Jana usiku, niliandika barua sita.

Last night, I wrote six letters.

Breakdown of Jana usiku, niliandika barua sita.

• mimi: I
• kuandika: to write
• jana usiku: last night
• barua: the letter
• sita: six

Questions & Answers about Jana usiku, niliandika barua sita.

What does Jana usiku mean? Can I use usiku jana or usiku wa jana instead?

Jana usiku literally means “yesterday at night,” i.e. last night. You can also say usiku wa jana (“the night of yesterday”) in more formal registers. Colloquially learners often say usiku jana, but the most neutral/standard forms are Jana usiku or usiku wa jana.

Why is there no article before barua?

Swahili does not use definite or indefinite articles like “a” or “the.” A bare noun such as barua can mean “a letter,” “the letter,” or “letters” depending on context. Here, counting with a numeral makes it clear you mean “six letters.”

How do you know who is the subject in niliandika?

The verb prefix ni- marks first person singular (“I”), and the tense marker -li- shows simple past. The root andika means “write.”
Breakdown: ni- (I) + li- (past) + andika (write) → “I wrote.”

What is the difference between niliandika, nimeandika, and naandika?

– niliandika = I wrote (simple past, an action completed in the past)
– nimeandika = I have written (perfect, with present relevance)
– naandika = I write / I am writing (present habitual or progressive)

How do I ask “Did you write six letters last night?” in Swahili?

Swap the subject prefix ni- to u- (you) and add an optional question marker Je, for example:
Je, jana usiku uliandika barua sita?
Literally: “Question-marker, last night you-PAST-write letters six?”

How would I say “I did not write six letters last night”?

Use the negative past pattern: subject si- + tense -ku- + root:
Jana usiku sikuandika barua sita.
Breakdown: si- (I-neg) + ku- (past neg) + andika (write) → “I did not write.”

Why is sita placed after barua? Can it go before, and does it change to agree with barua?

In Swahili the order is noun + numeral (not numeral + noun). Cardinal numbers (moja, mbili, tatu, … sita,…) do not take extra prefixes or suffixes to agree with noun classes. So it’s always barua sita, never sita barua or baruasita.

How would I say “I wrote them (the letters) last night”?

Option 1 (object‐infix): Jana usiku niliiziandika.
Breakdown: ni- (I) + li- (past) + i- (class 10 object) + andika → “I wrote them.”
Option 2 (more natural): Jana usiku niliandika barua hizo.
Here hizo is the demonstrative “those” for class 10, replacing the noun.

How do I express “I wrote six letters to him/her last night”?

Use the applicative suffix -ia to add a recipient:
Jana usiku niliandikia barua sita.
If you want to specify who:
Jana usiku niliandikia barua sita rafiki yangu.
(“Last night I wrote six letters to my friend.”)