Tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza.

Tulijadili can be split into:

• Tu- = we
• -li- = past tense
• jadili = discuss

So Tulijadili means we discussed.

In Swahili, the subject is often built into the verb itself.
So instead of saying a separate word for we, the verb starts with tu-.

• Tu- = we
• Tulijadili = we discussed

You can add sisi (we) for emphasis:

• Sisi tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza. = We discussed the first point.

But normally, Tulijadili already includes we.

Kipengele can mean several related things depending on context, such as:

• point
• item
• section
• element
• feature

So in this sentence, it could be understood as something like:

• the first point
• the first item
• the first section

The exact best translation depends on the situation.

Swahili often expresses ordinal ideas like first, second, etc. with a structure using a connector that agrees with the noun class.

Here:

• kipengele is in the ki-/vi- noun class
• the agreeing connector for this class is cha
• kwanza = first

So:

• kipengele cha kwanza = literally item/point of first
• natural English: the first item/point

The cha is there because it agrees with kipengele.

It depends on the noun class of the noun being described.

Kipengele belongs to the ki-/vi- class, so its agreeing connector is cha in the singular.

Compare:

• kitabu cha kwanza = the first book
• kipengele cha kwanza = the first point/item
• vitabu vya kwanza = the first books
• vipengele vya kwanza = the first points/items

So cha is used because kipengele is singular and belongs to the ki- class.

It acts like first, but in Swahili it usually appears in a structure like:

• noun + agreeing connector + kwanza

So instead of behaving exactly like a typical English adjective placed directly before the noun, it usually comes after the noun with agreement:

• kipengele cha kwanza = the first point

So yes, it functions like first, but the grammar is more noun-class-based than in English.

There is no separate word for the in Swahili.
Swahili generally does not use articles like a/an/the.

So:

• kipengele cha kwanza can mean the first point
• depending on context, it might also be understood as a first point, though in many contexts the first point is the natural translation

Context tells you which English article makes most sense.

It is in the past tense because of -li- in Tulijadili.

• Tu- = we
• -li- = past
• jadili = discuss

So the sentence means We discussed...

For comparison:

• Tunajadili kipengele cha kwanza. = We are discussing the first point.
• Tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza. = We discussed the first point.
• Tutajadili kipengele cha kwanza. = We will discuss the first point.

Yes. In this sentence, jadili directly takes its object:

• Tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza. = We discussed the first point.

That is similar to English discuss something.

Learners sometimes expect a preposition because English sometimes uses patterns like talk about, but jadili works directly with the noun.

Yes. You could say:

• Sisi tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza.

This still means We discussed the first point, but sisi adds emphasis, like:

• We discussed the first point.

Without sisi, the sentence is still complete and natural:

• Tulijadili kipengele cha kwanza.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

too-lee-jah-DEE-lee kee-pen-GEH-leh cha kwan-zah

A few helpful points:

• Swahili vowels are usually pronounced clearly:
  • a as in father
  • e as in bed but often a bit tenser
  • i as in machine
  • o as in more without a strong glide
  • u as in rule
• j sounds like the j in jam
• ch sounds like the ch in church

Swahili pronunciation is generally very regular compared with English.

The plural of kipengele is vipengele.

Because the noun class changes from singular ki- to plural vi-, the connector also changes:

• kipengele cha kwanza = the first point/item
• vipengele vya kwanza = the first points/items

Notice:

• singular: cha
• plural: vya

That agreement is very important in Swahili.