Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kujifunza lugha mpya kuna faida nyingi. - Learning a new language has many benefits.

Kujifunza is the infinitive form of the verb jifunza (“to learn”). In Swahili, the prefix ku- marks the infinitive (the “to-” form), and when you use an infinitive as the subject of a sentence it acts like a noun (a gerund). So Kujifunza here literally means “Learning”.

Why do we use kuna, and does it change if the subject is plural?

kuna means “there is” or “there are.” It expresses existence or possession in a neutral way. Unlike most Swahili verbs, kuna does not change its form for singular vs. plural subjects—it stays kuna whether you have one thing or many things.

Why is lugha mpya used for “new language”? Can you explain mpya?

lugha means “language.”
It belongs to noun class 9, which does not change its noun prefix between singular and plural.
mpya is the adjective “new.” For class 9 nouns, adjectives take the m- prefix plus the adjective root, so pya → mpya.
Thus lugha mpya = “new language.”

How do we express “many benefits” as faida nyingi, and why doesn’t faida change?

faida (“benefit” or “advantage”) is also class 9/10, so the noun itself stays the same in singular and plural.
To show “many,” we attach the adjective nyingi (“many”) after the noun.
There is no separate plural prefix on faida; plurality comes from nyingi.
Hence faida nyingi = “many benefits.”

Can we rephrase the sentence using ina instead of kuna, for example Kujifunza lugha mpya ina faida nyingi? Any difference?

Yes.

ina comes from subject-verb agreement: the subject Kujifunza is a class 15 noun (infinitives), which takes the prefix i-
- na (present tense).
ina faida nyingi literally means “has many benefits.”
Using ina focuses on “learning a new language has X.” Using kuna focuses on existence (“there are many benefits”). Both are correct with a subtle nuance in emphasis.

What noun classes are lugha and faida, and how does that affect their adjectives?

Both lugha and faida are in noun classes 9/10.
Class 9/10 nouns do not change their noun prefix in the plural; they rely on their adjective or determiner to show singular vs. plural.
For class 9/10, adjectives in the positive form typically start with m- (e.g. mpya, mdogo) or are unchanged if the adjective root itself begins with a nasal (e.g. nyingi stays nyingi).
Thus adjective agreement for these nouns is minimal on the noun itself and appears mainly in the adjective form.

How could you say the same idea with a different structure, for example using zipo or a kwa-phrase?

You can use zipo (“there are” with class 8/10 agreement on a plural noun) or introduce a kwa-phrase for “by/through.” For example:
• “Zipo faida nyingi kwa kujifunza lugha mpya.”
• “Kwa kujifunza lugha mpya, zipo faida nyingi.”
Both versions mean “There are many benefits to learning a new language,” but they shift the emphasis slightly (first on the benefits, second on the action).