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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 yuko posta.


 Mimi yupo posta.


 Mimi yumo posta.


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


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


 Mimi yuko 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 yupo 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 yumo posta.


 Here I insist that I am inside the post office. Maybe I told you already: Yupo 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.