How To Be Polite In English

Jinsi ya Kuwa na adabu kwa Kiingereza

Hi everyone, Anna English here, if you are passionate about learning English, click subscribe

Halo kila mtu, Anna Kiingereza hapa, ikiwa una hamu ya kujifunza Kiingereza, bonyeza jiandikishe

and let’s do this together.

na tufanye hivi pamoja.

To be ‘polite’ means to have or show behaviour that is respectful and considerate to other

Kuwa 'adabu' inamaanisha kuwa na au kuonyesha tabia inayoheshimu na kujali watu wengine

people. Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is a very basic way of being polite but as

. Kusema 'tafadhali' na 'asante' ni njia ya msingi sana ya kuwa na adabu lakini kama

usual for the English language, it’s not always so simple.

kawaida kwa lugha ya Kiingereza, sio rahisi kila wakati.

There are many situations, like at work or on the phone, when you might need to be polite

Kuna hali nyingi, kama kazini au kwenye simu, wakati unaweza kuhitaji kuwa na adabu

in English. Today, we’re going to focus on one a tense which you can use in these

kwa Kiingereza. Leo, tutazingatia moja wakati ambao unaweza kutumia katika

situations. Now if tenses make you tense. Don’t panic, I have something special for

hali hizi . Sasa ikiwa wakati unakufanya uwe wa wasiwasi. Usiogope, nina kitu maalum

you to relieve that tension. I have a FREE MINI COURSE: English Tenses 101, just provide

kwako ili kupunguza mvutano huo. Nina KOZI YA MINI BURE: Hesabu za Kiingereza 101, toa tu

your name and email address via the link below and I will send the course to you.

jina lako na anwani ya barua pepe kupitia kiunga hapa chini na nitakutumia kozi hiyo.

Right let’s look at how to be polite.

Haki tuangalie jinsi ya kuwa na adabu.

Person 1: “Did you want sugar in your tea?” Person 2: “Did you need help with anything?”

Mtu 1: "Je! Ulitaka sukari kwenye chai yako?" Mtu wa 2: "Je! Unahitaji msaada wowote?"

Person 3: “Did you want to order a drink?”

Mtu wa 3: "Je! Ulitaka kuagiza kinywaji?"

The past simple tense is used to discuss things that have already happened; they happened

Wakati rahisi uliyopita hutumiwa kujadili mambo ambayo tayari yametokea; yalitokea

in the past and are now finished. The past simple tense is formed using the past tense

zamani na sasa yamekamilika. Wakati rahisi uliopita huundwa kwa kutumia toleo la

version of verbs. Here are some regular examples: 
Walk becomes

wakati uliopita wa vitenzi. Hapa kuna mifano ya kawaida: Tembea

walked. “We walked around the park.” 
Live becomes lived. “I lived in London for a

hutembea. "Tulizunguka mbuga." Live inaishi. "Niliishi London kwa

year.”
Wait becomes waited. “I waited for the postman but he did not arrive.”

mwaka mmoja." Subiri unangojewa. "Nilimngojea yule tarishi lakini hakufika."

Here are some irregular examples: 
Go becomes went. “We went to the cinema.”
Give

Hapa kuna mifano isiyo ya kawaida: Nenda ikaenda. "Tulikwenda kwenye sinema." Kutoa

becomes gave. “I gave her my phone to call her dad.”
Do becomes did. “He did his

inapewa. "Nilimpa simu yangu kumpigia baba yake." Je, inakuwa alifanya. "Alifanya kazi

homework.”

yake ya nyumbani."

This verb is the one that we’re going to be focusing on today: Did. ‘Did’ can be

Kitenzi hiki ndicho ambacho tutazingatia leo: Je! 'Je' inaweza

used in the interrogative form of the past simple tense. For example: “Did you see

kutumika kwa njia ya kuhoji ya wakati rahisi uliopita. Kwa mfano: "Je! Umeona

anything suspicious?”. That would refer to whether or not you have seen anything suspicious

kitu chochote cha kutiliwa shaka?". Hiyo ingerejelea ikiwa umeona au haukuona kitu chochote cha kutiliwa shaka

in the past. However, sometimes this same sentence structure is used to ask about things

hapo zamani. Walakini, wakati mwingine muundo huu wa sentensi hutumiwa kuuliza juu ya vitu

in the present. Person 1: “Did you want sugar in your tea?”
Person

vya sasa. Mtu 1: "Je! Ulitaka sukari kwenye chai yako?" Mtu wa

2: “Yes, I do.” Do you see the problem? The question is in

2: "Ndio, ninafanya hivyo." Je! Unaona shida? Swali liko katika

the past tense, as if it is referring to a decision which was made earlier, but it really

wakati uliopita, kana kwamba inahusu uamuzi ambao ulifanywa mapema, lakini inamaanisha kweli

means ‘Do you want sugar in your tea?’. This happens a lot in English when somebody

'Je! Unataka sukari kwenye chai yako?'. Hii hufanyika sana kwa Kiingereza wakati mtu

would like to be polite while asking someone if they ‘want’ or ‘need’ something.

angependa kuwa na adabu wakati akiuliza mtu ikiwa "wanataka" au "wanahitaji" kitu.

It can be used when talking about a desire or preference one has in the present.

Inaweza kutumika wakati wa kuzungumza juu ya hamu au upendeleo ambao mtu anayo sasa.

