Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.

Silence in the classroom during the exam is important.

Breakdown of Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.

• ni: to be
• muhimu: important
• mtihani: the exam
• wakati wa: during
• darasani: in the classroom
• ukimya: the silence

Questions & Answers about Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.

What is the function of ni in this sentence? Is it like the English verb “to be”?

Yes. In this sentence ni is working like the verb “is” in English.

• Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani = the subject (“Silence in class during the exam”)
• ni muhimu = the predicate (“is important”)

So the structure is:

[Subject] + ni + [adjective/noun]
Ukimya ... ni muhimu = Silence ... is important.

ni itself does not change for person or number:

• Mwalimu ni mkali. – The teacher is strict.
• Walimu ni wakali. – The teachers are strict.

In all these, ni stays the same, like a general copula “is/are”.

Why is it darasani and not just darasa?

The base noun is darasa = class / classroom.

Adding -ni at the end (darasa + ni → darasani) makes it a locative, meaning “in/at the class(room)”.

So:

• darasa – class (as a place or a lesson)
• darasani – in class / in the classroom

Similar examples:

• nyumba – house
  nyumbani – at home / in the house
• kanisa – church
  kanisani – at church / in church

So darasani in the sentence specifically answers “where?” – in the classroom.

What does wakati wa mtihani literally mean, and why do we need wa?

Literally, wakati wa mtihani is:

• wakati – time
• wa – “of” (a possessive/associative marker)
• mtihani – exam

So it’s “the time of the exam”, which in natural English becomes “during the exam”.

The wa agrees with wakati (its noun class), not with mtihani. It’s the same pattern as:

• wakati wa mvua – the time of rain / rainy season
• wakati wa chakula – mealtime (time of food)

So wakati wa X is a very common way to say “when X is happening / at the time of X” → “during X”.

Could I say katika mtihani instead of wakati wa mtihani?

You can say katika mtihani, but it slightly changes the nuance.

• wakati wa mtihani – literally “at the time of the exam” → idiomatically “during the exam”.
• katika mtihani – literally “in the exam”, often heard more as “in the (context of the) exam”.

In practice:

• Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.
  Strongly emphasizes the time period while the exam is taking place.
• Ukimya darasani katika mtihani ni muhimu.
  Understandable, but less idiomatic; not wrong, just not the most natural phrasing for “during the exam.”

For talking about time, wakati wa… is usually safer and more natural.

What is the difference between ukimya and kimya?

Both are related to silence/quietness, but they’re used differently.

• kimya is more like an adjective/state: “quiet, silent”.

  • kuwa kimya – to be quiet
  • kaa kimya! – be quiet!

• ukimya is a noun: “silence” (an abstract thing).

  • Ukimya darasani ni muhimu. – Silence in class is important.
  • Ninapenda ukimya. – I like silence.

You could express a similar idea using kimya, but the structure would change:

• Kukaa kimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.
  “Staying quiet in class during the exam is important.”

In the given sentence, ukimya fits because we’re treating “silence” as a thing (a noun), not as a description of someone’s state.

What noun class is ukimya, and why does that matter?

Ukimya belongs to one of the U- noun classes (often grouped as class 11/14), which typically include abstract nouns.

Why it matters:

• It affects agreement (with adjectives, possessives, etc.).
• It explains forms like:
  • ukimya mkubwa – great silence
  • ukimya wake – his/her silence

In many beginner sentences, you won’t see the agreement very clearly, but as you advance you’ll need to know which prefix to use with which class. For ukimya, you’ll usually see u- / wa- forms in agreement.

Can I change the word order to Ukimya ni muhimu darasani wakati wa mtihani?

Yes, that is grammatically fine and still means the same thing.

Both:

• Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.
• Ukimya ni muhimu darasani wakati wa mtihani.

are acceptable. The difference is a slight shift in focus:

1. [Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani] ni muhimu.
   The whole phrase “silence in class during the exam” is treated as a single, tight subject.

2. [Ukimya] ni muhimu [darasani wakati wa mtihani].
   Feels a bit more like: “Silence is important specifically in class during the exam.”

In everyday speech, both word orders would be understood with the same basic meaning.

Is “Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani” one long subject?

Yes. In this sentence, the entire phrase:

Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani

functions as the subject of the sentence.

Then:

• ni muhimu = the predicate (“is important”).

So structurally:

• Subject: Silence in class during the exam
• Linking word: ni
• Complement: important

This is similar to English: > “Silence in class during the exam is important.”

The prepositional/locative pieces (darasani, wakati wa mtihani) are just adding detail to the main subject ukimya.

Why is it wakati wa mtihani and not wakati ya mtihani?

Because “wa / ya / cha / la / za / etc.” all change to agree with the noun class of the first noun in the “X of Y” structure (the possessed noun).

Here:

• First noun: wakati (time) → it takes wa for “of”.
• Second noun: mtihani (exam) → does not control this particular agreement.

So:

• wakati wa mtihani – time of the exam
• wakati ule – that time
• wakati wetu – our time

Compare with:

• siku ya mtihani – the day of the exam (because siku takes ya, not wa)
• jina la mtoto – the name of the child (because jina takes la, not wa)

So wa is correct here because of wakati, not mtihani.

How would I turn this into a more “instruction-like” sentence, like “You must be silent in class during the exam”?

You can move from an impersonal “X is important” statement to a more direct rule/command.

Some natural options:

1. Ni lazima mkawie kimya darasani wakati wa mtihani.
   – You (plural) must be silent in class during the exam.

2. Kaa kimya darasani wakati wa mtihani.
   – Be quiet in class during the exam. (singular “you”)

3. Mnapaswa kuwa kimya darasani wakati wa mtihani.
   – You (plural) should be silent in class during the exam.

Your original sentence:

• Ukimya darasani wakati wa mtihani ni muhimu.
  is more general and descriptive: “Silence in class during the exam is important.”

These structures are all built on the same pieces (ukimya/kimya, darasani, wakati wa mtihani), just rearranged to change the tone from description to obligation/command.