Mimi ninatumia barua pepe kuwasiliana na marafiki kila siku.

I use email to communicate with friends every day.

Breakdown of Mimi ninatumia barua pepe kuwasiliana na marafiki kila siku.

• mimi: I
• na: with
• kila: every
• kutumia: to use
• kuwasiliana: to communicate
• barua pepe: email
• rafiki: friend
• siku: day

Questions & Answers about Mimi ninatumia barua pepe kuwasiliana na marafiki kila siku.

Why is Mimi at the beginning of the sentence? Isn’t ninatumia enough to show “I”?

The subject prefix ni- in ninatumia already means “I.”

• Mimi (“I”) is optional and used for emphasis or clarity (like saying “I myself…”).
• You can omit it and simply say Ninatumia barua pepe…, and it still means “I use email…”

What does the -na- in ninatumia do?

In Swahili, the present tense (simple or habitual) is formed as:
subject prefix + -na- + verb root.
Here:

• ni- = “I”
• -na- = present tense marker
• tumia = “use”
  So ni + na + tumia → ninatumia (“I use”). There’s no separate marker for “habitual”—-na- covers both simple and habitual present.

Why is there no kwa before barua pepe? Shouldn’t we say “by email”?

Verbs like tumia (“to use”) take a direct object without a preposition.

• You say ninatumia barua pepe = “I use email.”
• You do use kwa in contexts like “sent by email” (ilipokelewa kwa barua pepe), but not when tumia directly takes its object.

What does barua pepe mean? Is it exactly “email”?

Yes. It’s the Swahili term for “email.”

• barua = “letter”
• pepe ≈ “electron/byte” in this technical sense
  Put together, barua pepe literally “electronic letter,” i.e. “email.”

What is kuwasiliana? Why does it start with ku-?

kuwasiliana is the infinitive (“to communicate”) of the reciprocal verb -wasiliana (“communicate with each other”).

• ku- marks the infinitive (just like English “to …”).
• -wasilisha = “to deliver,” so -wasiliana = “to deliver back and forth” → “to communicate.”
  Here it shows purpose: ninatumia barua pepe kuwasiliana… = “I use email in order to communicate…”

Why is na used before marafiki? What does it mean here?

In kuwasiliana na marafiki, na is a preposition meaning “with.” It links the action “communicate” to the people you communicate with—in this case, marafiki (“friends”).

Can you explain marafiki and how to form the singular?

marafiki is the plural of rafiki (“friend”).

• Singular rafiki belongs to noun class 9 (no prefix).
• Plural marafiki uses class 6 prefix ma-.
  So: rafiki = one friend, marafiki = friends.

What does kila siku mean, and can I move it around in the sentence?

kila siku means “every day” or “daily.” It’s an adverb of time and can appear at the start or end of the sentence without changing the meaning:

• Kila siku ninatumia barua pepe…
• Ninatumia barua pepe kila siku.
  Both mean “Every day I use email…” / “I use email every day.”