Learn Hardcore Swahili: Filamu hii imetafsiriwa kwa Kiswahili ili wote waielewe. - This movie has been translated into Swahili so that everyone understands it.

filamu – film / movie
hii – this (demonstrative, “this (one)”)
ime‑tafsiri‑w‑a – has‑translate‑PASS‑FV → has been translated
- ‑me‑ = perfect aspect (“has/have done”)
- tafsiri = “translate” (verb kutafsiri)
- ‑w‑ = passive marker
- ‑a = final vowel of the verb
kwa Kiswahili – into Swahili / in Swahili
- kwa = by/with/in/into (here “into / in”)
- Kiswahili = Swahili (language)
ili – so that / in order that
wote – all (of them), everyone
wa‑i‑elew‑e – that they understand it
- wa‑ = they (subject prefix, class 1/2 = people)
- ‑i‑ = it (object prefix for class 9/10, referring to filamu)
- elew = root of kuelewa (to understand)
- ‑e = subjunctive final vowel

Natural English: “This film has been translated into Swahili so that everyone can understand it.”

Why is it filamu hii and not hii filamu?

In Swahili, demonstratives usually follow the noun they describe:

filamu hii – this film
kitabu hiki – this book
mtoto huyu – this child

Putting the demonstrative before the noun (like hii filamu) is not standard in Swahili. So:

✅ filamu hii = correct
❌ hii filamu = sounds wrong/foreign

What exactly does imetafsiriwa express in terms of tense and voice?

imetafsiriwa is:

Tense/aspect: perfect – marked by ‑me‑
- ime‑ = “has” (3rd person singular + perfect)
- So imetafsiriwa ≈ “has been translated.”
Voice: passive – marked by ‑w‑ before the final ‑a
- kutafsiri = to translate (active)
- kutafsiriwa = to be translated (passive)

So filamu hii imetafsiriwa literally: “this film has been translated.”
The agent (who translated it) is not mentioned, which is normal and natural in this context.

Why is kwa Kiswahili used here instead of something like katika Kiswahili or just Kiswahili?

kwa Kiswahili is the most natural way to express “in/into Swahili (language)” in this kind of sentence.

kwa is a very flexible preposition meaning by / with / in / using / into, etc.
When talking about doing something in a language, Swahili commonly uses kwa + language:
- Ameandika barua kwa Kiswahili. – He has written the letter in Swahili.
- Anazungumza kwa Kiingereza. – She speaks in English.

Alternatives:

katika Kiswahili – grammatically possible, but sounds more bookish/formal here and is less idiomatic than kwa for language use.
Just Kiswahili (without a preposition) would usually sound incomplete in this structure.

So imetafsiriwa kwa Kiswahili = “has been translated into Swahili.”

What does ili do in this sentence, and why does it require a special verb form after it?

ili is a conjunction meaning “so that / in order that.” It introduces a purpose clause.

Because it expresses purpose or desired outcome, the verb after ili is usually in the subjunctive form in Swahili, not the ordinary present.

waielewe ends in ‑e, which is the subjunctive final vowel (FV).
Compare:
- wanaielewa – they understand it (simple present/fact)
- waielewe – (so that) they may/can understand it (desired result)

So the structure is:

ili
- subjunctive
  - ili (wote) waielewe
  - so that (everyone) may understand it

This is why it’s ili wote waielewe, not ili wote wanaielewa.

Who does wote refer to here, and why isn’t watu mentioned?

wote means “all (of them), everyone.” In this sentence it refers to people, even though the word watu (people) is not explicitly stated.

This is very common in Swahili: if the context is clear, you can just say wote with a plural human agreement and let the listener understand the “people” part from context.

You could also say:

…ili watu wote waielewe. – “…so that all people understand it.”
…ili kila mtu aielewe. – “…so that each person understands it.”

But in many real-life sentences, wote alone is fine and natural if “everyone (people)” is understood from context.

