Breakdown of Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
Questions & Answers about Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
Ingawa means “although / even though”. It introduces a clause that contrasts with the main clause, just like although in English.
- Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
= Although Asha is gentle, she is very clever in class.
You can put the Ingawa clause first (as in the example) or second:
- Yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani, ingawa Asha ni mpole.
= She is very clever in class, although Asha is gentle.
It normally starts the subordinate (contrasting) clause and doesn’t change form for tense.
Ni is the present‑tense “to be” (copula) in Swahili:
- Asha ni mpole = Asha is gentle.
Key points:
- ni is used for all persons in the simple present:
- Mimi ni mwanafunzi. – I am a student.
- Wewe ni mwalimu. – You are a teacher.
- Yeye ni mwerevu. – He/She is clever.
- It links a subject to a noun or adjective (identity, quality, profession).
It is not a verb like ana (“has / is -ing”).
For example, Asha ana soma = Asha is reading / Asha reads, which is different from Asha ni msomaji (Asha is a reader).
Mpole describes a person with a soft, calm, non‑aggressive character. Depending on context, it can suggest:
- gentle / mild
- soft‑spoken
- quiet in manner
- not harsh or rude
So:
- Asha ni mpole might mean she is gentle and calm, possibly quiet and polite, as opposed to loud, aggressive, or rude.
The exact English word depends on context, but all revolve around mild, gentle, calm behavior.
In this sentence, mpole functions as an adjective meaning gentle.
The m- at the beginning is agreement with m‑/wa‑ (class 1/2), the noun class used for people:
- mtu mpole – a gentle person
- wanafunzi wapole – gentle students
With a singular human subject (Asha, class 1), the adjective takes the m- form: mpole.
With plural humans, it would change:
- Asha na Zainabu ni wapole. – Asha and Zainabu are gentle.
Yeye means “he / she”. In this sentence:
- Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
the yeye is used for emphasis and contrast, roughly like saying:
- Although Asha is gentle, she is very clever in class.
It highlights the same person again, contrasting two different qualities.
In neutral, simple statements, you can often drop subject pronouns, because the verb or context shows who you mean. But here, using yeye makes the contrast clearer and sounds natural.
You can say:
- Ingawa Asha ni mpole, ni mwerevu sana darasani.
and it is still understandable and grammatically acceptable.
However:
- Using yeye (…, yeye ni mwerevu sana…) is more natural here because it clearly restates the subject and adds contrastive emphasis.
- Without yeye, the sentence can sound slightly abrupt or less clearly focused, especially for learners.
So both are possible, but the version with yeye feels more complete and emphatic in everyday speech.
Ni is required here because mwerevu is a predicate describing the subject:
- Yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani. – She is very clever in class.
Saying yeye mwerevu sana darasani (without ni) is not standard in this context; it would sound ungrammatical or very incomplete in normal Swahili.
When you link a subject to an adjective/noun in the present tense, you normally need ni:
- Juma ni mrefu. – Juma is tall.
- Huyu mtoto ni mcheshi. – This child is cheerful.
Mwerevu generally means:
- clever / intelligent / very smart
It often implies someone who understands quickly, learns easily, or handles problems well. In a school context:
- mwerevu darasani suggests good at understanding and using what is taught, not just memorizing.
Related words:
- akili – intelligence (noun)
- mwenye akili – intelligent (literally “one who has intelligence”)
So mwerevu is close to clever / bright / sharp‑minded.
Sana means “very / very much / a lot” and generally comes after the word it intensifies:
- mwerevu sana – very clever
- anapenda sana – (he/she) likes it very much
- ni mpole sana – (he/she) is very gentle
In the sentence:
- yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani
sana is intensifying mwerevu. You wouldn’t normally move it in front (sana mwerevu) in standard Swahili.
Darasani comes from:
- darasa – class / classroom
- darasa + -ni → darasani – in the class / in class
The suffix -ni often turns a place noun into a locative (“at / in / on”):
- nyumba → nyumbani – at home
- shule → shuleni – at school
- kanisa → kanisani – at church
So darasani literally means “in the classroom / in class”, functioning like a prepositional phrase.
No, the order of the two clauses can change, just like with although in English. You can say:
Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
– Although Asha is gentle, she is very clever in class.Yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani, ingawa Asha ni mpole.
– She is very clever in class, although Asha is gentle.
Both are grammatically correct; the main difference is which idea you present first for emphasis. The Ingawa… , … pattern (subordinate clause first) is very common.
To negate ni (is) with a singular subject, you usually use si (is not):
- Asha si mpole. – Asha is not gentle.
So you can say:
- Ingawa Asha si mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
– Although Asha is not gentle, she is very clever in class.
Key pattern:
- (Name) ni X → (Name) si X for simple present negative:
- Juma ni mrefu. → Juma si mrefu.
- Mwalimu ni mkali. → Mwalimu si mkali.
Ingawa and lakini both express contrast, but they work differently:
Ingawa = although / even though
Introduces a subordinate clause:- Ingawa Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
Lakini = but / however
Joins two main clauses:- Asha ni mpole, lakini yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
– Asha is gentle, but she is very clever in class.
- Asha ni mpole, lakini yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani.
You cannot just swap them directly in the same position:
- ✅ Ingawa Asha ni mpole, ...
- ✅ Asha ni mpole, lakini ...
- ❌ Lakini Asha ni mpole, yeye ni mwerevu sana darasani. (odd as a direct replacement for Ingawa here)
So both show contrast, but Ingawa = although (clause marker) and lakini = but (coordinating conjunction).