Appendix

Common Idioms

Semi za Kawaida

Semi ni virai ambavyo vinamaana tofauti kuliko kila neno moja pekee yakiwekwa pamoja. Acha tuangalie kirai “piece of cake.” Kama ninasema, “I want a piece of cake,” ninamaanisha kwamba ninataka kitindamlo. Lakini kama nitasema, “Learning English with EnglishConnect is a piece of cake,” ninamaanisha kwamba kujifunza Kiingereza na EnglishConnect ni rahisi. Usemi “piece of cake” inamaanisha “rahisi.”

Kutumia semi ni njia ya kawaida ya kusema ambako kunakufanya usikike zaidi kama mzungumzaji mwenyeji. Semi huumba picha katika vichwa vyetu na kutupa hisia fulani. Katika Kiingereza, kama kila mtu yuko katika hali hiyo hiyo, tunasema, “We’re all in the same boat.” Hii inaumba picha wa watu wakifanya kazi pamoja katika boti la kuwafikisha mahali fulani. Kusema, “We’re all in the same boat” kunatengeneza hisia za jumuiya na kuelewana.

Kujua na kutumia semi ni burudani sana! Hapa chini ni orodha ya semi za kawaida katika Kiingereza.

Jinsi ya kujifunza semi.

1. Tazama usemi huu. Jifunze maana na mfano.

2. Fikiria semi za aina hii katika lugha yako.

3. Fikiria njia za kutumia usemi huu.

4. Andika sentensi na usemi huo Utumie katika mazungumzo.

5. Tambua usemi unaposoma au kusikiliza katika Kiingereza.

Usemi	Ufafanuzi	Mfano
Usemi a piece of cake	Ufafanuzi rahisi	Mfano That test was a piece of cake!
Usemi a blessing in disguise	Ufafanuzi kitu chema ambacho kilionekana kibaya mwanzoni	Mfano She lost her job, but it was a blessing in disguise. She found a better job.
Usemi all in the same boat	Ufafanuzi kila mtu yuko katika hali hiyo hiyo	Mfano Nobody can leave this room. We’re all in the same boat.
Usemi barking up the wrong tree	Ufafanuzi kujaribu kufanikisha kitu fulani lakini kufanya katika njia ambayo imekosewa.	Mfano If you think I’m going to loan you more money, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Usemi better late than never	Ufafanuzi bora kutokea kwa kuchelewa kuliko kutokutokea kabisa.	Mfano A: He didn’t repay the money until last week. B: That’s okay. Better late than never.
Usemi birds of a feather flock together	Ufafanuzi watu wenye tabia zinazofanana, mitazamo, mapendeleo, au vionjo mara nyingi huwa pamoja.	Mfano I was right that Paul and Ben would get along. Birds of a feather flock together.
Usemi no use crying over spilled milk	Ufafanuzi haisaidia kuhofia au kutazama nyuma kwenye vitu vilivyoenda vibaya ambavyo haviwezi kubadilishwa.	Mfano We can’t get the money back, so let’s make a new plan. It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Usemi don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched	Ufafanuzi Hauna uhakika kwamba kitu fulani kitatokea, kwa hivyo usikipangie.	Mfano A: I will probably get a raise soon, so I bought a new bed! B: Well, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. You might not get the raise.
Usemi get all your ducks in a row	Ufafanuzi panga kila kitu na viweke tayari kwa hatua inayofuata	Mfano We have to get all our ducks in a row before the family comes for a visit. Let’s start cleaning and cooking right now.
Usemi give me a hand	Ufafanuzi nisaidie	Mfano I can’t lift this sofa on my own. Can you give me a hand?
Usemi hang in there	Ufafanuzi usikate tamaa	Mfano I know learning English is very difficult. Hang in there.
Usemi it takes two to tango	Ufafanuzi watu wote wawili waliohusika katika kitendo au kosa wanawajibika.	Mfano It is partially my fault that we were fighting. It takes two to tango.
Usemi keep an eye on	Ufafanuzi tazama kwa makini	Mfano My son has been misbehaving a lot lately, so please keep an eye on him to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Usemi let the cat out of the bag	Ufafanuzi kwa kukosa umakini au kwa kukusudia unafichua siri	Mfano I heard that someone let the cat out of the bag, so I might as well tell you myself—I’m pregnant!
Usemi out of the frying pan and into the fire	Ufafanuzi kuhama kutoka hali mbaya moja hadi hata hali mbaya zaidi	Mfano He didn’t like his previous job, so he quit, but now he can’t find a new job. He’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Usemi go out on a limb	Ufafanuzi kujaribu kitu hatarishi zaidi ambacho kinaweza kukuweka katika nafasi dhaifu zaidi	Mfano I’m going to go out on a limb here and invest some money in this project, even though I don’t know if the project will be successful.
Usemi preaching to the choir	Ufafanuzi kujaribu kumshawishi mtu ambaye tayari amekwisha kubaliana na wewe	Mfano They are already going to vote for him. He’s just preaching to the choir.
Usemi rub salt in the wound	Ufafanuzi kufanya hali kuwa mbaya kwa kumfanya mtu ajisikie mwenye hatia au kuwakumbusha makosa yao	Mfano I know I shouldn’t have done it. You don’t have to remind me and rub salt in the wound.
Usemi so far, so good	Ufafanuzi hadi sasa, mambo yanaenda vyema	Mfano This first month, they haven’t had any problems building the house. So far, so good.
Usemi the straw that broke the camel’s back	Ufafanuzi Tatizo dogo ambalo lina matokeo makubwa kwa sababu ni la mwisho katika safu ya matatizo kadhaa	Mfano We had a terrible week. Everything was going wrong. So when we missed the bus, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Usemi you’re pulling my leg	Ufafanuzi Kujaribu kumfanya mtu aamini kitu fulani hakiko sawa katika njia ya utani, kuwatega	Mfano No, that celebrity isn’t calling me. You’re pulling my leg.

Note

Muhtasari

Wanafunzi huona burudani kujifunza semi Hapa kuna baadhi ya mawazo ya kusaidia wao wajifunze.

• Chagua usemi mmoja kila siku wa kuwafundisha wanafunzi Elezea maana na zungumza kuhusu mifano.

• Wacha wanafunzi wafanye zamu kuwasilisha usemi mmoja kwa washiriki wa kikundi chao. Wangeweza kuwasilisha usemi kutoka kwenye orodha hapo juu au wachague mwingine wanao ufahamu. Kila mwanafunzi angeweza kuwasilisha pekee yake, au wanafunzi wangeweza kufanya kazi katika wawili wawili.

• Waulize wanafunzi ili kulinganisha semi hizi na semi katika lugha zao wenyewe. Kwa mfano, ili kuchagiza katika hali ngumu, watu kutoka Marekani wanasema, “Hang in there!” Ni msemo gani una maana hiyo hiyo katika lugha ya asili ya wanafunzi?