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Swahili for Beginners

We have studied two locatives in the past lessons:


<img src="https://elonstorage.blob.core.windows.net/file/2073071.jpg" alt="here or there" />


	Now we will look at the third locative :
	

<table class="ui celled definition table">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>mo</td>
 <td>to be in a place</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

	<img src="https://elonstorage.blob.core.windows.net/file/2073072.jpg" alt="inside" />


 Let's analyze the difference between the 3 locative words. There is only a slight nuance inbetween them. Let's look at an example.


 Mimi niko posta.


 Mimi nipo posta.


 Mimi nimo posta.


 All three sentences mean: I am at the post office.


 Yet there is a difference when looking at my exact position.


 Mimi niko posta.


 This is the least precise of the three statements. 'I am somewhere at a post office' You won't know at which post office I am, whether I am inside or just in front of it. I might also just be in the area of a post office. I might not want to give you detailed information about my whereabouts or maybe I am lost and tell 'I have no clue to where I am, but somewhere next to some post office.'


 Mimi nipo posta.


 Here we are getting already more precise. I am at a specific post office. You most likely know which one it is. Still I could be standing right in front of it or be inside; you won't know. Of the three postoffice sentences this is the most likely to be used. When I refer to me being busy at the post office my interlocator does not necessarily need the information whether I am at the doorstep or already at the counter...


 Mimi nimo posta.


 Here I insist that I am inside the post office. Maybe I told you already: Nipo posta. and you came to meet me but didn't see me. So I insist: I am exactly inside the building. Maybe it is raining and I tell you 'Don't worry I am inside the post office.'


 Let's have another example:


 kanisa church

'
 However be careful this is another intruder from a noun class we didn't study yet. So no pluralizing or 'adjectivating' yet. :D


 Wako wapi? - Where are they?


 - ko is often used in questions, since you are inquiring about an unknown location.


 Wako kanisani. - They are at a church.

 
 We don't know if they are inside or outside. We don't even know which church? Maybe they are on holidays and visiting some church... So we just have the vague idea that they are seeing a church, whether they actually went inside or even went to a church meeting we can't tell. Maybe they just took selfies in front of the building. Anything is possible.


 Wapo kanisani. - They are at the church.


 We know the church. Could be the church we attend every Sunday. Could be that big cathedral near the town square... We exactly know the place but we can't tell whether they are inside or outside the church. 


 Wamo kanisani. - They are inside the church.


 Now we know they crossed the threshhold. They are inside the church building, visiting or attending a church meeting or repainting the ceiling...

 Uko nasi ? - Are you with us ? / Are you in or out ? - asked while making plans

 Nimo. - I am in.


 Mimi simo. Sina nafasi. - I am not in. I don't have time.


 nilikuwemo - I was inside.


 Sikuwemo - I was not inside.


 Baba yako yuko wapi? - Yumo nyumbani. Where is your father? - He is inside the house.


 Juisi iko wapi? Imo katika chupa. Where is the juice? It is inside the bottle.


 kopo - tin (jar)


 Sukari yetu iko wapi? Imo katika kopo. - Where is our sugar? It's inside the tin.


 Mfaransa the Frenchman 


 steshan station 


 Mfaransa hayupo steshani. Yumo baa. The Frenchman is not at the station. He is inside the bar.


 Juma yumo chumbani. Juma is in the room.

Question	Answer
to be inside a place	mo
I am somewhere near/at/in a post office.	Mimi niko posta.
I am at/in the post office.	Mimi nipo posta.
I am inside the post office.	Mimi nimo posta.
kanisa	church careful this is an intruder from the ji/ma noun class which we did not treat yet.
Where are they?	Wako wapi? Wamo wapi? Wapo wapi?
They are somewhere at some church.	Wako kanisani. Wapo kanisani. Wamo kanisani.
They are at the church.	Wapo kanisani. Wako kanisani. Wamo kanisani.
They are inside the church.	Wamo kanisani. Wako kanisani. Wapo kanisani.
Are you with us ? / Are you in or out ?	Uko nasi ? asked while making plans
I am in.	Nimo. Said agreeing to a plan.
I am not in. I don't have time.	Mimi simo. Sina nafasi. nafasi = capacity / opportunity/ chance / time
I was inside.	nilikuwemo in which I was of which I was part
many people (and I used to be one of them)...	watu wengi sana (na mimi nilikuwemo zamani)... zamani = of old / former / long ago
I was inside the church.	Nilikuwemo kanisani.
He was inside the church.	Alikuwemo kanisani.
He was in the room.	Alikuwemo chumbani.
He was in his room.	Alikuwemo kwenye chumba chake.
She was in your room.	Alikuwemo kwenye chumba chako.
I was in his house.	Nilikuwemo kwenye nyumba yake.
We were inside the hotel.	Tulikuwemo hotelini.
I was not inside	Sikuwemo
I was not inside the hotel.	Sikuwemo hotelini
I am inside the bank.	Nimo kwenye benki.
Where is your father? - He is inside the house.	Baba yako yuko wapi? - Yumo nyumbani.
Where is the juice? It is inside the bottle.	Juisi iko wapi? Imo katika chupa.
tin (jar)	kopo intruder alert. Despite the k- this word is part of the Ji/Ma class. We will get there soon.
Where is our sugar? It's inside the tin.	Sukari yetu iko wapi? Imo katika kopo.