Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mimi ninatumia kipanya na kibodi kuandika barua pepe jioni. - I use a mouse and a keyboard to write an email in the evening.

More neutral/natural: Ninatumia kipanya na kibodi kuandika barua pepe jioni.
With emphasis/contrast: Mimi ninatumia… (implies “As for me…” or contrasts with someone else).

What is the structure of ninatumia?

It’s a single verb made of:

ni- = I (1st person singular subject marker)
-na- = present tense marker
tumia = verb stem “use” So ni-na-tumia → ninatumia = “I am using / I use.”

Other persons:

unatumia (you sg.)
anatumia (he/she)
tunatumia (we)
mnatumia (you pl.)
wanatumia (they)

Does the present marker -na- mean “am doing right now,” or can it also mean a habitual action?

Both. -na- covers ongoing and general present:

Ongoing: Sasa hivi ninatumia kipanya. (I’m using a mouse right now.)
General/habit: Ninatumia kipanya kila siku. (I use a mouse every day.)

For a clearly habitual meaning, Swahili also has hu-:
Mimi hutumia kipanya kila jioni. (I usually use a mouse every evening.)
Note: hu- does not take a subject prefix on the verb; the subject is understood from context or stated before the verb.

Why is kuandika used after kutumia?

ku- + verb stem is the infinitive “to …”. After verbs like kutumia (to use), Swahili commonly uses an infinitive to show purpose:

… ninatumia X kuandika Y = “… I use X to write Y.”

Could I say ili kuandika or kwa kuandika instead of just kuandika?

ili kuandika = “in order to write” (explicit purpose; a bit more formal/emphatic).
kwa kuandika = “by writing” (method/manner). In your sentence, plain kuandika is perfectly natural. ili kuandika is also fine; kwa kuandika would change the nuance to “by means of writing.”

Does na here mean “and” or “with”? How do I say “with (an instrument)”?

Here na means “and”: kipanya na kibodi = “mouse and keyboard.”
na can also mean “with (accompaniment): Ninakuja na rafiki (I’m coming with a friend).
For instruments/means, Swahili often uses kwa: Naandika kwa kalamu (I write with a pen). But since your verb is kutumia “to use,” you simply list the tools after it.

Why is there no word for “in” before jioni?

Time-of-day words are adverbial and don’t need a preposition:

asubuhi (in the morning)
mchana (in the afternoon/daytime)
jioni (in the evening)
usiku (at night)

So … barua pepe jioni = “… email in the evening.”

Where can I place jioni in the sentence?

Common options:

End-focus: Ninatumia … kuandika barua pepe jioni.
Fronted for emphasis: Jioni, ninatumia … kuandika barua pepe. Both are correct. End placement is very common.

Why kipanya and not panya? Is kipanya standard for a computer mouse?

panya is a rodent (mouse/rat). kipanya uses the Ki-/Vi- noun class, which often covers tools/devices; it’s commonly used for a computer mouse. You may also hear alternatives like panya wa kompyuta or informal borrowings (e.g., mausi in some areas), but kipanya is widely understood.

What are the plurals of kipanya and kibodi?

They’re in the Ki-/Vi- class:

kipanya → vipanya (mice, computer mice)
kibodi → vibodi (keyboards; less commonly needed, but grammatically correct)

Is kibodi the only word for “keyboard”? What about kinanda?

kibodi (from English “keyboard”) is standard for a computer keyboard.
kinanda is a musical keyboard (like an electronic keyboard/piano), not a computer keyboard.

Is barua pepe one word or two? Are there other ways to say “email”?

You’ll see both barua pepe (two words) and baruapepe (one word); both are acceptable, with the two-word form very common. Colloquial borrowings like imeili/imeli also occur, but barua pepe is the standard taught form.

Do I need an object marker for barua pepe on the verb?

No. You only add an object marker when the object is specific/known and you want to reference it on the verb. Here, kuandika barua pepe is a straightforward verb + object. If the email were already known in context, you could say, for example:

Ninaiandika. (I’m writing it.)
Here -i- is the object marker for a singular N-class noun like barua.

How do I negate this sentence?

Use the negative subject prefix and adjust the verb ending:

Mimi situmii kipanya na kibodi kuandika barua pepe jioni. (I don’t use a mouse and keyboard to write email in the evening.) Pattern: si- (I, negative) + verb stem + final -i (present negative).

Can I reword it to sound more natural or to vary the focus?

Yes, for example:

Tool focus at the end: Ninaandika barua pepe jioni kwa kutumia kipanya na kibodi.
Time fronted: Jioni, ninatumia kipanya na kibodi kuandika barua pepe. All are natural; choose based on what you want to emphasize (time, action, or tools).

How do I say “this evening” or “every evening”?

this evening: jioni hii or jioni ya leo
every evening: kila jioni
Examples:
Ninaandika barua pepe jioni hii.
Ninaandika barua pepe kila jioni.