"I don't like to be a politician"

Translation: Sipendi kuwa Mwanasiasa

[Catriona28475]

This doesn't make sense in English.

• If you are an uhappy politician you could say "I don't like being a politician".

• If you have another job (or no job) you could say "I don't want to be a politician".

Which do they mean when they say "Sipendi kuwa Mwanasiasa"?

[AGreatUserName]

It means the former: "I don't like being a politician."

[Catriona28475]

Thanks!
Another useful Swahili phrase, in case I ever become a Tanzanian politician and find I don't like it. ;)

[Nsikan9]

'Kuwa' is the infinitive state. It means to be/being just like kufanya means to do/doing. So 'sipendi kuwa mwanasiasa' can be translated as both 'I don't like to be a politician' and 'I don't like being a politician'

[Catriona28475]

But (at least in British English) you can't say "I don't like to be a politician". That shouldn't be listed as the correct answer. It's so strange that it led me to post this question.

It should be the gerund: "I don't like being a politician" (if they really were talking about an uhappy politician, which you say they were). I reported it (Jan 2018).