (“the daladala fare [generally] is cheap today”). To be specific, add a demonstrative: nauli ya daladala hii (this minibus’s fare).
How do I say “The minibus fares are cheap today” (plural)?
Nauli za daladala ni nafuu leo.
- za because nauli is treated as plural (class 10) here. The head noun’s number/class controls the associative.
Can I drop ni and just say Nauli ya daladala nafuu leo?
Not in standard usage—keep ni. In rapid casual speech, some speakers may drop it, but it’s better to include ni.
How do I make it past or future?
Ni doesn’t inflect for tense. Use kuwa (to be) or change the time word:
- Past: Nauli ya daladala ilikuwa nafuu jana.
- Future: Nauli ya daladala itakuwa nafuu kesho.
How do I say it’s not cheap today?
Use the negative copula si:
- Nauli ya daladala si nafuu leo. You’ll also hear sio/siyo in speech: Nauli ya daladala sio nafuu leo.
How do I ask “How much is the daladala fare today?”
- Nauli ya daladala ni shilingi ngapi leo?
- Nauli ya daladala ni kiasi gani leo? Use shilingi for Tanzanian shillings, or leave it out if the currency is understood.
Any quick pronunciation tips for nauli, nafuu, and daladala?
- Swahili stress is on the second-to-last syllable.
- nauli: say both vowels clearly: na-u-li.
- nafuu: the uu is a long vowel; hold the final u a bit longer.
- daladala: four syllables da-la-da-la, with stress on the third syllable (da-LA-da-la).