Learn Hardcore Swahili: Nimevutiwa na huduma nzuri sokoni. - I am impressed by the good service at the market.

Ni- is the subject marker for “I,” and -me- is the perfect aspect marker in Swahili, so together nime- signals “I have ….” When you see Nimevutiwa, it literally means “I have been impressed/attracted.”

How is the passive voice formed in Nimevutiwa?

You start with the verb root -vutia (to attract/impress), add the passive suffix -w- plus the vowel -a → vutiwa, then insert your tense/aspect markers before that:
Ni- + -me- + vutiwa → Nimevutiwa (“I have been impressed”).

What function does na serve in Nimevutiwa na huduma nzuri sokoni?

Here na is a preposition meaning “by” or “with,” introducing the cause or agent in a passive sentence. So na huduma nzuri means “by good service” (i.e. you were impressed by the good service).

Why does soko become sokoni?

Swahili uses the locative suffix -ni to express “at/in” a place. Attaching -ni to soko (market) gives sokoni, meaning “at the market.”

Why does the adjective nzuri follow the noun huduma, and why doesn’t it change form?

Most Swahili adjectives come after the noun they modify. Some adjectives take noun-class prefixes, but nzuri is one of the invariable adjectives, so it stays nzuri regardless of the noun class or number of huduma.

How can I rewrite this sentence in active voice?

Make the service the subject and use the active verb. Huduma is class 9, so you use the class-9 subject prefix i- + -me- + object marker -ni- + root -vutia → imenivutia.
Result: Huduma nzuri sokoni imenivutia. (“Good service at the market has impressed me.”)

What is the difference between nimevutiwa and nilivutiwa?

Nimevutiwa (ni-me-vutiwa) is the present perfect: “I have been impressed” (focus on the current relevance or result).
Nilivutiwa (ni-li-vutiwa) is the simple past: “I was impressed” (focus on the past event itself).

Can I omit na and say Nimevutiwa huduma nzuri sokoni?

No. In a passive construction, the thing doing the impressing must be introduced by na (“by/with”). Without na, the sentence becomes ungrammatical and you lose the link to huduma nzuri.

Why can’t I say Nimevutia to mean “I have been impressed”?

Without the passive suffix -w-, nimevutia is active and means “I have attracted (something or someone).” To express that you yourself are impressed, you need the passive form nimevutiwa.