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Msisahau kutazama kalenda ya ukutani ili mjue tarehe ya mtihani ujao.

Msisahau kutazama kalenda ya ukutani ili mjue tarehe ya mtihani ujao.
Don’t forget to look at the calendar on the wall so that you know the date of the next exam.
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Questions & Answers about Msisahau kutazama kalenda ya ukutani ili mjue tarehe ya mtihani ujao.

Why does the sentence start with Msisahau and not Usisahau?

Msisahau is talking to more than one person (you plural), while Usisahau is to one person (you singular).

  • Usisahau = Don’t forget (you, one person).
  • Msisahau = Don’t forget (you all / you, more than one person).

So the sentence is addressing a group.

How is the verb Msisahau built, and what do the parts mean?

Msisahau can be broken down like this:

  • m- = 2nd person plural subject prefix (you all),
  • -si- = negative marker (not),
  • sahau = verb root (forget).

So m-si-sahau literally means you (plural) not forget → don’t forget.

Why is kutazama used here, and what’s the difference between kutazama and kuangalia?

Both kutazama and kuangalia can mean to look at / to watch.

  • kutazama often suggests looking at, viewing, watching (neutral “look at”).
  • kuangalia often adds a nuance of checking, inspecting, paying attention to.

In this sentence, kutazama kalenda is natural, but kuangalia kalenda would also be acceptable and common.

What does kalenda ya ukutani literally mean, and how does ukuta become ukutani?

Literally, kalenda ya ukutani is the calendar of (the one) on-the-wall → the wall calendar.

  • ukuta = wall
  • ukuta + -ni → ukutani = on/at the wall (locative form).

So ya ukutani is like saying of the one that is on the wall.

Why is the possessive ya used in kalenda ya ukutani, not wa?

Possessive forms in Swahili agree with the noun class of the first noun.

  • kalenda is in noun class 9, which takes ya for “of”.
  • wa is used with class 1/2 nouns (people) and some others, e.g. mtoto wa mama (the child of the mother).

Since kalenda is class 9, the correct form is kalenda ya ukutani, not kalenda wa ukutani.

Why do we say ili mjue and not ili mnajua or just mnejua?

The conjunction ili (so that / in order that) normally requires the subjunctive mood in the following verb.

  • mjue is the 2nd person plural subjunctive of jua (to know).
  • mnajua is present indicative (you all know), which doesn’t fit after ili for purpose.

So ili mjue = so that you (may) know, which is the correct form after ili.

How is mjue formed, and why is there no object marker before the verb even though we “know the date”?

mjue is:

  • m- = 2nd person plural subject (you all),
  • -jue = subjunctive stem of jua (know).

There is no object marker because the object tarehe (the date) comes right after the verb: mjue tarehe. In Swahili, when the object noun is clearly stated after the verb, it’s very common to omit the object marker in the verb.

In tarehe ya mtihani ujao, what is the role of ya, and why is the word order like that?

tarehe ya mtihani ujao literally means the date of the upcoming exam.

  • tarehe = date
  • ya = possessive for class 9, linking date to exam → date of
  • mtihani ujao = the exam that is coming / upcoming.

The word order is:

  1. Head noun: tarehe
  2. Possessive: ya
  3. Noun it belongs to + its adjective: mtihani ujao

This is the normal Swahili order for “the X of the Y Z” (head noun → ya/wa/… → dependent noun + its adjectives).

What exactly does ujao mean, and how is it related to kuja “to come”?

Ujao means “coming, upcoming, future”. It is derived from the verb kuja (to come).

  • The pattern is basically class-agreeing prefix + “-jao”, related to kuja.

Examples of the same idea:

  • mwaka ujao – next year (class 3/11 → u-)
  • wiki ijayo – next week (class 9 → i-)
    So mtihani ujao = the exam that is coming / upcoming exam.
If I want to talk to just one person instead of a group, how would the sentence change?

You would use singular forms of the verbs:

  • Usisahau kutazama kalenda ya ukutani ili ujue tarehe ya mtihani ujao.

Changes:

  • Msisahau → Usisahau (don’t forget, singular)
  • mjue → ujue (so that you know, singular)
Is there any politeness difference between Msisahau… and Tafadhali msisahau…?

Yes.

  • Msisahau… is a direct instruction: Don’t forget… It can be neutral, but it’s quite firm.
  • Tafadhali msisahau… adds tafadhali (please), which softens the command and makes it more polite.

In more formal or polite speech, adding tafadhali or rephrasing to something like Mnakumbuka kutazama… can sound gentler.

Are there other natural ways to say “so that you know the date” in Swahili besides ili mjue tarehe?

Yes, for example:

  • ili mpate kujua tarehe ya mtihani ujao – so that you may get to know the date of the upcoming exam (a bit more formal/explicit).
  • kisha mjue tarehe ya mtihani ujao – and then you will know the date of the upcoming exam (more result than purpose).
  • hivyo mtajua tarehe ya mtihani ujao – thus/that way you will know the date of the upcoming exam.

Ili mjue tarehe… is the most direct and standard way to express the purpose: in order that you know the date.