Tafadhali zima meko kabla ya kuondoka.

Please turn off the stove before leaving.

Breakdown of Tafadhali zima meko kabla ya kuondoka.

• kabla ya: before
• kuondoka: to leave
• tafadhali: please
• kuzima: to turn off

Questions & Answers about Tafadhali zima meko kabla ya kuondoka.

Why is zima just one word? Where is the word for you?

In Swahili, a command to one person often uses the bare verb stem. So zima is the imperative form of the verb -zima.

The subject you is understood, so Swahili does not need to say it separately here.

• Zima taa. = Turn off the light.
• Funga mlango. = Close the door.

If you were speaking to more than one person, you would normally use zimeni instead.

What does tafadhali do in this sentence?

Tafadhali means please. It softens the command and makes it more polite.

Without it, Zima meko kabla ya kuondoka is still correct, but it sounds more direct.

You can also place tafadhali in different positions, for example:

• Tafadhali zima meko kabla ya kuondoka.
• Zima meko kabla ya kuondoka, tafadhali.

What exactly does meko mean here?

Here, meko refers to the stove, cooker, or cooking heat source. In real usage, the exact sense can vary a bit by region or household context.

So in this sentence, it means the thing you should switch off before leaving the place.

A learner should know that Swahili vocabulary for kitchen items can vary, and another common word you may also meet is jiko.