Technology vocabulary enters Swahili faster than dictionaries and editorial policies can settle every form. Established nouns such as simu “telephone,” kompyuta “computer,” and programu “program” normally behave as classes 9/10: the noun is unchanged in the plural, while hii/hizi, yangu/zangu, and verbal i-/zi- reveal number. The English word app, by contrast, is widespread in bilingual conversation and advertising, but careful Standard Swahili has the established expression programu tumizi “application/app.”
This page separates grammatical integration from register. A speaker can insert an English word into a Swahili sentence and give it Swahili concord; that does not automatically make its spelling, plural, and class stable in edited Standard Swahili. For a new technical item, look for repeated agreement in reliable Swahili usage rather than guessing from its first letter.
Simu: one noun form, two concord chains
Simu is an established class 9/10 noun. Its singular and plural look alike:
The underlying unchanged-noun pattern is introduced in full on classes 9/10: N-class nouns; here the focus is how that pattern handles fast-changing digital vocabulary.
Simu hii mpya yangu imeanguka mara mbili leo.
This new phone of mine has fallen twice today.
Simu hizi mpya zangu zimeanguka mara mbili leo.
These new phones of mine have fallen twice today.
The number contrast appears in demonstrative hii/hizi, possessive yangu/zangu, and the finite verb imeanguka/zimeanguka. Adjective mpya happens to have the same surface form in both class 9 and class 10, making this a deliberately deceptive pair.
| Function | One simu | Several simu |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | simu | simu |
| “this / these” | hii | hizi |
| Adjective “new” | mpya | mpya |
| Possessive “my” | yangu | zangu |
| Perfect subject verb | ime… | zime… |
There is no need for masimu or English simus. If number must be explicit before the verb, use a demonstrative or numeral: simu hizi mbili “these two phones.”
Simu hizi mbili hazipokei ujumbe tangu asubuhi.
These two phones have not been receiving messages since morning.
Kompyuta follows the same established pattern
The loan kompyuta is also treated as class 9/10 in ordinary Standard Swahili. Initial k- is not the class 7 prefix ki-, and the final -a is not a plural ending.
Kompyuta hii ndogo yangu imeharibika kabla sijahifadhi kazi.
This small computer of mine broke before I saved my work.
Kompyuta hizi ndogo zangu zimeharibika kabla sijahifadhi kazi.
These small computers of mine broke before I saved my work.
Again, kompyuta and ndogo are unchanged on the surface; hii/hizi, yangu/zangu, and ime-/zime- identify number. In an analysis, i-me-harib-ik-a shows class 9 subject i-, perfect -me-, root -harib-, stative extension -ik-, and final -a. Normal writing is the single word imeharibika.
Kompyuta hizi zimeunganishwa kwenye mtandao wa ofisi.
These computers have been connected to the office network.
The phrase mtandao wa ofisi also illustrates that technology concepts are not confined to loans or to classes 9/10. Mtandao/mitandao belongs to classes 3/4; kifaa/vifaa “device(s)” belongs to classes 7/8; and jukwaa/majukwaa “platform(s)” belongs to classes 5/6. Meaning alone never assigns a universal “technology class.”
App versus programu tumizi
Programu is an established class 9/10 noun, and the compound programu tumizi is widely used for an application in institutional and careful Standard Swahili. The plural noun form stays unchanged while agreement changes:
Programu tumizi hii mpya yangu imesasishwa usiku.
This new app of mine was updated overnight.
Programu tumizi hizi mpya zangu zimesasishwa usiku.
These new apps of mine were updated overnight.
The head noun programu controls hii/hizi, yangu/zangu, and ime-/zime-. Tumizi is part of the established expression and does not become matumizi here. In official and technical prose (formal), programu tumizi or a more explicit phrase such as programu tumizi ya simu is the clearest choice.
The English form app is common (informal) in bilingual urban speech, product interfaces, and advertising:
Nimepakua app mpya, lakini bado haifunguki kwenye simu yangu.