Person 1: “Did you need help with anything?”
Person 2: “No thank you. I think I understand.”

Mtu 1: "Je! Unahitaji msaada wowote?" Mtu wa 2: "Hapana asante. Nadhani ninaelewa. ”

Person 1: “Did you want to order a drink?”
Person 2: “Yes please. I’ll have a cup of coffee.”

Mtu 1: "Je! Ulitaka kuagiza kinywaji?" Mtu wa 2: "Ndio tafadhali. Nitapata kikombe cha kahawa. ”

So why do we do it? Unfortunately, this is one of those times in the English Language

Kwa nini tunafanya hivyo? Kwa bahati mbaya, hii ni moja wapo ya nyakati katika Lugha ya Kiingereza

when ‘we just do’! There is no logical or concrete reason why so many people do this

wakati 'tunafanya tu'! Hakuna sababu ya kimantiki au halisi kwa nini watu wengi hufanya hivi

but here is my guess and what many linguists believe to be true.

lakini hapa ni nadhani yangu na kile wanaisimu wengi wanaamini kuwa ni kweli.

Often, when trying to be polite in British culture, we try to be as indirect as possible.

Mara nyingi, tunapojaribu kuwa na adabu katika tamaduni ya Briteni, tunajaribu kuwa wa moja kwa moja iwezekanavyo.

Saying ‘What do you want?’ is very direct. It puts a lot of emphasis on making an immediate

Kusema "Unataka nini?" ni moja kwa moja. Inaweka mkazo mwingi juu ya kufanya uamuzi wa

decision and on the listener being responsible or at fault. Instead you could say ‘Did

haraka na kwa msikilizaji kuwajibika au kuwa na kosa. Badala yake unaweza kusema 'Je

you want anything?’ Or ‘Did you need anything?’. Placing the question in the past tense makes

! Ulitaka chochote?' Au 'Je! Unahitaji kitu chochote?'. Kuweka swali katika wakati uliopita kunafanya

it feel less immediate or pressing. By making the question less direct, you also make it

iwe kujisikia chini ya haraka au kubonyeza. Kwa kufanya swali kuwa la moja kwa moja, unaifanya pia ijisikie kuwa ya

feel less confrontational and more polite.

ugomvi na adabu zaidi.

There are other times when we use the past tense for present events in order to sound

Kuna nyakati zingine wakati tunatumia wakati uliopita kwa hafla za sasa ili kusikika

more polite. Now we are talking about the past continuous tense.

kwa adabu zaidi. Sasa tunazungumza juu ya wakati uliopita wa kuendelea.

Person 1: “I was wondering if you could give me some advice.”

Mtu 1: "Nilikuwa najiuliza ikiwa unaweza kunipa ushauri."

Person 2: “We were hoping you would stay for dinner.”

Mtu wa 2: "Tulitumai utakaa kwa chakula cha jioni."

Person 3: “I was thinking you could go to London.”

Mtu wa 3: "Nilifikiri unaweza kwenda London."

The past continuous tense is made up of the pronoun, the verb ‘to be’ in the past

Wakati endelevu wa zamani umeundwa na kiwakilishi, kitenzi 'kuwa' katika

tense (was or were) and a verb in the gerund form with an -ing ending. This is used to

wakati uliopita (kilikuwa au kilikuwa) na kitenzi katika fomu ya gerund na mwisho wa mwisho. Hii hutumiwa

discuss something which is ongoing and temporary. Again, it is effective in ensuring politeness

kujadili jambo ambalo linaendelea na ni la muda mfupi. Tena, ni bora katika kuhakikisha adabu

because it makes the sentence feel far less direct or the demand to feel less confrontational.

kwa sababu inafanya sentensi ijisikie kuwa ya moja kwa moja au mahitaji ya kuhisi kupingana.

For example: “Give me some advice” is a command, whereas “I was wondering if you

Kwa mfano: "Nipe ushauri" ni amri, wakati "nilikuwa najiuliza ikiwa unaweza

could give me some advice” is far more polite and indirect. Yes, it uses many more words

kunipa ushauri" ni adabu zaidi na sio ya moja kwa moja. Ndio, hutumia maneno mengi zaidi

and is more difficult to say but if you can master this lesson and use it in your everyday

na ni ngumu kusema lakini ikiwa unaweza kusoma somo hili na kutumia katika msamiati

vocabulary, it will help you to sound more natural and polite.

wako wa kila siku , itakusaidia kutoa sauti ya asili na adabu zaidi.

Before you go, you’ve got some homework to do. I’d like you to write a short story,

Kabla ya kwenda, unayo kazi ya nyumbani ya kufanya. Ningependa uandike hadithi fupi,

just one paragraph, which uses 3 examples of the past simple tense or the past continuous

aya moja tu, ambayo hutumia mifano 3 ya wakati rahisi uliopita au wakati uliopita wa kuendelea

tense being used to make something sound more polite. I can’t wait to read your answers.

kutumiwa kufanya kitu kisikie adabu zaidi. Siwezi kusubiri kusoma majibu yako.

Don’t forget to enrol on my FREE MINI COURSE: English Tenses 101 you will find the link

Usisahau kujiandikisha kwenye kozi yangu ya MINI YA BURE: Nyakati za Kiingereza 101 utapata kiunga

below. You have been awesome, now have a great day.

hapo chini. Umekuwa wa kutisha, sasa uwe na siku njema.