Asking Questions

01

Just Raise Your Voice

• Umelala?

  Are you asleep?

• Huna kazi?

  Do you not have a job?

• Uko salama?

  Are you safe?

Each of these is a statement in shape. Only the rise at the end makes it a question.

02

The Optional Marker je

Placed at the start, je announces that a question is coming. It adds no meaning and can always be left out.

• Je, unaharisha pia?

  Do you have diarrhoea as well?

• Je, yule kijana kule ni mumeo?

  Is that young man over there your husband?

Attached to the end of a verb instead, -je means how.

• Unajisikiaje? Vizuri au vibaya?

  How do you feel? Well or badly?

• Hii imetokeaje?

  How did this happen?

03

The Question Words

• nani - who
• nini - what
• wapi - where
• lini - when
• gani - which, what kind

• Jina lako ni nani?

  What is your name?

• Ulifanya nini jana?

  What did you do yesterday?

• Unazungumza lugha gani?

  What language do you speak?

Note that a name is asked for with nani who, and not with nini.

04

They Stay Where the Answer Would Go

This is the rule that matters most. English drags its question word to the front; Swahili leaves it in the slot the answer will fill.

• Mnafanya nini sasa hivi?

  What are you all doing right now?

• Unataka viatu vya rangi gani?

  What colour shoes do you want?

• Choo kiko wapi?

  Where is the toilet?

In the last one, wapi stands exactly where sokoni at the market would stand in the answer.

05

How Many, with Agreement

-ngapi behaves like an adjective and takes the class of whatever is being counted.

• Saa ngapi sasa?

  What time is it now?

• Unaanza kazi saa ngapi?

  What time do you start work?

06

Answering

ndiyo agrees and hapana denies, though a Swahili speaker will often just repeat the verb instead.

• Hapana, hakuna tatizo.

  No, there is no problem.

• Ndiyo. Tule chakula cha Kichina.

  Yes. Let us eat Chinese food.

• Unafanya kazi hapa? Naam, nawezaje kukusaidia?

  Do you work here? Yes, how can I help you?