kuandika — to Write | Swahili Grammar

Kuandika means “write,” “record in writing,” or “compose.” Its base andik-a begins with a vowel, so Standard spelling preserves sequences such as ninaandika, niliandika, and siandiki. It does not copy the special kw- of kwenda: the infinitive is kuandika, never kwandika.

The verb normally takes the written product as a direct object: andika jina, barua, ujumbe, or ripoti. An addressee is expressed through applicative andikia, while passive andikwa promotes the written item to subject position.

Practical paradigm

Form	I	you (sg.)	he/she	we	you (pl.)	they
present	ninaandika	unaandika	anaandika	tunaandika	mnaandika	wanaandika
past	niliandika	uliandika	aliandika	tuliandika	mliandika	waliandika
perfect	nimeandika	umeandika	ameandika	tumeandika	mmeandika	wameandika
future	nitaandika	utaandika	ataandika	tutaandika	mtaandika	wataandika
present negative	siandiki	huandiki	haandiki	hatuandiki	hamwandiki	hawaandiki
past negative	sikuandika	hukuandika	hakuandika	hatukuandika	hamkuandika	hawakuandika
subjunctive	niandike	uandike	aandike	tuandike	mwandike	waandike

The singular imperative is andika! and the plural is andikeni! The initial a- belongs to the lexical base. In ni-na-andik-a, both vowels at the TAM–root boundary remain present; in subjunctive a-andik-e, the finished form is aandike.

Ninaandika orodha ya vitu vya kununua kabla sijaenda sokoni.

I am writing a shopping list before I go to the market.

Haandiki barua kwa mkono tena; hutumia barua pepe.

She no longer writes letters by hand; she uses email.

Tafadhali mwandike namba zenu za simu kwenye karatasi hii.

Please write your phone numbers on this sheet of paper.

Unless otherwise labelled, these uses are neutral in (informal) and (formal) Standard Swahili.

💡

Keep the written vowels even when several meet: ni-na-andik-a → ninaandika and a-andik-e → aandike. Hyphens explain the slots but never appear in the finished word.

The written product is a direct object

The noun after andika identifies what comes into existence as writing. English may use “write down,” “fill in,” or “compose,” but Swahili often keeps the same verb and lets the noun specify the task.

Collocation	Meaning/register
kuandika jina/anwani	write a name/address, neutral
kuandika ujumbe/barua pepe	write a message/email, neutral
kuandika barua	write a letter, neutral
kuandika ripoti/muhtasari	write a report/summary, (formal) or (academic)
kuandika makala/tasnifu	write an article/thesis, (academic)
kuandika kwa mkono	write by hand, neutral

Aliandika anwani isiyo sahihi, ndiyo maana kifurushi kilichelewa.

He wrote the wrong address, which is why the parcel was delayed.

Mtafiti ameandika muhtasari wa matokeo kwa lugha inayoeleweka.

The researcher has written a summary of the findings in accessible language.

Anwani and muhtasari are direct objects, not kwa-phrases. Manner and medium can use kwa: kwa mkono “by hand,” kwa kalamu “with a pen,” and kwa Kiswahili “in Swahili.”

Known written objects and object markers

A known or topical written item can be represented by its noun-class object marker. That marker remains immediately before vowel-initial andik-.

Referent	Build	Finished form
barua, class 9	ni-ta-i-andik-a	nitaiandika
jina, class 5	u-li-li-andik-a	uliliandika
vitabu, class 8	wa-me-vi-andik-a	wameviandika
nyaraka, class 10	tu-ta-zi-andik-a	tutaziandika

Ripoti hiyo nitaiandika upya baada ya kupokea takwimu za mwisho.

I will rewrite that report after receiving the final figures.

The build ni-ta-i-andik-a preserves the object marker and root as one word. English “it” is a separate pronoun; Swahili -i- occupies the internal object slot. The general pattern is covered in object markers.

Writing to someone: andikia

Basic andika selects the written product. Applicative andikia, built andik-i-a, integrates the recipient or beneficiary.

Nitawaandikia wazazi wangu nikishafika salama Mwanza.

I will write to my parents once I have arrived safely in Mwanza.

Ni-ta-wa-andik-i-a contains plural-human recipient -wa- before the applicative stem. A recipient is not added after basic andika by mechanically copying English “write someone.”

Katibu alimwandikia mteja barua ya kuthibitisha miadi.

The secretary wrote the client a letter confirming the appointment.

Singular-human -m- surfaces as -mw- before vowel-initial andik- in a-li-mw-andik-i-a. The recipient precedes the written theme barua, a common double-object order.

💡

Use andika + written product but andikia + recipient. Compare aliandika barua “she wrote a letter” with alimwandikia Asha barua “she wrote Asha a letter.”

Passive andikwa

Passive andikwa has build andik-w-a, not andikawa. The written product becomes the subject and controls the verb's subject concord.

Majina ya washindi yataandikwa ubaoni baada ya mapumziko.

The winners' names will be written on the board after the break.

Class 6 majina controls ya- in ya-ta-andik-w-a. Locative ubaoni says where the names will be written.

Barua hiyo iliandikwa na wakili kwa niaba ya familia.

That letter was written by the lawyer on behalf of the family.

Class 9 barua controls i-; na wakili is the optional passive agent. This construction is common in (formal) administrative and legal writing.

Common Mistakes

Generalizing kw- from kwenda

❌ Nimeanza kwandika maelezo ya mkutano.

Incorrect — the infinitive preserves ku-a in kuandika.

✅ Nimeanza kuandika maelezo ya mkutano kabla washiriki hawajaondoka.

I have started writing the meeting notes before the participants leave.

Adding kwa before the written product

⚠️ Aliandika kwa ujumbe mrefu baada ya kikao.

Grammatical only if kwa marks the means; when the message is the written product, use a direct object.

✅ Aliandika ujumbe mrefu baada ya kikao ili kueleza mabadiliko yote.

She wrote a long message after the meeting to explain all the changes.

Keeping final -a in present negation

❌ Mimi siandika taarifa bila kukagua vyanzo.

Incorrect — present negative changes final -a to -i.

✅ Mimi siandiki taarifa bila kukagua vyanzo viwili au zaidi.

I do not write reports without checking two or more sources.

Inserting an extra vowel in the passive

❌ Majibu yaliandikawa kwa penseli pembeni mwa karatasi.

Incorrect — passive -w- attaches directly: andik-w-a.

✅ Majibu yaliandikwa kwa penseli pembeni mwa karatasi ya mtihani.

The answers were written in pencil in the margin of the exam paper.

Key Takeaways

Vowel-initial andik-a preserves its vowels: kuandika, ninaandika, siandiki, aandike.
The written product is a direct object; kwa expresses medium, manner, or language instead.
Use an object marker for a known written item: nitaiandika.
Applicative andikia adds a recipient; passive andikwa promotes the written item.
Imperatives are andika and andikeni.

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