Learn Hardcore Swahili: Nilikuwa nimepanga mkakati mpya wa kusoma kabla mtihani haujaanza. - I had planned a new study strategy before the exam started.

It expresses the past perfect (pluperfect): an action completed before another past reference point. It’s built by combining the past of kuwa with a perfect:

ni-li-kuwa = I was
ni-me-panga = I have planned Together: Nilikuwa nimepanga = I had planned.

Why not just say Nilipanga?

You can, but it changes the nuance:

Nilipanga = I planned (simple past), with no explicit link to another past event.
Nilikuwa nimepanga = I had planned (completed before some other past event, here: before the exam started). Use the past perfect when you want to anchor your action earlier than another past event.

How would I explicitly say “I had already planned ...”?

Add an “already” expression:

Nilikuwa nimepanga tayari ...
Nilishakuwa nimepanga ... (emphatic/colloquial for “had already”)
Nilikwishapanga ... (formal/literary; same meaning)

Why is haujaanza negative after kabla? Isn’t the exam starting a positive event?

In Swahili, with kabla (before), the embedded clause typically uses the negative perfect ha-...-ja- to mean “had not yet.” So:

kabla mtihani haujaanza literally: before the exam had not yet started. This is the standard way to express “before X started” in many contexts.

Can I say kabla mtihani ulianza or kabla mtihani umeanza?

No. Those are unidiomatic/wrong for “before.” Use either:

Clause with “not yet”: kabla mtihani haujaanza
Or an infinitive/gerund: kabla ya mtihani kuanza or kabla ya kuanza kwa mtihani

When do I use kabla vs kabla ya?

Use bare kabla before a finite clause: kabla mtihani haujaanza.
Use kabla ya before a noun phrase or an infinitive:
- kabla ya mtihani (before the exam)
- kabla ya mtihani kuanza (before the exam starts/starting of the exam)
- kabla ya kuanza kwa mtihani (before the start of the exam)

What does each part of haujaanza mean?

ha- = negative
u- = subject marker for class 3 (agreeing with mtihani)
-ja- = “not yet” (negative perfect)
-anza = start Altogether: ha-u-ja-anza = it (class 3) has not yet started.

Why is it haujaanza and not haijaanza?

Agreement with noun class:

mtihani is class 3, whose subject marker is u- → haujaanza.
If the subject were a class 9 noun like mvua (rain), it would be haijaanza (ha-i-ja-anza).

How would the clause change in the plural: “before the exams started”?

Plural mitihani is class 4, whose subject marker is i-:

kabla mitihani haijaanza (ha-i-ja-anza)

Can I flip the clause order?

Yes. Both are fine:

Nilikuwa nimepanga ... kabla mtihani haujaanza.
Kabla mtihani haujaanza, nilikuwa nimepanga ... Add a comma when the “before”-clause comes first.

What does mkakati mean compared with mpango?

mkakati = strategy (often implies a structured, goal-oriented approach)
mpango = plan/arrangement (broader, can be less strategic) In this sentence, mkakati fits well because it’s a study strategy.

Why is the adjective mpya after the noun in mkakati mpya?

Most adjectives follow the noun in Swahili. Here mpya (new) follows mkakati:

singular class 3: mkakati mpya
plural class 4: mikakati mipya

Why is it wa in mkakati mpya wa kusoma?

The connective -a (“of”) agrees with the class of the head noun (mkakati, class 3). For class 3 singular, it’s wa:

mkakati wa kusoma = strategy of/for studying In the plural (class 4), it becomes ya: mikakati ya kusoma.

Could I say mkakati wa kusomea or just nimepanga kusoma?

mkakati wa kusoma = a study strategy (neutral, standard)
mkakati wa kusomea uses the applicative and can imply “a strategy to study for/at [something/place],” but is less common here.
nimepanga kusoma = I planned to study (no explicit “strategy” noun). Choose based on whether you want to mention a “strategy” or just the action.