Learn Hardcore Swahili: Sisi tuna shida kupanga ratiba yetu bila kalenda. - We have trouble planning our schedule without a calendar.

Sisi is the 1st person plural pronoun “we.” In Swahili the verb already carries a subject prefix (tu- in tuna), so Sisi is optional. It’s used here for emphasis or clarity. You could simply say Tuna shida kupanga ratiba yetu bila kalenda and still mean “We have trouble scheduling our timetable without a calendar.”

Why do we use tuna shida instead of a single verb like tunashindwa?

Tuna shida literally means “we have trouble.” It’s a noun-verb construction: tuna (“we have”) + shida (“trouble”).

Tunashindwa (“we fail”) is a valid verb but changes the nuance to “we fail to plan.”
Tunapata shida (“we get into trouble”) is also possible, but tuna shida is the most direct way to say “we find it difficult.”

Why is kupanga in the infinitive form after tuna shida?

In Swahili, certain verbs or expressions of ability/difficulty (like kuwa na shida, “to have trouble”) are followed by an infinitive. So after shida, you use kupanga (“to plan”) rather than a conjugated verb. It functions as the complement of shida.

What does ratiba mean, and why is it necessary here?

Ratiba is a noun from Arabic meaning “schedule” or “timetable.” Since kupanga is transitive, it needs an object. Here the object is ratiba yetu (“our schedule”), telling us what we have trouble planning.

Why is the possessive yetu used and not etu?

Possessive pronouns in Swahili agree with noun classes.

Ratiba belongs to noun class 9/10, which takes yetu for “our.”
Class 5/6 nouns take etu.
Hence ratiba yetu = “our schedule,” not ratiba etu.

What does bila mean, and could we say pasina instead?

Bila means “without.” It’s often more formal/standard, borrowed from Arabic. Pasina means the same thing and is common in everyday speech. You can use either:

bila kalenda
pasina kalenda

Why is kalenda used here instead of tarehe?

Kalenda means “calendar” (the physical object or system).
Tarehe means “date” (a specific day).
To organize a schedule you need a calendar, so kalenda is correct. Bila tarehe would mean “without a date,” which doesn’t convey the same idea.

How do you form the plural of kalenda?

As a loanword in class 9/10, kalenda usually stays the same in plural: kalenda. If you want to emphasize plurality you can add an adjective: kalenda nyingi (“many calendars”).