I downloaded a new app, but it still will not open on my phone. (informal code-switching)
The class 9 negative subject form hai- in haifunguki shows that the inserted English noun has been treated as singular inanimate for this sentence. That grammatical integration does not settle a universal written plural. Mixed forms such as app hizi and apps hizi occur (informal), but a careful Standard Swahili writer avoids the unstable choice:
Nimepakua programu tumizi mpya, lakini bado haifunguki kwenye simu yangu.
I downloaded a new app, but it still will not open on my phone. (neutral Standard Swahili)
Other new terms: inspect the whole phrase
A technical noun may already have a stable Swahili equivalent whose class is visible only through agreement. Useful frames include tovuti hii ime… / tovuti hizi zime… “this website has… / these websites have…” and programu hii ime… / programu hizi zime…. Other concepts are expressed with transparent Swahili morphology:
Jukwaa hili jipya limewawezesha wafanyabiashara kupokea malipo mtandaoni.
This new platform has enabled merchants to receive payments online.
Majukwaa haya mapya yamewawezesha wafanyabiashara kupokea malipo mtandaoni.
These new platforms have enabled merchants to receive payments online.
Here jukwaa/majukwaa follows classes 5/6, so the chain is hili jipya lime- versus haya mapya yame-. An English speaker who learns only that “tech loans are 9/10” will miss this established alternative.
Three tests are safer than a spelling guess:
- Does edited Standard Swahili use an established term or compound?
- What plural appears in real sentences?
- Which demonstrative and subject marker recur with it?
If evidence varies, treat the form as unsettled and follow the house style of the publication. Do not manufacture certainty by adding ma- or English -s.
Common Mistakes
Adding an English plural ending to a settled loan
❌ Kompyutas hizi mpya zimeharibika.
Incorrect in Standard Swahili — kompyuta remains unchanged and class 10 agreement marks the plural.
✅ Kompyuta hizi mpya zimeharibika.
These new computers have broken.
Inventing ma- as a universal technology plural
❌ Masimu haya yamepotea.
Incorrect — the established plural noun is simu with class 10 concord.
✅ Simu hizi zimepotea.
These phones have gone missing.
Mixing singular and plural concord
❌ Simu hizi mpya yangu imefika.
Incorrect — hizi is plural, so possessive and subject verb must be plural too.
✅ Simu hizi mpya zangu zimefika.
These new phones of mine have arrived.
Copying a guessed noun prefix onto every target
❌ Programu pi mpya piangu pimefunguka.
Incorrect — initial p- is not a reusable agreement prefix; programu is class 9 here.
✅ Programu hii mpya yangu imefunguka.
This new program of mine has opened.
Treating English apps as the Standard Swahili plural
⚠️ Apps hizi zimeidhinishwa katika hati rasmi ya Kiswahili sanifu.
Informal code-switching inside an otherwise official Standard Swahili sentence — prefer the established term programu tumizi in this register.
✅ Programu tumizi hizi zimeidhinishwa katika hati rasmi.
These applications have been approved in the official document.
Key Takeaways
Simu, kompyuta, and programu are established class 9/10 nouns: their noun form stays unchanged while agreement contrasts singular and plural. Programu tumizi provides a stable Standard Swahili equivalent for app, whereas bare app is best treated as informal code-switching unless a particular editorial policy adopts it. Technology vocabulary spans several noun classes, so class must come from established plural and concord behavior, never from meaning or first letter alone.
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Start learning Swahili →Related Topics
- Classes 9/10: N-Class NounsA1 — Use class 9/10 nouns whose singular and plural often look alike, with i-/zi- agreement and the nasal patterns common in this large class pair.
- How Borrowed Nouns Enter Noun ClassesB1 — Learn why many loans enter classes 9/10, why others form ma- plurals, and why human meaning can override their visible morphology.
- Class Shifts for DiminutivesB2 — Use ki-/vi- class shifts to present a referent as small, endearing or contemptible, and carry the new class through every concord.
- Borrowed Nouns and Their PluralsB1 — Use established Arabic and English loan nouns with their conventional noun classes, plural patterns, and human agreement.
- Code-Switching and Borrowing in ConversationC1 — Distinguish established Swahili loans from active switching to English or local languages, and choose a code according to audience, identity, domain, and communicative risk.