Mwanafunzi alichora elektroni.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Mwanafunzi = student
• alichora = drew
• elektroni = electron

So the structure is:

• Mwanafunzi → subject
• alichora → verb
• elektroni → object

Swahili uses a very common subject–verb–object order here, just like English.

Alichora can be divided into parts:

• a- = he/she (subject marker for a singular person)
• -li- = past tense
• -chor- = verb root meaning draw
• -a = final vowel, a normal ending for many verbs

So:

• a-li-chor-a = he/she drew

This is very typical Swahili verb structure:
subject marker + tense marker + verb root + final vowel

Swahili does not normally mark gender in verbs the way English does with he and she.

The subject marker a- simply means he/she for one person in this noun class. So alichora can mean:

• he drew
• she drew

In this sentence, mwanafunzi does not tell you the student's gender either. You learn that from context if it matters.

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

So mwanafunzi can mean:

• a student
• the student

And elektroni can mean:

• an electron
• the electron

The exact meaning depends on context. That is very normal in Swahili.

Mwanafunzi is a singular noun referring to a person, so it takes class 1 agreement. Its plural is wanafunzi, which takes class 2 agreement.

Examples:

• Mwanafunzi alichora elektroni. = The student drew an electron.
• Wanafunzi walichora elektroni. = The students drew an electron / electrons.

Notice the change in the verb:

• a- = he/she
• wa- = they

So:

• alichora = he/she drew
• walichora = they drew

In Swahili, the verb already includes subject information.

In alichora, the a- tells you the subject is a singular person (he/she). Because of that, Swahili does not need a separate subject pronoun unless you want emphasis or contrast.

So in this sentence:

• Mwanafunzi names the subject
• a- in alichora agrees with it

This kind of agreement is a core feature of Swahili grammar.

Swahili can use an object marker inside the verb, but it does not have to when the full object noun is stated after the verb.

Here we have:

• alichora elektroni = drew an electron

That is completely normal.

An object marker is more likely when the object is already known, specific, emphasized, or especially with animate objects. Since elektroni is simply stated after the verb, leaving out the object marker is the most straightforward form.

Elektroni is a borrowed scientific word, ultimately from international vocabulary like electron.

Swahili often borrows technical terms and adapts them to Swahili sound patterns and spelling. So electron becomes elektroni.

This is very common in modern Swahili, especially in science, technology, and education.

The dictionary form is kuchora = to draw.

It breaks down as:

• ku- = infinitive marker (to)
• -chora = draw

So:

• kuchora = to draw
• alichora = he/she drew

Other examples:

• anachora = he/she is drawing
• atachora = he/she will draw

This is the normal, neutral order:

• Subject + Verb + Object

So:

• Mwanafunzi alichora elektroni.

That is the most natural way to present a simple statement like this.

Swahili can change word order for emphasis or style, but for learners, this sentence is a very standard model.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Mwanafunzi → mwa-na-FOON-zi
• alichora → a-li-CHO-ra
• elektroni → e-lek-TRO-ni

A few useful pronunciation points:

• Swahili vowels are usually pronounced clearly and consistently.
• ch is like ch in church
• Stress is often on the second-to-last syllable

So the sentence sounds roughly like:

mwa-na-FOON-zi a-li-CHO-ra e-lek-TRO-ni

A common negative form is:

Mwanafunzi hakuchora elektroni.

This breaks down as:

• ha- = negative
• -ku- = negative past marker
• -chora = draw

So:

• hakuchora = did not draw

This is useful because it shows how Swahili changes the verb form rather than adding a separate word like English did not.