Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani, tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

Please don’t whisper again in class, so that we don’t end up forgetting to listen.

Breakdown of Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani, tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

• katika: in
• darasa: the classroom
• tena: again
• tafadhali: please
• kusikiliza: to listen
• tusije tukasahau: lest we forget
• kunong'ona: to whisper

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani, tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

What does usi- mean in usinong’one, and why is it used here?

usi- is the negative marker for “you (singular)” in the subjunctive/imperative.

• u- = you (singular)
• -si- = negative marker
• ending -e = subjunctive / “let …” form

So usinong’one literally is “(that) you don’t whisper”, used as a polite negative command: “don’t whisper.”

Why does usinong’one end in -e instead of -a like the dictionary form kunong’ona?

The ending changes because this is the subjunctive (often used for commands and requests), not the plain present.

• Dictionary form: kunong’ona = to whisper
• Subjunctive: nong’one (root nong’on-
  • subjunctive ending -e)

With subject and negation added:

• u (you) + -si- (negative) + nong’one (subjunctive)
  ⇒ usinong’one = “(that) you not whisper” → “don’t whisper.”

Swahili positive imperatives often just use the plain stem (e.g. nenda! “go!”), but negative imperatives use this negative subjunctive form: usi‑ + verb‑e.

What does tena add to the meaning? Is it “again” or “anymore”?

tena can mean “again” or “anymore/any longer” depending on context.

Here, in a negative command:

• usinong’one tena ≈ “don’t whisper again” / “don’t whisper anymore.”

The nuance is that this has already been happening and the speaker wants it to stop from now on.

What is the difference between darasa and darasani? What does -ni do?

-ni is a locative suffix, often meaning “in/at/on” depending on the noun.

• darasa = a classroom
• darasani = in class / in the classroom

So:

• … darasani = “in class” or “while we are in class.”

This is more natural here than katika darasa, which is possible but less common in everyday speech for this meaning.

How is tusije tukasahau built up, and what is its literal idea?

Breakdown:

1. tusije

   • tu- = we
   • -si- = not
   • -je = a special extension often meaning “lest / so that it doesn’t happen that…”

   So tusije ≈ “let it not be that we (end up…)”

2. tukasahau

   • tu- = we
   • -ka- = sequential/consecutive marker (“and then…”)
   • sahau = forget

   So tukasahau ≈ “(we) then forget.”

Together, tusije tukasahau roughly means:

• “lest we (then) forget”
• “so that we don’t end up forgetting.”

It expresses an undesired possible outcome the speaker wants to avoid.

Could we say “ili tusisahau kusikiliza” or just “tusisahau kusikiliza” instead? What would change?

Yes, you could, and the meaning would still be close, but the tone changes:

• tusije tukasahau kusikiliza
  → “lest we end up forgetting to listen”
  → highlights the risk / undesired result more vividly.

• ili tusisahau kusikiliza
  → “so that we don’t forget to listen”
  → more neutral purpose clause.

• tusisahau kusikiliza
  → “let’s not forget to listen”
  → a straightforward exhortation (“let’s not forget”).

So the original tusije tukasahau has a slightly stronger flavor of “we really don’t want that bad thing to happen.”

Why do we repeat tu- in tusije tukasahau? Could we say tusije kasahau?

In standard Swahili, each finite verb in a sequence normally carries its own subject marker.

So:

• tusije tukasahau
  = tu- (we) + -si- (not) + -je
  AND tu- (we) + -ka-
  • sahau

Dropping the second tu- (tusije kasahau) is not standard; it sounds ungrammatical or at least very non‑standard.

You need to repeat tu- to show that “we” is the subject of both verbs.

What is the function of -ka- in tukasahau?

-ka- is a sequential / consecutive marker. It often means “and then / and (as a next step)”.

• tukasahau = tu- (we) + -ka- (then) + sahau (forget)
  → “and then we forget.”

After tusije, using -ka- makes the forgetting sound like a consequence that could follow:

• tusije tukasahau ≈ “so that it doesn’t happen that we (then) forget.”

It links the events in a cause–consequence sequence.

What is kusikiliza doing here? Is it an infinitive or a noun?

kusikiliza is the infinitive form (also functioning as a verbal noun).

• kusikiliza = “to listen” / “listening.”

In this sentence, kusikiliza is the object of kusahau:

• tukasahau kusikiliza
  → “we (then) forget to listen” / “we (then) forget about listening.”

So it behaves like English “to listen” or “listening” used as a noun‑like unit after “forget.”

Where can tafadhali go in the sentence, and what does it do?

tafadhali means “please” and adds politeness to the request.

Common positions:

• Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani… (as in the sentence)
• Usinong’one tena darasani tafadhali…
• Sometimes even tafadhali in the middle for emphasis:
  Usinong’one tafadhali tena darasani… (less common, but possible in speech).

It does not change the grammar; it just softens the command to sound more polite.

Is this written as one sentence with a comma in Swahili, or could it be two sentences?

As written:

• Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani, tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

this is one sentence, with the comma separating:

1. the main request/command:
   Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani
2. the reason/purpose clause:
   tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

You could also write it as two sentences:

• Tafadhali usinong’one tena darasani. Tusije tukasahau kusikiliza.

Both are acceptable. The comma version makes the cause–effect relationship feel a bit tighter, like English:
“Please don’t whisper in class, so that we don’t forget to listen.”