"Hajala ugali"

[Jb11131999]

Can someone explain the negative past? it is not in the notes... what happened to "kula" and why is there "ja" now?

[DiegoJaviUnlam]

In this case, it is the negative perfect tense, so "ja" is needed:

Perfect (negative)

Singular

sijala (1st person mimi)

hujala (2nd person wewe)

hajala (3rd person/Class 1 yeye/(m))

Plural

hatujala (1st person sisi)

hamjala (2nd person ninyi)

hawajala (3rd person/Class 2 wao/(wa))

From Wiktionary: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/la#Swahili

[Gazelle1596]

-ku- vs. -ja-
"ku" indicates that something did not happen in the past (and therefore the opportunity was missed)
"ja" is used for something that has not happened YET - so either the speaker still intends to do it; or it simply is still possible (to happen - my mother pointed out how shocking it sounds to translate it this way to non-Swahili-speakers. She had asked a woman whose daughter had been abducted in a bus along with others if that daughter had been harmed - she negated with -ja- BECAUSE the evil-doers had not been caught and been sent to jail; so the possibility, however slim, still stands.)

[DiegoJaviUnlam]

Good to know this! Asante sana rafiki! :)

[philightentist]

This is getting Annoying, either the Correct Solution for "Ugali is "Ugali" or it's "Stiff Porridge" in the later lessons it's Stiff Porridge by a large margin, and in the earlier lessons Ugali just means "ugali" I reported this, but they need to be Interchangeable as far as answers because they mean the same. come on Duolingo Swahili team.

[Angela53250]

Is ugali, ugali or is it stiff porridge. I agree with the person below, it is rather irritating when you get it wrong and you really do know the answer

[DavidScott493272]

Ugali or stiff porridge, make both correct answers so we can move on without frustration