Tuliona jahazi baharini.

Because Swahili usually puts the subject inside the verb.

In tuliona:

• tu- = we
• -li- = past tense
• -ona = see

So tuliona already means we saw.
A separate pronoun like sisi can be added, but it is not necessary.

-li- is the common past tense marker in Swahili.

So:

• tu- = we
• -li- = past
• -ona = see

That is why tuliona means we saw.

The dictionary form is kuona, meaning to see.

Swahili verbs are usually listed with ku-, the infinitive marker.
So the verb is built like this:

• kuona = to see
• root: -ona = see
• tuliona = we saw

In Swahili, a lot of grammatical information is attached directly to the verb. Subject markers and tense markers are usually part of the same word.

So English we saw becomes one word in Swahili:

• tu-
  • -li-
    • -ona = tuliona

This is very normal in Swahili grammar.

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

So jahazi can mean:

• a dhow / a sailing vessel
• the dhow / the sailing vessel

The exact meaning depends on context.

Jahazi is a noun meaning a traditional sailing vessel, often translated as dhow.

Its plural is usually majahazi.

So:

• jahazi = one dhow
• majahazi = dhows

A learner may also notice that this noun behaves like a class 5/6 noun in many contexts.

Bahari means sea or ocean.
The ending -ni is a locative ending, which often gives the meaning in, at, or sometimes on a place.

So:

• bahari = sea
• baharini = in the sea, at sea, or on the sea, depending on context

In this sentence, baharini tells you where the dhow was seen.

No.

In baharini, -ni is a locative suffix attached to the noun. It is part of the word.

This is different from the separate word ni, which is often used like is/are in simple equational sentences.

So here, baharini is one word meaning something like in/at sea.

This follows a very common Swahili pattern:

• verb
• object
• place

So:

• tuliona = we saw
• jahazi = a/the dhow
• baharini = at sea / in the sea

Since the subject we is already inside the verb, the sentence begins with the verb rather than with a separate subject pronoun.

Yes. You can say:

Sisi tuliona jahazi baharini.

This still means the same thing, but sisi adds emphasis or contrast, like:

• We saw the dhow
• As for us, we saw the dhow

Without sisi, the sentence is still completely natural.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

too-lee-OH-nah jah-HAH-zee bah-hah-REE-nee

A few helpful points:

• Swahili vowels are usually pronounced clearly and consistently.
• Stress is normally on the second-to-last syllable.
• So the stress falls like this:
  • tu-li-O-na
  • ja-HA-zi
  • ba-ha-RI-ni

Also, j in Swahili sounds like the j in jam.