"Je unapenda matunda?"
Translation:Do you like fruits?
11 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
When translating, my professor introduced it as akin to putting "hey" in front of the question. So, if I were translating "Je unapenda matunda?" I would put "Hey, do you like fruit(s)?" "Je" is meant to be a more direct/attention-grabbing word, and isn't dependent on whether it is a yes/no question. Like in english, there are some instances where using hey/je can be considered a little gruff or impolite, depending on the context.
Adding "-je" to the end does not do the same thing as using "Je" at the beginning of a sentence. "-je" at the end is like asking "how" or inquiring about the method. So you could use it when asking someone how something is done, or how they traveled: for example, "Je, unasafiri?" is "are you traveling?" "Unasafiriaje?" is "how did you travel?" or, in cooking, "Je, unapika?" "are you cooking?" vs "Unapikaje?" "How did you cook?" Using Je at the beginning of a sentence isn't always necessary, and is usually used to specify a question, grabbing the attention of the hearer so that they know a question is coming: in english, I equate it with saying "hey" at the beginning of a question: "Hey, did you do your work?" "Je, ulifanya kazi yako?"