Jana usiku, niliandika barua tano kwa mwalimu.

Last night, I wrote five letters to the teacher.

Breakdown of Jana usiku, niliandika barua tano kwa mwalimu.

• mwalimu: the teacher
• kuandika: to write
• jana usiku: last night
• barua: the letter
• kwa: to
• tano: five

Questions & Answers about Jana usiku, niliandika barua tano kwa mwalimu.

What does Jana usiku mean and why is it placed at the beginning of the sentence?

Jana usiku means “yesterday night” or “last night.” In Swahili, time expressions typically come at the start of a sentence to set the scene. You could also say Usiku jana, but Jana usiku is more common in everyday speech.

What tense and aspect does niliandika convey?

niliandika is the simple past (perfective) form of “to write.” It breaks down as follows:
• ni- = subject prefix for “I”
• -li- = past tense marker
• andika = verb root “write”
• -a = final vowel
Together, niliandika means “I wrote.”

How do you express “five letters,” and why is it barua tano rather than tano barua?

In Swahili, the noun comes first, then the numeral. So barua (letter) + tano (five) = barua tano. Numerals agree in noun class but do not take extra prefixes like adjectives do.

Why doesn’t barua change form for the plural? Shouldn’t it be mabarua?

barua belongs to noun classes 9/10, which often have identical singular and plural forms. You indicate number solely with numerals or context: barua moja (one letter), barua tano (five letters).

What function does kwa serve in kwa mwalimu? Does it mean “to” or “for”?

Here, kwa is a preposition meaning “to” (or sometimes “for”). It marks the indirect object “the teacher.” So kwa mwalimu means “to the teacher.”

Could you use an object infix instead of kwa, for example niliandikia?

Yes. The verb andika takes the applicative extension -ia, so niliandikia means “I wrote to.” You could say:
• Niliandikia mwalimu barua tano.
This is equivalent in meaning to Niliandika barua tano kwa mwalimu.

Is the comma after usiku necessary?

No, it’s optional. Commas in Swahili writing often indicate a pause or help clarity, but Jana usiku niliandika barua tano kwa mwalimu reads perfectly well without a comma.

Can you say Usiku wa jana instead of Jana usiku?

Absolutely. Usiku wa jana (“the night of yesterday”) is slightly more formal or literary. All these are valid:
• Jana usiku
• Usiku jana
• Usiku wa jana