Learn Hardcore Swahili: Simulizi ambazo bibi husimulia hutufundisha adabu na uvumilivu. - The narratives that grandmother tells teach us manners and patience.

ambazo is the plural relative pronoun for noun class 10 (the N‐class) in Swahili. Here simulizi is understood as “stories” (plural), so we use ambazo (“which”) to link to the clause bibi husimulia. If it were a single “story,” you’d use ambayo instead.

What is the function of the prefix hu- in husimulia?

hu- is the present habitual tense marker in Swahili. It indicates that grandmother regularly or habitually narrates these stories. The breakdown is:

hu- (habitual “does often”)
simulia (tell/narrate)

What does the tu- in hutufundisha stand for?

tu- is the object‐marker for “us” (1st person plural) attached directly to the verb. So hutufundisha breaks down as:

hu- (present habitual)
tu- (object marker “us”)
fundisha (teach)

Altogether it means “(they) habitually teach us.”

Why is there no preposition like kwetu for “us” after fundisha?

In Swahili, pronoun objects are normally built into the verb as prefixes (here tu-). You don’t need a preposition like kwetu unless you drop the object‐marker and use an indirect object: • With object‐marker: hutufundisha adabu (“they teach us manners”)
• Without marker + preposition: hufundisha adabu kwetu (“they teach manners to us”)

What’s the difference between husimulia and anasimulia?

• husimulia uses hu-, the habitual marker, so it means “she regularly/habitually narrates.”
• anasimulia uses a-, the simple present or present progressive marker, so it means “she (is) narrating (right now)” or more neutrally “she narrates.”

Use hu- for repeated actions; a- for general or ongoing present.

Why are there two verbs, husimulia and hutufundisha, in the sentence?

The sentence has:

A relative clause modifying simulizi (“stories which grandmother narrates”): Simulizi ambazo bibi husimulia
The main clause: hutufundisha adabu na uvumilivu (“teach us manners and patience”)
Each clause needs its own verb.

What is uvumilivu, and how does the prefix u- work?

uvumilivu means “patience.” Many abstract nouns in Swahili are in noun class 14 and take the prefix u-. Here it’s built from the root vumilia (“endure”) plus the nominalizing u-, giving the concept “the quality of enduring” → “patience.”

Could I say adabu zetu na uvumilivu wetu to mean “our manners and patience”?

Yes. You can add possessive adjectives directly to each noun: • adabu zetu (“our manners”)
• uvumilivu wetu (“our patience”)
In the original sentence, however, the focus is on “the stories teach us…” so the pronoun “us” is built into the verb instead of using separate possessives.

Is simulizi here singular or plural, and how do we know?

It’s plural (“stories”), even though simulizi looks the same for singular and plural (class 9/10). We know it’s plural because:

Grandma tells more than one story.
The relative pronoun ambazo (class 10 plural) is used.
If it were a single story, you’d say simulizi ambayo bibi anasimulia.