"Mbona matunda ni ghali?"

Translation:Why is the fruit expensive?

July 2, 2017

24 Comments
This discussion is locked.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Hotdoh

Does anyone know the difference between kwa nini and mbona?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/ma_drane

I am really not sure but I think "Kwa nini" is more casual while "Mbona" is more like "Why the f***"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/ngwarai

'kwa nini' is 'why', which is neutral while 'mbona' is 'how come', which conveys surprise.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/pixilico

Isn't "matunda" the plural word (fruits) to "tunda" (fruit)?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AGreatUserName

In English, fruit is generally uncountable. How much fruit do you eat?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/pixilico

Thanks! I didn't know that.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/FamilieWen

Why is the question word here at the beginning of the sentence? In the prior examples it was always at the end.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AGreatUserName

Kwa nini and mbona are generally at the beginning. Nani and nini go wherever their answer would be (before the verb if subject, after the verb if object) and lini and vipi generally go straight after the verb. Other words like -ngapi, -pi and gani go after the noun they're asking about.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Catriona28475

Mbona means 'How come?' It makes sense to start with that.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AGreatUserName

Not necessarily. You could also say it would make sense to finish with that. It depends on the language!


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Joanne394981

In English you can say "why are the fruit expensive" because fruit can also be the plural


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/machieng

yes, "fruit" can also be plural, but in this form it is considered uncountable, so it would remain "why is (the) fruit expensive?"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/SeKu112

Its matunda and not tunda, so it should be fruits as in "why are (the) fruits so expensive'?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/BenMack8

This is the difference between interpreting and translating. Idiomatically we woukd not use "fruits" in this context.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/BenMack8

I agree with you, Joanne. Fruit is the same in singular and plural.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Bfishe1982

Why can it not be "Why is fruit so expensive?"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/DannyGorealla

Honest answer.. It is implied in conversation.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/lucie695232

In plural also ok, so why it's not?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/ZeePassion

Tuna is one matunda more than one y my answer not accepted


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/ScorpioGir5

Why fruit is expensive just wouldn't work the same. Sigh*


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Realeyezzz

it should accept why are fruit expensive, as it is "matunda" therefore plural


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/PhilipHowa12

It should accept why are the fruit expensive. That would be the correct usage if here were several different types of fruit, which matunda as plural could signify.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/PhilipHowa12

Sigh. The number if hearts ive losr because i speak better English than duo


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/PhilipHowa12

Sigh. The number if hearts ive losr because i speak better English than duo

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