Note: wote is in the plural agreement that matches watu (class 2 humans), and that’s why the verb has wa‑ as the subject prefix.

How is the verb waielewe built, and how do its parts agree with wote and filamu?

wa‑i‑elew‑e

wa‑ = they (subject prefix for class 1/2, humans – agrees with wote / watu wote)
‑i‑ = it (object prefix for class 9/10 – agrees with filamu, which is class 9)
elew = verb root from kuelewa (“to understand”)
‑e = subjunctive final vowel (because of ili)

So the agreements are:

Subject:
- implied subject: (watu) wote → class 2 plural → wa‑
Object:
- object: filamu (class 9) → object prefix ‑i‑

Thus wa‑i‑elew‑e literally: “that they (people) may understand it (the film).”

Why is it waielewe and not waweze kuielewa (“can be able to understand it”)?

Both are grammatically possible but have slightly different styles/nuances:

waielewe
- Compact, direct.
- Literally: “that they understand it.”
- Implies ability as part of the purpose, without explicitly saying “to be able.”
waweze kuielewa
- More explicit: “that they may be able to understand it.”
- waweze = they may be able (subjunctive of kuweza)
- kuielewa = to understand it

Native Swahili speakers often prefer the simpler form unless they especially want to highlight the “ability” idea. In most normal contexts ili wote waielewe already covers “so that everyone can understand it.”

Could we change word order and say Filamu hii imetafsiriwa ili wote waielewe kwa Kiswahili?

That word order is grammatically acceptable but sounds less natural than the original.

Original:
- Filamu hii imetafsiriwa kwa Kiswahili ili wote waielewe.
- First: what happened to the film and in what language.
- Then: the purpose (ili‑clause).
Variant:
- Filamu hii imetafsiriwa ili wote waielewe kwa Kiswahili.
- Puts the purpose (ili wote waielewe) before stating the language.

Because “translated into Swahili” is tightly bound as a single conceptual unit, it’s more idiomatic to keep kwa Kiswahili directly after imetafsiriwa. The original order flows more naturally.

Could I say …ili iweze kueleweka na wote instead of …ili wote waielewe?

Yes, but it changes the focus slightly.

ili wote waielewe – active focus on people doing the understanding
- “so that everyone may understand it.”
ili iweze kueleweka na wote – passive focus on the film being understandable
- iweze = that it may be able (subjunctive of kuweza for class 9: i‑)
- kueleweka = to be understandable / to be understood (passive form of kuelewa)
- na wote = by everyone
- “so that it may be understandable by everyone.”

Both are correct. The original (with waielewe) is simpler and more typical; the passive version sounds a bit more formal or abstract.

Is the style of this sentence formal, casual, or neutral?

The sentence is neutral and suitable for many contexts:

subtitles on a DVD / streaming platform
a note in a program booklet
an explanation in class
general written announcements

It’s neither slangy nor very formal. You could see it in everyday written Swahili (e.g., descriptions, notices, websites) without it sounding out of place.

What are some pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Key points:

Stress usually falls on the second‑to‑last syllable:
- fi‑LA‑mu
- hi‑I
- i‑me‑taf‑si‑RI‑wa
- kwa Ki‑swa‑HI‑li
- I‑li
- WO‑te
- wa‑i‑e‑LE‑we
Pronounce all vowels clearly; no silent vowels:
- tafsiriwa → ta‑fsi‑ri‑wa (each vowel heard)
- waielewe → wa‑i‑e‑le‑we (don’t merge everything into “we-lewe”; keep a light i).
Consonants are generally pronounced as in many European languages:
- w as in English we
- sw in Kiswahili as in swim
- t, k, l are clean, not aspirated.

Saying it slowly first, syllable by syllable, then speeding up helps a lot:

Fi‑la‑mu hi‑i | i‑me‑taf‑si‑ri‑wa | kwa Ki‑swa‑hi‑li | i‑li wo‑te wa‑i‑e‑le‑we.