English packages weather into expressions such as “it is raining,” “it is hot,” and “the weather is getting worse.” The it in those sentences refers to nothing. Standard Swahili instead either names a real weather noun—mvua inanyesha “rain is falling,” upepo unavuma “the wind is blowing”—or presents a condition locatively with kuna: kuna joto “there is heat.”
This page develops those everyday constructions rather than a meteorological vocabulary list. Unless marked otherwise, the forms are neutral in both (informal) conversation and (formal) Standard Swahili.
No dummy “it”: choose a noun or an impersonal frame
The most common rain expression has an overt class 9 subject:
Mvua inanyesha sana huku; tusubiri kidogo kabla ya kutoka.
It is raining heavily here; let’s wait a little before going out.
The analytic build is mvua i-na-nyesh-a: class 9 subject concord i- + present -na- + nyesha. English translates the subject as dummy “it,” but Swahili actually says that rain is falling. A compact impersonal alternative is kunanyesha, with locative/general ku- agreement:
Kunanyesha upande wa mjini, lakini huku kwenye uwanja wa ndege bado kuna jua.
It is raining on the town side, but here at the airport it is still sunny.
Kunanyesha does not contain a hidden pronoun meaning “it.” It presents the raining as a general condition in the relevant place. With other conditions, the existential frame kuna + noun is especially productive:
Leo kuna joto kali ofisini, kwa hiyo tumefungua madirisha yote.
It is very hot in the office today, so we have opened all the windows.
Asubuhi kulikuwa na baridi, lakini kufikia adhuhuri jua lilikuwa kali.
It was cold in the morning, but by midday the sun was strong.
The tense sits on locative kuwa na: kuna for the present, kulikuwa na for the past, and kutakuwa na for the future. It does not sit on an adjective copied from English.
Weather nouns control their own agreement
When a weather noun is the grammatical subject, its noun class determines the verb prefix. There is no default weather agreement.
| Subject | Agreement | Natural collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| mvua (class 9) | i- | mvua inanyesha / imekoma | it is raining / the rain has stopped |
| upepo (class 3) | u- | upepo unavuma | the wind is blowing |
| jua (class 5) | li- | jua linawaka / limechomoza | the sun is shining / has risen |
| mawingu (class 6) | ya- | mawingu yametanda | clouds have covered the sky |
| joto (class 5) | li- | joto limepungua | the heat has decreased |
| baridi (class 9) | i- | baridi imezidi | the cold has intensified |
Upepo umeanza kuvuma kwa nguvu, basi fungeni madirisha ya upande wa bahari.
The wind has started blowing strongly, so close the windows on the sea-facing side.
Mawingu mazito yametanda juu ya milima, na mvua huenda ikaanza muda si mrefu.
Heavy clouds have spread over the mountains, and the rain may start before long.
In the second sentence, plural mawingu selects ya-me-tand-a, while singular class 9 mvua selects i-ka-anz-a. Keeping the nouns visible makes the agreement predictable. The general principles of existential kuna are explained under existence with kuna.
A realistic weather exchange
Weather talk often leads to a practical decision rather than ending with a bare description:
A: Hali ya hewa iko vipi huko kwenu? B: Kuna mawingu mazito, na upepo umeanza kuvuma. A: Basi chukua mwavuli; mvua inaweza kunyesha njiani.
A: What is the weather like where you are? B: There are heavy clouds, and the wind has started blowing. A: Then take an umbrella; it may rain on the way.
Hali ya hewa is the broad noun phrase “weather conditions.” It is useful when asking for an overall report, but ordinary answers usually name the relevant phenomenon instead of repeating it. Iko vipi? asks about its state; kuna mawingu presents clouds; upepo umeanza makes the wind the subject.
The following compact table groups common sequences, including a useful response and a possible substitution.
| Expression | Likely response or consequence | Substitution | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuna joto kali. | Tufungue madirisha. | Kuna baridi / upepo. | neutral |
| Mvua inanyesha. | Chukua mwavuli. | Kunanyesha. | neutral |
| Upepo unavuma kwa nguvu. | Funga madirisha. | Upepo umetulia. | neutral |
| Hali ya hewa itabadilika. | Tusubiri taarifa mpya. | Hali itatengemaa. | (formal) forecasts |
| Halijoto itafikia nyuzi thelathini. | Tunywe maji ya kutosha. | Halijoto itashuka. | (formal) / technical |
Halijoto “temperature” and numerical nyuzi are normal in forecasts, public-health notices, and scientific contexts. In everyday speech, kuna joto/baridi is usually more direct.
Seasons depend on place
East African seasonal talk is often organized around rain and dryness, not a four-season European calendar. Msimu wa mvua is “rainy season,” and kiangazi is a dry season. In much Tanzanian usage, masika refers to the longer rains and vuli to the shorter rains. These labels are (regional: Tanzania and parts of East Africa): exact timing and even the locally preferred term vary with geography.
Wakulima wengi huku hupanda mahindi mwanzoni mwa msimu wa mvua.
Many farmers here plant maize at the beginning of the rainy season.
Wakati wa kiangazi, kisima hiki hukauka mapema kuliko vile vya bondeni.
During the dry season, this well dries up earlier than those in the valley.
Do not automatically translate baridi as “winter.” It may refer simply to cold, cool weather, or a locally recognized cooler period. A location and local calendar determine the interpretation.
Common Mistakes
Copying English dummy “it”
❌ Ni inanyesha sana tangu asubuhi.
Incorrect — ni cannot serve as English weather ‘it’.
✅ Mvua inanyesha sana tangu asubuhi, na mitaro imejaa maji.
It has been raining heavily since morning, and the drains are full of water.
Translating “make/do heat” word for word
❌ Hali ya hewa inafanya moto leo.
Incorrect English-influenced light-verb formula for ‘it is hot’.
✅ Leo kuna joto sana, hasa ndani ya basi.
It is very hot today, especially inside the bus.
Giving every phenomenon human agreement
❌ Upepo anavuma sana karibu na pwani.
Incorrect — class 3 upepo selects u-, not human a-.
✅ Upepo unavuma sana karibu na pwani jioni hii.
The wind is blowing strongly near the coast this evening.
Treating every cool season as European winter
❌ Tanzania yote ina majira ya baridi sawa na Ulaya.
Incorrect generalization — East African seasonal systems and climates vary by region.
✅ Katika eneo hili, kipindi cha baridi huanza baada ya masika.
In this area, the cool period begins after the long rains.
Key Takeaways
- Use a real noun subject (mvua inanyesha, upepo unavuma) or an impersonal/locative frame (kunanyesha, kuna joto), never a dummy weather pronoun.
- Weather nouns keep their noun-class agreement: mvua i-, upepo u-, jua li-, and mawingu ya-.
- Tense can appear on the weather verb or on locative kuwa na: ilinyesha, kulikuwa na baridi, kutakuwa na joto.
- Everyday descriptions favor concrete expressions; hali ya hewa and halijoto are especially useful in broad or (formal) reports.
- Seasonal terms reflect local rainfall and climate rather than an automatic European four-season calendar.
Now practice Swahili
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Swahili →Related Topics
- Getting Attention and Addressing PeopleA2 — Open an interruption and address listeners naturally with samahani, tafadhali, hebu, jamani, professional titles, and socially appropriate kin terms.
- Necessity and ObligationA2 — Choose lazima, inabidi, yapasa, and negative-possessive budi frames according to subject, tense, force, and register.