Tulizungumza na mtendaji.

Tulizungumza can be divided into:

• tu- = we
• -li- = past tense marker
• zungumza = talk / speak

So Tulizungumza literally means we talked or we spoke.

Swahili often packs subject and tense into the verb, so one word can express what takes several words in English.

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

So:

• tunasema = we are saying / we say
• tulisema = we said

In your sentence:

• tu-li-zungumza = we talked

It tells you the action happened in the past.

That is very normal in Swahili. Verbs usually include several pieces of information in a fixed order, often including:

• the subject
• the tense
• the verb root

So instead of using a separate word for we, Swahili attaches it to the verb:

• tu- = we

That is why Tulizungumza already contains the subject we.

Here, na means with.

So:

• Tulizungumza na mtendaji = We talked with the executive

This is important because na can also mean and in other contexts. For example:

• Juma na Asha = Juma and Asha

But after a verb like zungumza (talk/speak), na often means with.

Because with the verb zungumza, the person you are talking with is commonly introduced by na.

In English, we also often say:

• We spoke with the executive
• We talked to the executive

In Swahili, using na after zungumza is a natural way to show the person involved in the conversation.

Mtendaji is a singular noun in the m-/wa- noun class, which often includes people.

Its plural is:

• mtendaji = executive / official / operator / performer
• watendaji = executives / officials / operators / performers

So the m- at the beginning helps show that it is singular.

Swahili does not have articles like the or a/an.

So mtendaji can mean:

• an executive
• the executive

The exact meaning depends on context. If the meaning has already been shown to the learner, then the context tells you which one is intended.

The dictionary form is usually given with ku-:

• kuzungumza = to talk / to speak

The ku- is the infinitive marker, similar to to in English.

In a conjugated verb like Tulizungumza, that ku- is not used. You just use the verb stem:

• dictionary form: kuzungumza
• in the sentence: tulizungumza

A simple pronunciation guide is:

too-loo-zoo-ngoo-m-zah nah m-ten-dah-jee

A few helpful points:

• tu sounds like too
• zu sounds like zoo
• ng in zungumza is pronounced, not silent
• mtendaji begins with m + t, and both consonants are pronounced

Swahili pronunciation is usually quite regular, and most letters are sounded clearly.

Yes, depending on style and nuance, you may hear similar sentences such as:

• Tuliongea na mtendaji.
• Tulisema na mtendaji. (less natural for talked with in many contexts)

The most natural close synonym here is often:

• Tuliongea na mtendaji = We talked with the executive

But Tulizungumza na mtendaji is perfectly correct and clear.