Active and passive phrasing for roots—with worked examples.
Roots (√25, ∛8, …) use active and passive patterns. The radicand is spoken with cardinal rules (Kifuliiru numbers).
Verify on the site
Roots on kifuliiru.com — √25, ∛8, ⁴√16, root(25,2), 2√25, …
| Form | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Active | W(index) + activeVerb(index) + W(radicand) |
| Passive 1 | W(radicand) + mbwikire mu + W(index) |
| Passive 2 | W(radicand) + passiveVerb(radicand) + connector(index) + W(index) |
Active puts the index (2 for square root, 3 for cube root, …) first, then the verb, then the radicand phrase.
Passive 1 (mbwikire mu) reads like “the radicand, placed in the index.”
Passive 2 uses a verb that depends on the radicand and a connector that depends on the index.
| Index | Verb |
|---|---|
| 2–7 | bubwisiri |
| 8–9 | gubwisiri |
| 10, 11–19, 100, 101 | libwisiri |
| 20–90, 102+ | gabwisiri |
| Index | Connector (typical) |
|---|---|
| 6, 10 | ne |
| 20–90, 200–999 | na |
| 101–199 | ne |
| 2–5, 7–9, 11–19, 100, 102+ | no |
Passive verb also depends on radicand size (small numbers vs igana, thousands, millions, …).
Worked example
√25ActiveBubiri bubwisiri makumi gabiri na butanu
Worked example
∛8ActiveBushatu bubwisiri munaana
Worked example
√100ActiveBubiri bubwisiri igana
| Expression | Value | Active | Passive 1 (mbwikire mu) | Passive 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| √25 | 5 | Bubiri bubwisiri makumi gabiri na butanu | Makumi gabiri na butanu mbwikire mu bubiri | Makumi gabiri na butanu bubwisirwi no bubiri |
| √9 | 3 | Bubiri bubwisiri mweenda | Mweenda mbwikire mu bubiri | Mweenda gubwisirwi no bubiri |
| √100 | 10 | Bubiri bubwisiri igana | Igana mbwikire mu bubiri | Igana libwisirwi no bubiri |
| √121 | 11 | Bubiri bubwisiri igana na makumi gabiri na higuma | Igana na makumi gabiri na higuma mbwikire mu bubiri | Igana na makumi gabiri na higuma libwisirwi no bubiri |
| ∛8 | 2 | Bushatu bubwisiri munaana | Munaana mbwikire mu bushatu | Munaana gubwisirwi no bushatu |
| ∛27 | 3 | Bushatu bubwisiri makumi gabiri na bulinda | Makumi gabiri na bulinda mbwikire mu bushatu | Makumi gabiri na bulinda bubwisirwi no bushatu |
| ∛64 | 4 | Bushatu bubwisiri makumi galiindatu na buna | Makumi galiindatu na buna mbwikire mu bushatu | Makumi galiindatu na buna bubwisirwi no bushatu |
| ⁴√16 | 2 | Buna bubwisiri ikumi na ndatu | Ikumi na ndatu mbwikire mu buna | Ikumi na ndatu bubwisirwi no buna |
Practice flow
Write the active form and the numeric value.
| # | Expression | Active | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | √36 | Bubiri bubwisiri makumi gashatu na ndatu | 6 |
| 2 | √81 | Bubiri bubwisiri makumi galimunaana na higuma | 9 |
| 3 | ∛64 | Bushatu bubwisiri makumi galiindatu na buna | 4 |
| 4 | ⁴√16 | Buna bubwisiri ikumi na ndatu | 2 |
| 5 | √121 | Bubiri bubwisiri igana na makumi gabiri na higuma | 11 |
| Topic | Page |
|---|---|
| Cardinal W(n) | Larger numbers |
| Powers | Exponents |
| Decimals | Decimals |