Learn Hardcore Swahili: Lazima uende hospitali mara moja ukihisi maumivu makali. - You must go to the hospital immediately if you feel severe pain.

Lazima is a modal word meaning “must,” “have to,” or “it is necessary to.” It expresses obligation or necessity. In this sentence, lazima tells the listener that going to the hospital isn’t optional—it’s something they must do.

Why is the verb uende in the subjunctive form rather than the infinitive kwenda or the simple imperative ende?

In Swahili, after obligation words like lazima, the following verb must appear in the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive is formed by:

The subject prefix (here u- for “you” singular)
The verb root (-ende from kwenda)
A final vowel -e (subjunctive marker)

So u- + ende + -e gives uende (“you should/must go”).

What is the word ukihisi, and how is it constructed?

Ukihisi means “if/when you feel.” It’s built from three parts:
• u- = subject prefix “you” (singular)
• -ki- = tense/aspect marker used in conditional or temporal clauses (“if/when”)
• hisi = verb root “feel”

Together, u-ki-hisi literally means “you (u-) when/if (-ki-) feel (hisi).”

What does mara moja literally translate to, and what nuance does it carry?

Literally, mara moja means “one time.” Idiomatically it means “right away,” “immediately,” or “as soon as.” So “hospitali mara moja” tells the listener to go immediately without delay.

Why does the sentence use maumivu makali instead of something like maumivu kali or umumbo makali?

• Maumivu (“pains”) is the plural noun for umu- nouns in class 6, so it has the prefix ma-.
• Makali is the adjective “sharp,” “intense,” or “severe,” and it agrees with class 6 nouns by also using the ma- prefix.

Swahili adjectives must carry the same class prefix as their nouns, hence maumivu makali = “severe pains.”

Why isn’t there a separate pronoun like wewe (“you”) before uende or ukihisi?

In Swahili, subject pronouns are built into the verb as prefixes. Here:
• u-ende has u- = “you”
• u-ki-hisi has u- = “you”

You do not need a standalone wewe; adding it would be redundant.

Could I say uende hospitalini instead of uende hospitali? Which is correct?

The suffix -ni marks a noun as a locative (“at/in/to that place”). Technically, hospitalini means “to/in the hospital.” Many learners and speakers drop -ni after place names or loanwords, so uende hospitali is widely understood. If you want to be extra precise or formal, uende hospitalini is perfectly correct and unambiguous.