"Mwalimu mbaya"

Translation: a bad teacher

[Jon387886]

Mbaya = bad?

[John00625]

Yes, -baya is an adjective that means bad, you add the m because the agreement with mwalimu (m, 1st class) is to add m- to adjectives

[Yuki_Shiro]

... with Michelle Pfeiffer

[faith46]

Cameron Diaz, unless I am very much mistaken.

[ProfessorTim]

I am confused. In the notes for Lesson 2 of Greetings 2. It says that the M/Wa noun class works with "wa" during association but when doing the lesson, the translation for "mwalimu mbaya" is asked. Shouldn't it be walimu wabaya or something like that...

[JensBu]

"walimu wabaya" is plural.

Edit: wawalimu is not the plural despite the rule. It is walimu.

[Jon387886]

I think 'walimu' is plural.

[JensBu]

m- is the noun class prefix for singular and the wa- is the prefix for plural. the base word is -walimu.

[Jon387886]

Maybe I should state it more bluntly. I'm 100% sure it's 'walimu' when being plural. I'm familiar with the prefixes, but this doesn't apply here.

[JensBu]

Then I will edit my initial post here. Thank you.

[ProfessorTim]

Okay cool. Asante sana !

[Liam3.1415926535]

Would this be "bad" as in the teacher is bad at his job, or "bad" as in the teacher is bad as a person?

[Wowza42]

I think it's likely that, like in English, it is ambiguous.

[Jasper486861]

Not a native, but considering that another meaning is "wicked", I think it's the former.

[Elaphos1]

*duolingo describes itself with respect to this Swahili course...

[Dawr3434]

Duo and I go to the same classes :(