Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunahitaji kukusanya taarifa kabla ya mkutano. - We need to collect information before the meeting.

tu- = we (1st person plural subject prefix)
-na- = present/ongoing/habitual tense marker
-hitaji = need (verb stem) So Tunahitaji = we + present + need → “we need.”

Why does kukusanya seem to have ku twice?

You’re seeing the infinitive marker ku- attached to a verb that itself starts with the syllable “ku…”. The standard infinitive you use after verbs like tunahitaji is kukusanya (to collect/gather). Don’t overthink the “double ku”—this is the normal, correct form for this verb in the infinitive.

Could I say Tunahitaji kusanya taarifa instead?

No. Use the full infinitive kukusanya. Saying kusanya alone here sounds incomplete/incorrect. The natural sentence is Tunahitaji kukusanya taarifa…

What’s the difference between Tunahitaji and Tunataka?

Tunahitaji = we need (necessity/requirement)
Tunataka = we want (desire) Both can take an infinitive after them, e.g. Tunahitaji/Tunataka kukusanya taarifa…, but they express different modality.

How would I negate the sentence?

Change the subject marker to negative and drop -na-:

Hatuhitaji kukusanya taarifa kabla ya mkutano. = We don’t need to collect information before the meeting.

Why is it kabla ya mkutano and not kabla wa mkutano?

With temporal expressions, kabla ya (before) and baada ya (after) take the fixed connector ya, regardless of the noun class of the following noun. Hence: kabla ya mkutano, baada ya mkutano.

What’s the plural of mkutano?

Class M/MI:

singular: mkutano (meeting)
plural: mikutano (meetings) Example: kabla ya mikutano = before the meetings.

Is taarifa singular or plural?

Taarifa is an N-class noun whose form doesn’t change for number; context tells you whether it’s “information” (uncountable), “a report,” or “reports.” If you need to force singular/plural:

singular: taarifa hii/hiyo (this/that report)
plural: taarifa hizi/hizo (these/those reports)

How do I say the information (specific) instead of just information?

Use a demonstrative or a possessive to make it specific:

taarifa hiyo = that (specific) information/report
taarifa hizi = these reports
taarifa zetu = our information

What’s the difference between kukusanya and tunakusanya?

kukusanya = to collect (infinitive)
tunakusanya = we are collecting/we collect (present). For example: Tunakusanya taarifa = We are collecting information.

Can I use an object marker with taarifa?

Yes, if the object is understood from context. For N-class plural (as “reports”/“pieces of info”), use zi-:

Tunahitaji kuzikusanya. = We need to collect them (the pieces of information). If you keep the noun, you don’t add the object marker: Tunahitaji kukusanya taarifa.

How do I say after the meeting instead of before the meeting?

Use baada ya:

… baada ya mkutano. = … after the meeting.

Can I say before the meeting starts?

Yes:

… kabla ya mkutano kuanza.
Alternatively: … kabla ya kuanza kwa mkutano. (more formal/literary)

Are there other common words for information in this context?

Yes, depending on nuance:

taarifa = information/report(s) (formal/official)
habari = news/information (general)
maelezo = details/explanations
takwimu = statistics/data (quantitative)

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

Tunahitaji: too-nah-hee-TAH-jee
kukusanya: koo-koo-SAN-yah
taarifa: taa-REE-fah (long “aa”)
kabla: KAHB-lah
mkutano: mkoo-TAH-no

Is word order flexible here?

The neutral order is Subject–Tense–Verb(+infinitive)–Object–Prepositional phrase:

Tunahitaji (S+T+V) kukusanya (infinitive) taarifa (object) kabla ya mkutano (time phrase). Moving elements for emphasis is possible in Swahili, but this neutral order is best for learners.