Jua linawaka sana mchana, lakini sipendi kutumia mwavuli sasa.

Because jua belongs to noun class 5 in Swahili, and class 5 nouns take the subject marker li- in the singular.

So:

• jua = sun
• li- = it (for a class 5 noun)
• -nawaka = is burning / is blazing

That gives jua linawaka = the sun is blazing.

This is one of the big differences from English: in Swahili, verbs agree with the noun class of the subject, not just with person.

Yes, literally it comes from the verb kuwaka, which often means:

• to burn
• to be on fire
• to blaze
• sometimes to shine strongly or to be very hot, depending on context

So with jua, linawaka suggests the sun is blazing or burning strongly, not that it is physically on fire in a strange way. It is a normal expressive way to talk about strong sun or heat.

In Swahili, sana usually comes after the word or phrase it strengthens.

So:

• linawaka sana = is blazing very much / is very hot
• mzuri sana = very good
• haraka sana = very quickly

English often puts very before an adjective or adverb, but Swahili commonly places sana after what it modifies.

Swahili often uses time words directly, without needing a separate preposition.

So mchana can mean:

• during the day
• in the daytime
• by day

This is very common with time expressions in Swahili. English often needs extra words like in, at, or during, but Swahili frequently does not.

For example:

• asubuhi = in the morning
• usiku = at night
• mchana = in the daytime

Lakini means but.

It connects two ideas that contrast with each other:

• Jua linawaka sana mchana = one idea
• lakini sipendi kutumia mwavuli sasa = contrasting idea

It works very much like English but. It does not cause big word-order changes; it simply introduces the contrast.

Sipendi already includes the subject I inside the verb.

It breaks down like this:

• si- = I do not
• -pend- = like / love
• -i = negative final vowel

So sipendi = I do not like.

Compare:

• ninapenda = I like
• sipendi = I do not like

A separate pronoun mimi is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis. Swahili often puts the subject information directly into the verb.

After verbs like kupenda (to like), Swahili commonly uses another verb in the infinitive form with ku-.

So:

• kutumia = to use
• sipendi kutumia = I do not like to use / I do not like using

This is very natural in Swahili. It is similar to English patterns like:

• I like to read
• I like reading

Swahili uses the infinitive kusoma, kutumia, kwenda, etc., after kupenda very naturally.

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

So:

• jua can mean sun or the sun
• mwavuli can mean an umbrella, the umbrella, or just umbrella, depending on context

The listener usually understands from the situation what is meant. This is a very common adjustment for English speakers learning Swahili.

Mwavuli is a noun in the m-/mi- class, usually called class 3/4:

• singular: mwavuli = umbrella
• plural: miavuli = umbrellas

Yes, it matters because adjectives, verbs, and other words can agree with that noun class.

For example:

• mwavuli mkubwa = a big umbrella
• miavuli mikubwa = big umbrellas

Even though there is no agreement shown directly on kutumia mwavuli here, it is useful to know the class for building other sentences.

Yes, sasa can move around somewhat, depending on emphasis.

In this sentence, sasa at the end sounds natural and means now / at the moment.

You could also say:

• Lakini sasa sipendi kutumia mwavuli.
• Sasa sipendi kutumia mwavuli.

These are also grammatical, but the focus shifts slightly. Putting sasa later can make it feel like an added time comment: ...don’t like using an umbrella now.

Swahili word order is often flexible, especially with time expressions.

It is understandable and natural enough, especially because kuwaka gives a strong sense of blazing heat.

That said, Swahili speakers may also use other expressions depending on region and style, such as talking about the sun being strong or the weather being hot. But jua linawaka sana is a perfectly understandable and vivid expression.

For a learner, it is a good example because it shows:

• noun-class agreement: jua li-
• a common descriptive verb: kuwaka
• intensity with sana
• a time expression: mchana