Learn Hardcore Swahili: Upepo mkali unavuma usoni wakati ninatembea sokoni. - A strong wind blows on my face while I walk at the market.

In Swahili most descriptive adjectives follow the noun they modify. Additionally, adjectives carry a class-agreement prefix that matches the noun’s class. Here upepo (“wind”) is a class 3 noun, so its adjective kali (“strong/severe”) takes the class 3 prefix m-, yielding mkali. Together upepo mkali means “strong wind.”

How can I tell that upepo is class 3 and that it’s the subject of the verb in unavuma?

Swahili verbs and adjectives agree with their noun’s class. The subject prefix on the verb shows the noun class: in unavuma the initial u- is the class 3 subject prefix (for singular). That same class prefix appears on the adjective (m- in mkali). Because of those u- and m- markers, you know upepo belongs to class 3 and is doing the action “blow[ing].”

What are the parts of unavuma, and what does each part mean?

unavuma breaks down as:

u-: class 3 subject prefix (“it,” referring to upepo)
-na-: present/continuous tense marker (“is …-ing”)
vuma: verb root meaning “blow”
So unavuma means “it is blowing.”

What does the suffix -ni do in usoni and sokoni, and why don’t we need “in” or “on”?

The suffix -ni marks the static locative in Swahili—essentially “at,” “in” or “on.”

uso (“face”) → usoni (“on the face”)
soko (“market”) → sokoni (“in/at the market”)
No separate preposition is needed because the noun itself with -ni carries the locative meaning.

What role does wakati play, and why is the verb ninatembea used for “I am walking”?

wakati means “while” or “when” and introduces a time clause.
ninatembea is built from ni- (1st person singular subject “I”) + -na- (present tense marker) + tembea (root “walk”), giving “I am walking.”
So wakati ninatembea sokoni = “while I am walking in the market.”