 | Chapter 26 - Place |
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1. THE LOCATIVE SUFFIX :
There exists in Swahili a very convenient way to translate "inside", "in", "on" or "at" : in order to do this, we simply add the suffix -NI at the end of a noun.
EXAMPLES :
| Bahari | = the sea | -> Bahari-ni | = on the sea / at sea |
| Bandari | = the harbour | -> Bandari-ni | = in the harbour |
| Meza | = the table | -> Meza-ni | = on the table |
| Njia | = the way | -> Njia-ni | = on the way |
| Nyumba | = the house | -> Nyumba-ni | = in the house / at home |
| Shamba | = the farm | -> Shamba-ni | = at the farm / in the country |
| Shule | = the school | -> Shule-ni | = at school |
This system has also given proper names of districts or villages :
| Bwawa | = marsh | -> Bwawa-ni | = on the marshes |
| Daraja | = bridge | -> Daraja-ni | = by the bridge |
| Forodha | = customs | -> Forodha-ni | = at the customs |
| Mgomba | = banana tree | -> Mgomba-ni | = where there is a banana tree |
| Mkunazi | = jujub tree | -> Mkunazi-ni | = where there is a jujub tree |
| Msasa | = rough plant | -> Msasa-ni | = where there are rough plants |
| Mto | = river | -> Mto-ni | = by the river |
However, proper names of cities and countries, as well as some common place nouns (Posta = the post-office, Bara = a continent, Markiti = a market) do not take that suffix, thus :
| Nakwenda Dodoma | I go to Dodoma | (I go Dodoma) |
| Wamefika Zanzibar | They arrived in Zanzibar | (They have arrived Zanzibar) |
| Wazazi wangu wanakaa Iringa | My parents live in Iringa | (My parents live Iringa) |
| Yuko Posta | He is at the post-office | (He is post-office) |
2. Where ? :
To ask : "where ?", we use the interrogative adverb : WAPI ?
(See : Chapter 21 - Interrogative Words.)
Unakwenda wapi ? Where do you go ? Mbeya iko wapi ? Where is Mbeya ?
3. ADVERBS / PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE:
(See also : Chapter 45 - The Connectives "PA", "MWA" and "KWA".)
| Baina (ya) | between |
| Chini (ya) | under, below |
| Juu (ya) | on top, above |
| Kando (ya) | beside, along |
| Karibu (na) | near, close to |
| Kati (ya) | between, in the middle of |
| Katika | in, inside, on |
| Katikati (ya) | among |
| Mbali (na) | far, far from |
| Mbele (ya) | in front of |
| Miongoni mwa | among |
| Ndani (ya) | in, inside |
| Ng'ambo (ya) | on the other side of |
| Nje (ya) | outside |
| Nyuma (ya) | behind |
| Toka / Kutoka | from |
EXAMPLES :
| Chagua kimoja baina ya vitu hivi | Choose one of these things |
| Paka amelala chini ya kitanda | The cat is sleeping under the bed |
| Weka kikapu juu ya kiti | Put the basket on the chair |
| Wanafuata mfereji kando ya barabara | They follow the ditch along the road |
| Simama karibu na moto | Stand close to the fire |
| Hamisi yupo kati ya Ali na Juma | Hamisi is between Ali and Juma |
| Panya ameingia katika shimo | The mouse has entered (inside) the hole |
| Anapanda katika mti mkubwa ule | He is climbing on that big tree |
| Mgonjwa ameondoka katika kitanda | The patient has left the bed |
| Mwembe mmoja unasimama katikati ya ua | A mango tree stands in the middle of the courtyard |
| Usiende mbali na nyumba | Don't go far from the house |
| Walimu wameketi mbele ya wanafunzi | The teachers are sitting in front of the pupils |
| Miongoni mwa watoto, mmoja anasimama | Among the children, one is standing |
| Ninasafiri mpaka Mwanza | I'm travelling up to Mbeya |
| Kuna vitu mbalimbali ndani ya sanduku | There are various things inside the trunk |
| Siwezi kufika ng'ambo ya mto ule | I can't reach the opposite bank of that river |
| Alipata mkate toka / kutoka mjini | He got bread from the city |
4. DEMONSTRATIVES / ADVERBS OF PLACE :
They are usually placed after the noun.
There are 9 adverbs of place, which are used according to the degree of proximity and the nature of the place. These are derived from the locative prefixes PA, KU, MU.
| DEMONSTRATIVES / ADVERBS OF PLACE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| PROXIMITY | DISTANCE | REFERENCE | |
| PRECISE PLACE | HAPA = here | PALE = over there | HAPO = there |
| VAGUE PLACE | HUKU = around here | KULE = by over there | HUKO = there around |
| INTERIOR PLACE | HUMU = here inside | MLE = there inside | HUMO = inside |
EXAMPLES :
| Usiweke mzigo hapa. Weka mzigo pale ! | Don't put the luggage here. Put the luggage over there ! |
| Mtoto yuko wapi ? - Amekwenda kule ! | Where is the child ? - He has gone somewhere over there ! |
| Lile joka limeingia mle shimoni. | This large snake has entered (inside) the hole. |
| Humu nyumbani hamkai mtu. | Nobody lives in this house. |
VOCABULARY
| Chatu | a python | Nyani | a baboon |
| Chui | a leopard | Nyati / Mbogo | a buffalo |
| Duma | a cheetah | Paa | an impala |
| Fisi | a hyena | Swala | a gazelle |
| Mamba | a crocodile | Tai | a vulture |
| Ngamia | a camel | Tumbili | a monkey |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
At home, on the way, at sea, at school, at the market, on the plantation, in the bush, on the table, on the chair, in the basket, in the trunk, at work, in bed, at the door, on the veranda, by the bridge, at the customs, by the river, on the marshes, at the banana plantation.
I go to Nairobi, they climb Mount Kilimanjaro, they are in Dar es Salaam, I have arrived in Zanzibar, they live in Iringa, the gentleman is at the post-office, where do you go ? I go to town, where do you all go ? We are going to England, he comes from Mbeya, my house is near the post-office, they live on the other bank of the river, the child is behind the tree, put the basket over there.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
- Mnakwenda wapi ? - Tunakwenda Posta.
- Wazazi wako wanakaa wapi ?
- Wanakaa mjini Zanzibar.
- Nyumba yao iko karibu na msikiti mkuu.
- Weka viazi na vitunguu katika kikapu.
- Watoto wako wapi ? - Wako shuleni.
- Mwalimu anasimama mbele ya wanafunzi.
- Kuna panya kubwa chini ya kitanda.
- Bwana yupo ? - Hayupo, anafanya safari kwenda Serengeti.
- Wageni wanakaa Hoteli ya Kati, huko Iringa.
- Kitoto ameondoka katika kitanda.
- Basi hili linakwenda mpaka Nairobi.
- Wazanzibari wapenda kutembea Forodhani jioni, kando ya bahari.
- Nyani mmoja anasimama kule, katikati ya miti.
- Angalia vizuri ! Mamba wengi wanalala huku, karibu na mto.
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