Breakdown of Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu sasa anajaribu kubadilisha tabia na kuwa mchapakazi.
Questions & Answers about Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu sasa anajaribu kubadilisha tabia na kuwa mchapakazi.
- huyu = this (person), near the speaker, singular, human/animate (class 1).
- yule = that (person), far from the speaker.
So:
- mwanafunzi = a / the student (could be any student, context decides).
- huyu mwanafunzi = this student (right here / we’ve just been talking about).
In the sentence, Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu… = This lazy student…, emphasizing a particular, specific student.
- mwanafunzi = student (a noun, class 1).
- mvivu = literally a lazy person, but also works like an adjective meaning lazy when placed after a noun of the same class.
So huyu mwanafunzi mvivu is understood as this lazy student.
Technically, mvivu is a noun that agrees with class 1 (prefix m-), but it functions adjectivally here. Swahili often uses such “person-type” nouns as adjectives:
- mtu mwembamba – a slim person
- mwanafunzi mwerevu – a clever student
- mwanafunzi mvivu – a lazy student
Yes, mwanafunzi huyu mvivu is grammatically fine.
Differences in feel:
- Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu … puts “this student” up front and feels slightly more like you’re introducing them as a topic: This lazy student…
- Mwanafunzi huyu mvivu … is more like This student here, the lazy one…, with a hint of contrast/emphasis (as opposed to other students).
In everyday speech, Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu is a very natural, neutral way to say this lazy student.
Swahili doesn’t need a separate “to be” in the present tense when you already have a full verb:
- English: This lazy student *is now trying…*
- Swahili: Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu sasa anajaribu…
The a- (subject prefix for he/she) plus -na- (present) in anajaribu already carry the idea of “is … -ing”:
- a- = he/she
- -na- = present tense marker
- jaribu = try
So anajaribu = he/she is trying.
You do see ni or kuwa for other kinds of “to be” (identity, description, past/future, etc.), but not before a normal present-tense verb like anajaribu.
anajaribu is built like this:
- a- = subject prefix (he/she, class 1)
- -na- = present tense marker (is / are doing)
- jaribu = verb root try
So anajaribu literally = he/she is-trying → he/she is trying or he/she tries (depending on context).
Examples:
- Ana jaribu sana – He/She is really trying.
- Wanajaribu kuandika – They are trying to write.
ku- here is the infinitive marker, like “to” in English.
- kubadilisha = to change (something)
- kuwa = to be / to become (context decides)
After verbs like jaribu (try), anza (start), pendelea (prefer), etc., Swahili normally uses the ku- infinitive:
- anajaribu kubadilisha – he/she is trying to change
- anaanza kufanya kazi – he/she is starting to work
- anataka kula – he/she wants to eat
So anajaribu kubadilisha tabia na kuwa mchapakazi =
is trying *to change behaviour and to become a hard-worker.*
They are related but not the same:
-badilika = to change (by itself), to be changeable
- Tabia imebadilika. – The behaviour has changed (on its own / as a state).
-badilisha = to change something, to cause a change (causative)
- Amebadilisha tabia yake. – He/She has changed his/her behaviour.
In anajaribu kubadilisha tabia, the student is actively changing his/her behaviour, so the causative -badilisha is appropriate.
If you wanted to say his behaviour is changing (by itself), you’d likely use -badilika:
- Tabia yake inabadilika. – His/Her behaviour is changing.
In Swahili, context often makes possession obvious, so the possessive isn’t always stated.
Here, huyu mwanafunzi mvivu … anajaribu kubadilisha tabia very naturally implies his/her own behaviour. It would sound a bit repetitive if you always said tabia yake.
You can say:
- …anajaribu kubadilisha tabia yake… – …is trying to change his/her behaviour…
This is also correct; it just makes possession explicit. The short version tabia is very natural because the subject (the student) is already clear.
sasa = now. It’s an adverb of time.
In the sentence:
- Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu sasa anajaribu…
sasa modifies the whole action: is now trying.
Other acceptable positions:
- Sasa huyu mwanafunzi mvivu anajaribu…
- Huyu mwanafunzi mvivu anajaribu sasa kubadilisha tabia… (a bit less common)
All convey the idea that “now” (at this time, as opposed to before) the lazy student is trying to change.
Yes, it’s the same word na, but here it’s functioning as “and” joining two infinitives:
- kubadilisha tabia – to change behaviour
- kuwa mchapakazi – to become a hard-working person
So …anajaribu kubadilisha tabia na kuwa mchapakazi =
…is trying to change behaviour *and become hard-working.*
Other uses of na:
- na rafiki yangu – with my friend
- chai na sukari – tea with sugar / tea and sugar
Context tells you whether na feels more like “and” or “with”.
mchapakazi literally comes from -chapa kazi (to work hard, to “hit” work).
It basically means a hard-working person / hard worker, and can function like an adjective:
- Yeye ni mchapakazi. – He/She is hard-working.
- Mwalimu mchapakazi – a hard-working teacher.
Grammatically:
- m- = class 1 prefix (person)
- chapakazi = “hard-working / hits work”
So in kuwa mchapakazi, it is “to become a hard-working person / to become hard-working.”
Because they both refer to a person and agree with m-/wa- noun class (class 1/2):
- mwanafunzi – student (class 1)
- mvivu – a lazy person / lazy (class 1)
- mchapakazi – a hard-working person (class 1)
Singular (class 1): m-
Plural (class 2): wa-
Examples:
- mwanafunzi mvivu / wanafunzi wavivu – lazy student / lazy students
- mchapakazi / wachapakazi – hard-working person / hard-working people
In our sentence, we’re talking about one student, so everything is singular class 1 with m-.
Yes.
- mwenye bidii = diligent, energetic, hardworking, literally one who has energy/effort.
So:
- kuwa mchapakazi – to become a hard worker / hard-working person
- kuwa mwenye bidii – to become diligent / energetic / industrious
Both sound natural. mchapakazi leans a bit more toward really working hard, while mwenye bidii highlights diligence/effort. The core idea is the same in this context.