Marafiki wote wanacheza mpira.

Because marafiki refers to people, and in Swahili people usually take the Class 1/2 agreement pattern, which uses wa- for plural subjects.

So in this sentence:

• marafiki = friends
• wa-na-cheza = they-are-playing

Even though marafiki begins with mara-, the agreement is based on meaning and noun class, not just the visible form. Since it means human beings, wa- is the correct subject prefix.

Wote means all.

In Swahili, words like all usually come after the noun they describe. So:

• marafiki wote = all friends / all the friends

This is different from English, where all often comes before the noun.

You can think of the order as:

• noun + all

So marafiki wote literally follows the Swahili pattern friends all.

Wanacheza can be broken down into three parts:

• wa- = they
• -na- = present tense / ongoing action
• cheza = play

So:

• wa-na-cheza = they are playing / they play

This is a very common Swahili verb pattern:

subject prefix + tense marker + verb root

Examples:

• anasoma = he/she is reading
• wanakula = they are eating
• tunacheza = we are playing

It can mean either, depending on context.

The marker -na- usually gives a present or ongoing meaning, so wanacheza often means:

• they are playing

But in natural translation, it can also be:

• they play

Context tells you which is more natural in English.

So Marafiki wote wanacheza mpira could mean:

• All the friends are playing ball
• All the friends play ball

Usually the first is more immediate and natural if you are describing what is happening now.

Mpira literally means ball, but in real usage it can also refer to a ball game, especially depending on context.

So kucheza mpira can mean:

• to play ball
• to play football/soccer in some contexts

If the meaning has already been given to the learner, that specific meaning is the one to follow. But it is useful to know that mpira can be a little broader than just the physical object.

Swahili does not use articles like a, an, or the.

So marafiki can mean:

• friends
• the friends

And mpira can mean:

• a ball
• the ball
• sometimes just ball in a general sense

The exact meaning depends on context. English requires articles much more often than Swahili does.

The normal Swahili order here is:

• noun + wote

So:

• marafiki wote = all the friends

Putting wote before the noun is not the normal pattern in a basic sentence like this.

The overall sentence order is also very typical:

• subject
  • verb
    • object

So:

• Marafiki wote = subject
• wanacheza = verb
• mpira = object

The singular is rafiki, meaning friend.

So:

• rafiki = friend
• marafiki = friends

Example:

• Rafiki wangu = my friend
• Marafiki wangu = my friends

This is a useful word to memorize because it is very common in everyday Swahili.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Most often, in a normal sentence, marafiki wote is understood as:

• all the friends
• all friends present
• the whole group of friends being talked about

If you are speaking generally, context will show that too. Since Swahili does not have the, the listener understands from the situation what group is meant.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Ma-ra-FEE-kee
• WOH-teh
• wa-na-CHAY-za
• MPEE-ra

A few helpful points:

• Swahili vowels are usually pure and consistent:

  • a as in father
  • e as in bed but often a bit clearer
  • i as in machine
  • o as in told but without a strong glide
  • u as in rule
• ch is pronounced like ch in chair
• Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable

So:

• maraFIki
• WOte
• anacheZA
• mPIra

Yes. That would simply mean:

• All the friends are playing

Adding mpira makes the action more specific:

• wanacheza mpira = are playing ball / are playing football, depending on context

So mpira is the object that tells you what they are playing.