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Questions & Answers about Taa itawashwa mara moja.
What does taa mean in this sentence?
Taa means light, lamp, or sometimes light fixture, depending on the situation. In Taa itawashwa mara moja, it is most naturally understood as the light.
Why is there no word for the or a before taa?
Swahili usually does not use articles like the or a/an. So taa can mean a light or the light. The exact meaning comes from context.
How is itawashwa built up?
Itawashwa can be broken down like this:
- i- = subject marker agreeing with taa
- -ta- = future tense, meaning will
- wash- = verb root from washa, meaning turn on / light
- -wa = passive ending
So itawashwa means it will be turned on.
Why does the verb start with i-?