Breakdown of Kulingana na mwalimu, tutafanya majaribio mawili wiki hii.
sisi
we
kufanya
to do
mwalimu
the teacher
hii
this
wiki
the week
jaribio
the experiment
kulingana na
according to
mawili
two
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Questions & Answers about Kulingana na mwalimu, tutafanya majaribio mawili wiki hii.
What does the phrase Kulingana na mean, and is the na required?
It means according to. The na is part of the fixed expression and should not be dropped; use the full kulingana na [X].
Are there other natural ways to say “according to the teacher”?
Yes: Kwa mujibu wa mwalimu is common (more formal, e.g., news). You can also say Mwalimu anasema (kwamba)… to mean “The teacher says (that)…”.
Is the comma after Kulingana na mwalimu necessary?
It’s optional. It helps readability, especially when the sentence begins with a long prepositional phrase, but grammar doesn’t require it.
How is tutafanya built morphologically?
It’s tu-ta-fanya: tu- (we) + -ta- (future) + fanya (do/make). So it means “we will do/make.”
How do I make the future negative?
Insert the negative subject marker and keep the future tense: hatu-ta-fanya → hatutafanya = “we will not do.”
Can tutafanya mean “we will have (two tests)”?
Yes. In school contexts, Swahili uses kufanya mtihani/jaribio (“do/sit a test”) rather than “have.” So “we will have two tests” is naturally expressed as tutafanya majaribio mawili.
Why is it majaribio mawili and not majaribio mbili?
Numbers 1–5 agree with the noun class. Majaribio is class 6 (ma-), so “two” takes the class-appropriate form mawili. Examples:
- vitabu viwili (class 8)
- watoto wawili (class 2)
- nyumba mbili (class 10; here “mbili” is used because class 9/10 often uses the invariant form)
What’s the singular of majaribio?
Singular is jaribio. So:
- one test/experiment: jaribio moja
- two tests/experiments: majaribio mawili
Does jaribio mean “test,” “exam,” or “experiment”?
It can mean any of those depending on context: test/trial/experiment. For school exams, mtihani (pl. mitihani) is very common; for medical tests, kipimo/vipimo. Your sentence is fine, but for “two exams,” many would say mitihani miwili.
Why is it wiki hii and not something else?
Wiki is class 9, and the class 9 demonstrative “this” is hii. Word order for demonstratives is usually noun + demonstrative, so wiki hii = “this week.”
Can I say hii wiki instead of wiki hii?
You may hear it colloquially, but the standard pattern places the demonstrative after the noun: wiki hii.
Do I need a preposition like “on” before wiki hii?
No. Time expressions are used without a preposition: wiki hii (this week), kesho (tomorrow), Jumatano (Wednesday), etc.
Can I move the time phrase earlier in the sentence?
Yes. For emphasis, you can say: Kulingana na mwalimu, wiki hii tutafanya majaribio mawili. The meaning stays the same.
How would I say “We will do them this week” (replacing “two tests” with “them”)?
Use the class 6 object marker ya: tu-ta-ya-fanya → Tutayafanya wiki hii. Here -ya- agrees with majaribio (class 6).
Does mwalimu need “the/a” in Swahili?
Swahili has no articles. Mwalimu can be “a teacher” or “the teacher” depending on context. If you need “this teacher,” say mwalimu huyu; “that teacher,” mwalimu yule.
Is there any nuance difference between Kulingana na mwalimu… and Mwalimu anasema kwamba…?
Slightly. Kulingana na mwalimu… frames it as a report/attribution. Mwalimu anasema kwamba… directly quotes or relays the teacher’s statement. Both are natural; choose based on style.