Learn Hardcore Swahili: Baba huvaa mkanda mweusi kazini kila siku. - Father usually wears a black belt at work every day.

The word huvaa comes from the verb root -vaa, meaning to wear. The prefix hu- marks the present habitual tense (an action done regularly), so huvaa means he habitually wears.

Why is it mkanda mweusi instead of mkanda nyeusi?

Adjectives in Swahili must agree with the noun’s class. mkanda (class 3, singular) takes the adjective prefix m-. The adjective root for black is -weusi, so you attach the class-3 prefix to get mweusi, giving mkanda mweusi for black belt.

What does kazini mean, and how does it differ from kazi?

kazi by itself is the noun work or job. Adding the locative suffix -ni turns it into kazini, meaning at work or in the workplace.

What is the function of kila siku in the sentence?

kila siku means every day (literally each day). It is an adverbial time phrase indicating frequency and typically appears at the end of the sentence.

Why isn’t there a pronoun like “he” before the verb in this sentence?

In Swahili, if the subject noun (here Baba, meaning father) is explicitly given, you don’t need a separate pronoun. The verb prefix (such as hu- for present habitual) plus the context makes clear who is performing the action.

How would I turn this into a negative sentence?

For the habitual negative, replace hu- with ha- and change the final -a on the verb to -i. The sentence becomes:
Baba havavaa mkanda mweusi kazini kila siku
(“Father does not wear a black belt at work every day.”)

How do I say “Father wore a black belt at work every day” in the past tense?

Switch the tense marker to -li- and use the subject prefix a- for “he.” The verb becomes alivaa, meaning he wore. The full sentence is:
Baba alivaa mkanda mweusi kazini kila siku