Je, unaweza kujibu maswali yaliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi hiyo?

Je is a common marker for a yes/no question in Swahili. It works a bit like starting with Do/Can/Is... in English.

So:

• Je, unaweza... ? = Can you... ?

Very often, Je is optional in everyday speech. A speaker could also simply say:

• Unaweza kujibu maswali yaliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi hiyo?

That still means the same thing and is perfectly natural.

Unaweza can be broken into parts:

• u- = you (singular)
• -na- = present tense
• -weza = be able, can

So unaweza literally means you are able or more naturally you can.

Examples:

• Ninaweza = I can
• Unaweza = you can
• Anaweza = he/she can

In Swahili, ku- is the usual infinitive marker, like to in English.

So:

• jibu = answer! / answer
• kujibu = to answer

After a verb like unaweza (you can), Swahili normally uses the infinitive:

• unaweza kujibu = you can answer

This is very similar to English patterns like want to go, need to read, etc.

Maswali means questions, and yaliyoandikwa is a relative form meaning that were written.

The important point is that yaliyoandikwa must agree with maswali, not with karatasi.

Why?

Because the phrase means:

• the questions that were written

not:

• the paper that was written

Since maswali is a plural noun in noun class 6, the relative form begins with ya-:

• maswali yaliyoandikwa = questions that were written

If the relative clause were describing karatasi, the form would be different.

A helpful breakdown is:

• ya- = agreement with maswali (class 6 plural)
• -li- = past marker
• -yo- = relative marker (that/which)
• andikwa = written

So the whole form means something like:

• which were written

This kind of form is very common in Swahili relative clauses.

For example:

• vitabu vilivyoandikwa = the books that were written
• maneno yaliyoandikwa = the words that were written

Because yaliyoandikwa refers to maswali (questions), not karatasi (paper).

• swali = question
• maswali = questions

Maswali belongs to noun class 6 in the plural, so the relative agreement is ya-.

That gives:

• maswali yaliyoandikwa

If you were describing karatasi, you would use agreement for the noun class of karatasi instead.

So the sentence is specifically saying:

• the questions that were written on that paper

Here kwenye means on, in, or at, depending on context. In this sentence, the most natural translation is:

• on that paper or
• on that sheet of paper

So:

• kwenye karatasi hiyo = on that paper

Kwenye is often used very naturally in places where English distinguishes between in and on more strictly.

In Swahili, demonstratives like hiyo usually come after the noun:

• karatasi hiyo = that paper
• mtu huyo = that person
• kitabu hicho = that book

So the normal order is:

• noun + demonstrative

That is why karatasi hiyo is correct and natural.

Hiyo means that.

Swahili demonstratives change to match the noun class of the noun they describe. Since karatasi takes the same form in singular and plural and belongs to the relevant noun class for this pattern, the correct demonstrative here is hiyo.

So:

• karatasi hiyo = that paper

You cannot just use one single word for that with every noun in Swahili; it has to agree with the noun class.

Here it is most naturally understood as singular: that paper or that sheet of paper.

The noun karatasi is one of those Swahili nouns whose form often stays the same in singular and plural. The context tells you whether it means paper or papers.

In this sentence, hiyo and the overall meaning make it clear that one specific paper/sheet is meant.

Yes. A very natural shorter version is:

• Unaweza kujibu maswali yaliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi hiyo?

That is often how people would say it in conversation.

You might also hear other small variations depending on region and style, but the original sentence is correct and polite.

It addresses one person because of u- in unaweza.

• unaweza = you can (singular)

If you were speaking to more than one person, you would normally say:

• mnaweza kujibu maswali yaliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi hiyo?
• Can you all answer the questions written on that paper?

So the subject prefix tells you whether you is singular or plural.

Yes, it is polite and neutral. Using Je and unaweza makes it sound like a respectful request or question:

• Can you answer the questions written on that paper?

It is not overly formal, but it is more polite than a direct command.

For comparison:

• Jibu maswali yaliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi hiyo. = Answer the questions written on that paper.
  This is a command.

• Je, unaweza kujibu... ? = Can you answer... ?
  This is softer and more polite.