Mwalimu mkali anafundisha hesabu.

The strict teacher teaches math.

Breakdown of Mwalimu mkali anafundisha hesabu.

• mwalimu: the teacher
• kufundisha: to teach
• hesabu: the math
• mkali: strict

Questions & Answers about Mwalimu mkali anafundisha hesabu.

What does each word in the sentence mean?

• Mwalimu means teacher.
• mkali is an adjective meaning strict.
• anafundisha is the verb meaning teaches (or “is teaching”). It’s built from the subject prefix, the present tense marker, and the verb root.
• hesabu means math (or mathematics).

How does the adjective “mkali” agree with the noun “mwalimu”?

In Swahili adjectives agree with the noun’s class. Since mwalimu is a class 1 noun, the adjective takes the corresponding class 1 prefix, which here is “m-”. That’s why kali becomes mkali, matching the noun in both form and number.

What is the structure of the verb “anafundisha” and what do its parts indicate?

The verb anafundisha is composed of three parts:
• The prefix a- indicates a third person singular subject (he or she).
• The infix na- is a tense/aspect marker that signals a present or habitual action.
• The root fundisha means “to teach.”
Together, they express “teaches” or “is teaching.”

What is the word order in this sentence and how does it compare to English?

Swahili generally follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, similar to English. In the sentence:
• Mwalimu mkali functions as the subject,
• anafundisha is the verb, and
• hesabu is the object.
This similarity in structure can make it easier for native English speakers to grasp Swahili syntax.

Why does the adjective appear after the noun, and is that a rule in Swahili?

Yes, in Swahili the standard practice is for adjectives to follow the noun they modify. So in mwalimu mkali, mkali comes after mwalimu to describe it, following Swahili’s typical noun–adjective order.