Breakdown of Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze kusikilizana hata wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti.
Questions & Answers about Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze kusikilizana hata wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti.
Ni vizuri literally means “it is good”.
- Ni = “it is” (copula, from kuwa “to be”)
- vizuri = “good, well” (adverb/adjective form of -zuri)
You use Ni vizuri … when you’re making a general statement, often about what is good, advisable, or desirable:
- Ni vizuri kula mapema. – It is good to eat early.
- Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze… – It is good (for) children (to) learn…
This is similar to English structures like “It’s good that…” or “It’s good for X to…”.
wajifunze is in the subjunctive mood, not the present tense.
- watoto wanajifunza = “the children are learning” (a fact, present continuous)
- watoto wajifunze = “(that) the children should learn / (for) the children to learn” (wish, recommendation, or desired outcome)
In this sentence, Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze … expresses a recommendation or opinion about what should happen, not a description of what is happening.
wa- is the subject prefix for third person plural (they) in the wa- class (people).
- wa- = they (subject prefix for watoto, children)
- -jifunze = verb stem in subjunctive form
So wajifunze literally is: wa- (they) + ji- (reflexive) + funz- (teach/learn) + -e (subjunctive ending).
Meaning: “that they learn (for themselves)”.
ji- is a reflexive marker. It often gives meanings like “oneself / themselves”.
- ku-fundisha = to teach (someone)
- ku-jifunza = to learn (literally: to teach oneself)
So in wajifunze, we have wa-ji-funz-e = “that they learn (for themselves)”.
This is the standard verb for “to learn” in Swahili: kujifunza.
ku- shows that the verb is in the infinitive form, like “to listen” in English.
- kusikiliza = to listen (to something/someone)
- kusikilizana = to listen to each other, to get along (more literally, “to listen mutually”)
In this sentence, kusikilizana works like an English -ing or infinitive form:
- … wajifunze kusikilizana …
= “(that they) learn to listen to each other”
or “learn about listening to one another”
So wajifunze (they should learn) + kusikilizana (to listen to each other).
-ana is a reciprocal suffix. It often means “each other / one another”.
- kuona = to see
- kuonana = to see each other
- kupenda = to love
- kupendana = to love one another
- kusikiliza = to listen
- kusikilizana = to listen to each other, to get along
So kusikilizana emphasizes that the listening is mutual, happening between the children.
Both structures exist in Swahili, but they’re used differently:
watoto wajifunze kusikilizana
- Main verb is wajifunze (subjunctive).
- Meaning: “that the children should learn to listen to each other.”
- This is a full clause with a finite verb (wajifunze).
watoto kujifunza kusikilizana
- Here kujifunza is an infinitive, not a finite verb.
- This would be interpreted as a noun-like phrase: “children (to) learn to listen to each other,” which is incomplete without a main verb or preposition.
In Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze…, you need a finite verb in the subjunctive to express a recommendation or opinion (what should happen).
Yes, hata generally means “even”, and it works very similarly to English “even”:
- Hata mimi nilishangaa. – Even I was surprised.
- Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze kusikilizana hata wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti.
– It is good that children learn to listen to each other even when they have different opinions.
Here hata emphasizes that even in difficult or less expected situations (when they disagree), they should still listen to each other.
wanapokuwa breaks down like this:
- wa- = they (subject prefix)
- -na- = present time marker (when/while) in this “when-clause” form
- -po- = “when / at the time that” (locative/temporal marker)
- -kuwa = to be / to become
Together: wanapokuwa ≈ “when they are / when they become”.
In context:
- wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti = “when they have different opinions”
The -po- gives the sense of “at the time when”, turning this into a when-clause.
Both are possible in Swahili, but they’re structured differently:
wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti
- A verb form with -po- meaning “when they are/have”.
- Feels more compact and is very common in spoken and written Swahili.
wakati wako na maoni tofauti
- wakati = time/when
- wako = “they are” (if you add the right verb form)
- You’d say more naturally: wakati wana maoni tofauti = “when they have different opinions.”
Using -po- (as in wanapokuwa) is the standard, elegant way to form “when…” clauses directly on the verb.
Here, na is best translated as “with / having”, and in many contexts it works like “to have”:
- Nina kitabu. – I have a book.
- Ana watoto wawili. – He/She has two children.
In wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti:
- kuwa na = to have / to be with
- wanapokuwa na maoni tofauti = “when they have different opinions”
So yes, you can feel it as “when they are with different opinions,” which in natural English is simply “when they have different opinions.”
Breakdown:
- maoni = opinions, views (plural; singular is wazo or oni, but maoni is commonly used as a plural noun “opinions / feedback”)
- tofauti = different; also “difference”
So maoni tofauti = “different opinions”.
You might also see:
- maoni sawa – similar opinions
- tofauti ya maoni – difference in opinions
In Swahili, you don’t need a separate word like English “that” in this structure.
- English: “It is good that children learn to listen to each other.”
- Swahili: Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze kusikilizana…
The subjunctive verb wajifunze already carries the idea of “that they should / for them to”.
So Swahili can go directly from the general comment (Ni vizuri) to the subjunctive clause (watoto wajifunze…) without inserting a separate word for “that.”
You could sometimes front phrases for emphasis, but “Ni vizuri watoto wajifunze…” is the natural and standard order.
- Ni vizuri introduces a general statement: “It is good…”
- Then comes what is good: watoto wajifunze kusikilizana…
Putting “Watoto wajifunze kusikilizana ni vizuri” would sound odd or unnatural in most contexts in standard Swahili, even though a native speaker might still understand it.
The default pattern for such comments is:
Ni vizuri / Ni bora / Ni muhimu + [subjunctive clause]
e.g. Ni muhimu watoto wajifunze kusikilizana… – It is important that children learn to listen to each other…