Learn Hardcore Swahili: Balozi wa nchi jirani alizuru chekechea na kutoa vitabu. - The ambassador of a neighbouring country visited the kindergarten and donated books.

wa here is the genitive (possessive) concord for noun class 1 (people). It links balozi (“ambassador”) to its possessor nchi jirani (“neighboring country”). If the head noun were class 9/10 you’d use ya, but because the head is balozi (class 1), the correct link is wa.

Why are there no words for a or the before balozi or nchi?

Swahili does not have definite or indefinite articles like a or the. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context. You simply say Balozi wa nchi jirani and the listener understands whether it’s “an ambassador” or “the ambassador.”

What tense is alizuru, and how is it formed?

alizuru is the simple past (perfective) of -zuru (“to visit”). It breaks down as:
• a- (3 sg. subject)
• li- (past tense marker)
• zuru (verb root)
Put together: a + li + zuru = alizuru (“he/she visited”).

Why is the second verb kutoa not fully conjugated like alizuru?

In Swahili narrative style you can link two actions with na and use the infinitive for the second verb. So you get:
• alizuru (he visited)
• na (and)
• kutoa (to give out; infinitive form)
This effectively means “he visited … and (he) gave out books.”

What part of speech is chekechea, and what does it mean?

chekechea is a noun meaning “playground,” “play area,” or “kindergarten.” Despite its reduplicated look, it’s used here as a place‐noun, not as a verb.

What noun class does vitabu belong to, and what is its singular form?

vitabu is in noun class 8 (plural, prefix vi-). Its singular is kitabu (class 7, prefix ki-). So:
• kitabu = book (sg.)
• vitabu = books (pl.)

What does jirani mean, and why doesn’t it agree with nchi?

jirani means “neighboring” or “next door.” It’s an invariable adjective ending in -ni and does not change to match noun classes. You say nchi jirani, mji jirani, kijiji jirani, etc.

Can you give a literal word‐by‐word breakdown of the sentence?

Sure:
• Balozi = ambassador
• wa = of (genitive concord for class 1)
• nchi = country
• jirani = neighboring
• alizuru = he visited
• chekechea = playground/kindergarten
• na = and
• kutoa = to give out (infinitive for second verb)
• vitabu = books
Altogether: “The ambassador of the neighboring country visited the playground and gave out books.”