Usimwage wino mezani.

Do not spill ink on the table.

Breakdown of Usimwage wino mezani.

• meza: the table
• kwenye: on
• wino: the ink
• kumwaga: to spill

Questions & Answers about Usimwage wino mezani.

What does each part of the sentence correspond to?

• Usimwage = usi- (negative imperative/prohibitive for second person singular: you + not) + -mwag- (verb root: spill/pour out) + -e (subjunctive ending used in prohibitions). Overall: Don’t spill.
• wino = ink (a mass noun; typically no plural).
• mezani = on/at the table: meza (table) + locative suffix -ni.

Why does the verb end in -e instead of -a?

Negative commands (prohibitives) take the subjunctive ending -e: Usifanye, Usiende, Usimwage. Using -a here would be incorrect for a prohibition. Compare:

• Positive imperative (do it): Mwaga wino mezani!
• Negative imperative (don’t do it): Usimwage wino mezani!

How do I say it to more than one person?

Use the plural prohibitive msi- plus the same -e ending:

• Msimwage wino mezani. = Don’t spill ink on the table, you all. For the positive plural command, add -eni to the verb: Mwageni wino mezani!

Is the mw in Usimwage an object marker for “him/her”?

No. mw here is part of the verb root mwag- (spill/pour out). There is no object marker in Usimwage; the object is the separate noun wino.

Does mezani mean “on the table” or “at the table”? How does it differ from juu ya meza and kwenye meza?

• mezani (meza + -ni) is a general locative: depending on context it can mean on/at the table. In this sentence it naturally reads as “on the table.”
• juu ya meza is explicitly “on top of the table” (more specific).
• kwenye meza also means “on/at the table,” similar in meaning to mezani; it’s perfectly fine but a bit more periphrastic.

Do I need to say “the” or “a” for wino and meza?

Swahili has no articles, so wino and meza can be “ink” and “(the) table” by context. If you need to be specific, use demonstratives:

• wino huu (this ink), wino ule (that ink)
• meza hii (this table), meza ile (that table)

Can I change the word order to Usimwage mezani wino?

It’s possible, but the neutral, most natural order is verb + direct object + location: Usimwage wino mezani. Fronting mezani can add emphasis to the location. You can also topicalize for emphasis: Wino, usimwage mezani! (As for the ink, don’t spill it on the table!)

How do I pronounce the sentence?

• Usimwage: oo-see-MWA-geh (stress on the second-to-last syllable: MWA). g is always hard, as in “go.”
• wino: WEE-noh (stress on WI).
• mezani: meh-ZAH-nee (stress on ZA). The mw cluster is pronounced as an [m] followed immediately by [w].

Is mwaga always “spill,” or can it be “pour” too? Are there synonyms?

• mwaga often means “spill, pour out, dump out.” It can be accidental or deliberate depending on context.
• mimina leans toward “pour (carefully/into something).”
• mwagika is the intransitive “to spill” (by itself/accidentally): Wino umemwagika (The ink has spilled).

How can I make the prohibition softer or more polite?

Add tafadhali (please), usually at the beginning:

• Tafadhali usimwage wino mezani. You can also use a softer suggestion: Jaribu kuto­mwaga wino mezani (Try not to spill ink on the table).

What’s a stronger way to warn someone, like “Don’t you dare spill…”?

Use the usije uka- construction for a strong warning:

• Usije ukamwaga wino mezani. (Don’t you end up spilling ink on the table / Don’t you dare spill…)

What’s a common mistake English speakers make with this form?

Using -a instead of -e in the negative imperative. For example, writing Usimwaga (wrong) instead of Usimwage (correct). Remember: with usi-/msi-, switch the final -a to -e.