Learn Hardcore Swahili: Daktari anasema viatu duni vinaweza kusababisha maumivu ya miguu. - The doctor says poor-quality shoes can cause foot pain.

anasema = a- (3rd person singular subject prefix for class 1, “he/she”) + -na- (present-tense marker) + sema (verb root “say”). Together it means “he/she says.”

In English we say “the doctor says that….” Why is there no word for that before viatu duni?

Swahili often omits the conjunction kwamba (“that”) in reported speech. You can leave it out (Daktari anasema viatu duni…) or include it for emphasis: Daktari anasema kwamba viatu duni…

What noun class is viatu, and how would you say a single shoe?

viatu is class 8 (plural) of kiatu (“shoe”), which is class 7. So one “shoe” is kiatu, and many “shoes” are viatu.

Why doesn’t the adjective duni change to agree with viatu (e.g. not viduni)?

duni is an indeclinable adjective in Swahili. It stays duni for both singular and plural nouns, so you say kiatu duni or viatu duni without adding a class prefix.

What does vinaweza mean, and how is it built?

vinaweza = vi- (3rd person plural subject prefix for class 8) + -na- (present tense) + weza (verb root “be able/can”). So viatu vinaweza means “shoes can.”

Why is kusababisha in its infinitive form (with ku-)?

After a modal verb like -weza (“can”), the next verb goes into the infinitive. The infinitive is formed with ku- + verb stem sababisha (“cause”), giving kusababisha (“to cause”).

What is the function of ya in maumivu ya miguu?

maumivu (“pains”) is a class 6 noun, so its possessive/genitive linker is ya. You then attach miguu (“feet”), yielding “pain of feet” or “foot pain.”

Is there a singular form of maumivu, or how would you express “a pain”?

Swahili generally uses maumivu (plural) for “pain.” There’s no common singular form. If you need to specify “one pain,” you can say umuumizi mmoja, but in everyday speech maumivu covers both singular and plural senses.