Tunapima halijoto.

Tunapima can be split into three parts:

• tu- = we
• -na- = present/current time marker
• -pima = measure

So tu-na-pima literally works like we-are measuring or we measure, depending on context.

In Swahili, the subject is usually built into the verb itself. That means tu- already tells you the subject is we.

So instead of saying something like we measure, Swahili can simply say tunapima.

You can add the separate pronoun sisi for emphasis:

• Sisi tunapima halijoto. = We are measuring the temperature.

But in normal speech, tunapima halijoto is complete by itself.

The -na- is the present tense marker. In many contexts, it covers both:

• we measure
• we are measuring

Swahili does not always separate simple present and present continuous as strictly as English does. The exact meaning depends on context.

So Tunapima halijoto could mean:

• We are measuring the temperature
  or
• We measure temperature

In most everyday contexts, learners will often understand it as we are measuring the temperature.

The dictionary form is -pima, and it is usually listed as kupima.

• ku- = infinitive marker (to)
• -pima = verb root (measure)

So:

• kupima = to measure

This is the form you would look up in a dictionary.

Halijoto means temperature. It is a standard Swahili noun, especially in formal, scientific, medical, or school-related contexts.

A learner may also see joto, but that usually means heat or warmth, not exactly temperature in the technical sense.

So:

• halijoto = temperature
• joto = heat / warmth / hotness

Swahili does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So halijoto can mean:

• temperature
• the temperature

Which one is intended depends on context.

That is very normal in Swahili. The language usually does not need a separate word for the.

Yes, in this sentence the word order is basically the same:

• Tunapima = We are measuring
• halijoto = temperature

So it follows a subject-verb-object pattern:

• We / are measuring / temperature

That makes this sentence fairly straightforward for English speakers.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Tu-na-PI-ma ha-li-JO-to

Swahili words are usually pronounced quite consistently, and each vowel is normally sounded clearly.

Helpful points:

• tu sounds roughly like too
• na like nah
• pi like pee
• ma like mah
• ha like hah
• li like lee
• jo like jo in jog but shorter
• to like toe

The stress often falls near the second-to-last syllable, so:

• tunaPIma
• haliJOto

Yes. That is a very common thing for English speakers to notice.

In English, these are different:

• We measure
• We are measuring

But in Swahili, the -na- form often covers both ideas. Context tells you which one is meant.

So Tunapima halijoto can refer to:

• something happening right now
• a regular action
• a general present-time statement

You change the tense marker in the middle of the verb.

• Tulipima halijoto. = We measured the temperature.
• Tutapima halijoto. = We will measure the temperature.

Compare them:

• Tu-na-pima = we are measuring / we measure
• Tu-li-pima = we measured
• Tu-ta-pima = we will measure

This tense pattern is very important in Swahili verbs.

A common negative form is:

• Hatupimi halijoto. = We are not measuring the temperature / We do not measure temperature

Here the subject and negation change together:

• tu- = we
• hatu- = we not

And the verb form changes as well.

So:

• Tunapima halijoto. = We are measuring the temperature.
• Hatupimi halijoto. = We are not measuring the temperature.

Not really for this sentence. You can use halijoto here without knowing its noun class in detail.

For a beginner, the most important thing is simply:

• Tunapima = the verb
• halijoto = the thing being measured

Later on, noun classes become more important for agreement with adjectives, pronouns, and demonstratives, but they are not necessary to understand this sentence correctly.