Breakdown of Jana ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika kwenye benchi nje.
Questions & Answers about Jana ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika kwenye benchi nje.
Ulikuwa ukifanya literally breaks down as:
- u- = you (singular)
- -li- = past tense marker
- -kuwa = to be
→ ulikuwa = you were
and
- u- = you
- -ki- = progressive / continuous aspect (often “while/when doing”)
- -fanya = to do
→ ukifanya = (you) were doing / (you) doing
So ulikuwa ukifanya = “you were doing” (past continuous), not just “you did”.
If you said:
- Jana ulifanya kazi ya nyumbani…
→ “Yesterday you did your homework…” (a simple completed action)
But:
- Jana ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani…
→ “Yesterday you were (in the middle of) doing your homework…”
This matches the English idea of an action that was ongoing in the past, often used when something else was happening at the same time.
The -ki- in ukifanya and nikipumzika marks a kind of continuous / ongoing action, and often carries the sense of “while doing” or “when doing”.
- ukifanya = you (were) doing / while you were doing
- nikipumzika = I (was) resting / while I was resting
In a structure like:
- ulikuwa ukifanya
- nilikuwa nikipumzika
the verb kuwa (“to be”) in the past (ulikuwa / nilikuwa) + a -ki- form gives a clear past continuous meaning:
- “you were doing”
- “I was resting”
So -ki- here is part of forming the progressive aspect in the past, similar to English “was/were doing.”
Both clauses use the same pattern:
- ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani = you were doing homework
- nilikuwa nikipumzika = I was resting
This parallel structure makes it explicit that both actions were ongoing at the same time.
You could simplify in everyday speech, for example:
- Jana ulifanya kazi ya nyumbani wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika…
(simple past for you, continuous for me)
but that can slightly change the nuance:
- ulifanya = you did it (as a whole, completed action)
- nilikuwa nikipumzika = I was in the middle of resting
The original sentence keeps both actions in clear past continuous, matching the English:
“Yesterday you were doing homework while I was resting…”
In:
- …wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika…
wakati means “when / while / at the time when” and introduces the second action that was happening at the same time.
About mimi:
- mimi = “I” (explicit pronoun)
- nilikuwa already has ni- (“I”) in the verb, so grammatically mimi is not required.
So you can say:
- …wakati nilikuwa nikipumzika… (totally correct)
- …wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika…
Adding mimi emphasizes the subject, like stressing “I was resting” (maybe in contrast to you working). It’s a matter of emphasis, not grammar necessity.
Yes, you could say:
- Jana, wakati ulipokuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani, mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika…
Here ulipokuwa = uli- (past) + po (locative/time “when/where”) + kuwa (to be) → “when you were”.
Wakati ulipokuwa ukifanya… is a bit more tightly linked and sometimes feels a bit more formal or “textbook”:
- wakati ulikuwa ukifanya… = “while you were doing…”
- wakati ulipokuwa ukifanya… = “at the time when you were doing…”
In many everyday contexts, wakati ulikuwa ukifanya… and wakati ulipokuwa ukifanya… are interchangeable in meaning, with only a slight stylistic difference.
Kazi ya nyumbani is a possessive/genitive structure:
- kazi = work / task
- ya = “of” (agreeing with kazi, which is in noun class 9/10)
- nyumbani = at home / home
So literally: “work of home” → “homework” or “work for home”.
Swahili often uses this [noun] + [ya/wa/za/etc.] + [modifier] pattern:
- kitabu cha Kiswahili = Swahili book
- mwalimu wa Kiingereza = English teacher
- kazi ya nyumbani = homework / housework (depending on context)
Putting nyumbani in front (like nyumbani kazi) wouldn’t form this normal possessive relationship and would sound ungrammatical.
It can mean either, depending on context:
- homework (school work) – very common meaning, especially if we’re talking about students:
- Nina kazi ya nyumbani ya hesabu. = I have math homework.
- housework / chores – also possible:
- Anasaidia mama kufanya kazi ya nyumbani. = He helps his mother do housework.
Sometimes people clarify:
- kazi ya shule = school work
- kazi za nyumbani (plural za) = house chores, household tasks
In your sentence, many learners would naturally understand “homework”, but context (school vs home chores) ultimately decides.
Kwenye is a common preposition meaning “on / at / in”, depending on context.
- kwenye benchi = on the bench
- nje = outside
→ kwenye benchi nje = on the bench outside
About kwenye vs katika:
- kwenye is very common in everyday speech and is quite flexible:
- kwenye meza = on/at the table
- kwenye gari = in the car
- katika is a bit more formal and often closer to “in / within”:
- katika nyumba = in the house
- katika nchi hii = in this country
In this sentence, kwenye benchi nje sounds natural and conversational. Katika benchi nje would be unusual because katika doesn’t normally go well with something like a bench (it feels more “inside” or abstract).
Benchi by itself doesn’t specify where the bench is. There could be:
- a bench inside the house (e.g., in a hallway)
- a bench outside
By saying:
- kwenye benchi nje = on the bench outside
you’re specifying it was an outdoor bench, which may be important to the scene.
You could also rearrange slightly:
- kwenye benchi la nje = on the outside bench
(also correct, and maybe a bit more explicit that this particular bench is the outside one)
But kwenye benchi nje is short, natural, and clear in casual speech.
Yes. Swahili word order is fairly flexible with time expressions and wakati-clauses.
Your sentence:
- Jana ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika kwenye benchi nje.
can also be:
- Jana, wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika kwenye benchi nje, ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani.
or even move Jana:
- Wakati mimi nilikuwa nikipumzika kwenye benchi nje jana, ulikuwa ukifanya kazi ya nyumbani.
All of these are understood. The main constraints:
- Each verb must keep its correct subject prefix and tense/aspect.
- wakati must still introduce the clause that expresses “when/while.”
The choice of order mostly affects emphasis (what you mention first), not basic meaning.