Learn Hardcore Swahili: Siku hizi, nimekuwa nikifanya maamuzi polepole ili kuepuka makosa. - Nowadays, I have been making decisions slowly in order to avoid mistakes.

Siku means “day” and hizi is the plural demonstrative “these.” Together they form Siku hizi, literally “these days,” used like “nowadays” or “recently.”

What tense and aspect are expressed by nimekuwa nikifanya, and how is it formed?

This is the present perfect continuous (“I have been doing”). It’s built as:

ni- (1st person singular subject) + me- (perfect marker) + kuwa (to be) → nimekuwa (“I have been”)
then ni- (subject) + -ki- (continuous aspect) + fanya (to do) → nikifanya (“doing”).

What does the -ki- in nikifanya indicate?

The infix -ki- marks the continuous or progressive aspect in Swahili. So nikifanya means “that I am doing” or “I have been doing.”

What part of speech is polepole and why is it formed by repetition?

Polepole is an adverb meaning “slowly.” In Swahili, many manner adverbs are created by reduplicating an adjective or root, either as a lexical convention or for emphasis.

What role does ili play in this sentence?

Ili is a conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order to,” introducing a purpose clause that explains why the action is done.

Why is the verb after ili in the infinitive form (kuepuka) and what does the ku- prefix represent?

After ili, Swahili always uses the infinitive, which starts with ku- and carries no subject, tense, or aspect markers. Here kuepuka means “to avoid.”

What do maamuzi and makosa mean, and what does the ma- prefix do?

Maamuzi = “decisions,” makosa = “mistakes.” The ma- prefix is the plural marker (noun class 6), turning amuzi → maamuzi and kosa → makosa.

How would you say “I make decisions quickly so that I avoid mistakes” in Swahili?

You could say:
Siku hizi, nimekuwa nikifanya maamuzi haraka ili kuepuka makosa.
Here haraka (“quickly”) replaces polepole.