Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.

When I wrong you, please forgive me with love.

Breakdown of Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.

• kwa: with
• tafadhali: please
• ni: me
• upendo: the love
• kusamehe: to forgive
• ninapokukosea: when I wrong you

Questions & Answers about Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.

What are all the parts inside Ninapokukosea and what does each piece do?

Ninapokukosea is one long verb made of several parts:

• ni- = I (1st person singular subject marker)
• -na- = present tense / habitual (am / do / usually)
• -po- = when / whenever (a kind of “relative/temporal” marker)
• -ku- = you (2nd person singular object marker)
• -kosea = verb root to wrong / offend / do wrong to (someone)

So literally:

ni-na-po-ku-kosea
I–present–when–you–wrong
“When(ever) I wrong you …”

Why is it ninapokukosea and not just ninakukosea?

• Ninakukosea = I am wronging you / I wrong you (simple present).
• Ninapokukosea = When(ever) I wrong you.

The extra -po- changes it from a normal present-tense verb into a “when/whenever” clause.

So:

• Ninakukosea would usually stand as a full statement: I wrong you.
• Ninapokukosea introduces a time/condition under which something else happens:
  When(ever) I wrong you, …

What’s the difference between ninapokukosea and nikikukosea? Could we say Nikikukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo?

Both are understandable, but there is a nuance:

• Ninapokukosea (ni-na-po-ku-kosea)
  Focuses on time/habit: whenever / every time I wrong you.
• Nikikukosea (ni-ki-ku-kosea)
  Uses -ki- as a conditional “if/when”: if I wrong you / if I ever wrong you.

In practice:

• Ninapokukosea… feels a bit more like a repeated or expected situation:
  Whenever it happens that I wrong you…
• Nikikukosea… feels a bit more hypothetical or conditional:
  If it happens that I wrong you…

Both are grammatically correct and natural; speakers often choose either without a big difference in everyday speech.

What exactly is happening inside unisamehe? Where are “you” and “me” in that word?

Unisamehe breaks down as:

• u- = you (2nd person singular subject)
• -ni- = me (1st person singular object)
• -samehe = forgive

So unisamehe literally means:

“You forgive me” in the subjunctive mood (used like a polite request or wish).

In this sentence, with tafadhali and no explicit “please” word:

Unisamehe ≈ please (may you) forgive me.

Why is it unisamehe and not just nisamehe?

Both forms exist but they are used differently:

• Nisamehe

  • No subject marker; the subject is implied “you” (imperative).
  • ni- here is only the object “me”.
  • Meaning: “Forgive me!” (direct command).

• Unisamehe

  • u- = “you” as explicit subject.
  • -ni- = “me” as object.
  • -samehe in subjunctive form.
  • More like: “(May) you forgive me.” → often softer/politer, especially with tafadhali.

In polite, emotional contexts like this sentence, unisamehe sounds more gentle and respectful than nisamehe, which can feel more like a straightforward command.

Why is tafadhali in the middle: Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe…? Can it move?

Yes, tafadhali is quite flexible in position. All of these are possible:

• Tafadhali, unisamehe kwa upendo ninapokukosea.
• Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.
• Ninapokukosea, unisamehe kwa upendo tafadhali.

The common positions are:

• At the beginning of the sentence: Tafadhali, …
• Just before the verb being requested: … tafadhali unisamehe …

The version you have is natural and polite. Moving tafadhali doesn’t usually change the meaning, only the rhythm/emphasis.

Is tafadhali required to be polite in Swahili, like “please” in English?

No, it’s not required, though it is polite.

In Swahili, politeness also comes from:

• Tone of voice and context.
• Using the subjunctive (like unisamehe).
• Using respectful titles (e.g. tafadhali, mama / bwana / dada).

So:

• Unisamehe kwa upendo is already a kind, polite sentence.
• Tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo adds an explicit “please,” often used in more formal or emotional contexts.

What does kosea mean exactly, and how is it different from kosa?

• kosa (verb)

  • to miss / fail / be mistaken / do wrong (more general).
  • Example: Nimekosa – I have made a mistake / I am wrong.

• kosea (verb, often “applied” form of kosa)

  • to wrong someone / to be wrong *towards someone / to offend someone*.
  • Example: Nimekukosea – I have wronged you.

In Ninapokukosea:

• The focus is on you as the person I wrong.
• So kosea is a good choice here because it includes the sense of offending or hurting someone personally.

Where is the word “when” in Swahili? How does -po- work in ninapokukosea?

In ninapokukosea, the “-po-” part carries the meaning “when / whenever”.

Pattern:

• ni-na-po-ku-kosea
• subject – tense – po – object – verb root

This -po- is sometimes called a relative marker, and with a present tense it often has a temporal meaning:

• ninapo-… = when(ever) I …
• unapo-… = when(ever) you …
• anapo-… = when(ever) he/she …

So “when” isn’t a separate word; it’s built into the verb.

What does kwa upendo literally mean, and why do we need kwa?

Breakdown:

• kwa = with / in / by / through (a general preposition).
• upendo = love.

So kwa upendo ≈ “with love”, “in love”, or “lovingly / kindly”.

Swahili often uses kwa + noun to express manner:

• kwa hasira – with anger / angrily
• kwa furaha – with joy / joyfully
• kwa upole – gently

So unisamehe kwa upendo is literally “forgive me with love”, i.e. forgive me lovingly / out of love.

Could we say Unisamehe upendo without kwa?

No, unisamehe upendo would sound ungrammatical or very odd.

To express “with (some manner)” in Swahili, you almost always use kwa + noun:

• kwa upendo – with love
• kwa haraka – quickly (lit. with speed)
• kwa uaminifu – faithfully

Without kwa, upendo would sound more like a direct object (as if you are forgiving “love” itself), which is not what you want.

So you should keep kwa: unisamehe kwa upendo.

Why is there an object marker -ku- for “you” in ninapokukosea, but I don’t see ku again in unisamehe?

Each verb can only carry one subject and one object marker:

1. Ninapokukosea

   • ni- = I (subject)
   • -ku- = you (object)

   → I wrong you (when I wrong you)

2. Unisamehe

   • u- = you (subject)
   • -ni- = me (object)

   → You forgive me

So in the first clause, you is the object (I wrong you).
In the second clause, you is the subject (you forgive me), and I become the object.

That’s why ku- appears only in ninapokukosea, and ni- appears only in unisamehe.

Is the comma in Ninapokukosea, tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo important in Swahili?

It’s mostly a punctuation/clarity choice, similar to English.

• Spoken Swahili uses a pause between the two parts:
  • Ninapokukosea, (pause) tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.
• In writing, the comma shows this pause and separates:
  • the “when” clause: Ninapokukosea
  • the main request: tafadhali unisamehe kwa upendo.

You could technically omit the comma in casual writing, but keeping it makes the sentence clearer and more natural-looking.