Learn Hardcore Swahili: Juma anachukia foleni ndefu sokoni. - Juma hates long queues at the market.

It marks the general present (ongoing or habitual). With a stative verb like -chukia (to hate), Swahili uses -na- even for a general truth. So anachukia naturally corresponds to English “hates,” not “is hating.”

Can you break down the verb anachukia?

Yes:

a- = subject marker for 3rd person singular (he/she)
-na- = present/ongoing or habitual
-chukia = verb “to hate” So: a-na-chukia → “he/she hates.”

How do I negate the verb here?

Use the negative subject marker and change the final -a to -i:

Affirmative: anachukia
Negative: ha-chuki-i → spelled hachukii Full sentence: Juma hachukii foleni ndefu sokoni.

Why is it ndefu and not refu after foleni?

Adjectives agree with the noun class. Foleni is in class 9/10 (the N-class). The adjective for “long/tall,” whose base is -refu, takes an N-class prefix that assimilates to give ndefu. Hence: foleni ndefu.
Contrast: mtu mrefu (class 1/2), but barua ndefu, nywele ndefu (class 9/10).

Where do adjectives go in Swahili?

They follow the noun they modify. That’s why it’s foleni ndefu (“long queue”), not the other way around.

What noun class is foleni, and how is its plural formed?

Foleni is class 9/10 (N-class).
Singular and plural often look the same in this class, so foleni can be singular or plural from form alone.
The adjective ndefu also stays the same for both numbers in class 9/10.
Context tells you whether it’s one long queue or long queues. You can add a quantifier to clarify: foleni ndefu nyingi (“many long queues”).

What does the -ni on sokoni do?

-ni is a locative suffix meaning “at/in/on/to (a place).”

soko = market
sokoni = at/to the market (location/destination inferred from context)

Could sokoni mean both “at the market” and “to the market”?

Yes. -ni is a general locative. Without more context, sokoni can mean “at the market” or “to the market.” If you need to be explicit, you can use verbs or adverbs that disambiguate, or use prepositions like kwenye/katika.

Are there other natural ways to say “at the market” here?

Yes:

kwenye soko (very common, informal to neutral)
katika soko (more formal/literary) All are fine: … foleni ndefu sokoni / kwenye soko / katika soko.

What’s the default word order, and can sokoni move?

Default is SVO, with locatives typically after the object: Juma [S] anachukia [V] foleni ndefu [O] sokoni [Loc].
You can front the location for emphasis or topic: Sokoni, Juma anachukia foleni ndefu.

Is there any article like “a/the” in foleni ndefu?

Swahili has no articles. Foleni ndefu can be “a long queue,” “the long queue,” or “long queues,” depending on context. Use demonstratives or quantifiers if you need to specify, e.g., ile foleni ndefu (“that long queue”), foleni ndefu nyingi (“many long queues”).

Could I say mistari mirefu instead of foleni ndefu?

Yes, especially if you mean literal lines of people:

mstari/mistari = line(s)
mrefu/mirefu = long (class 3/4 or 1/2 for people; here it matches mistari in class 4 → mirefu) So: Juma anachukia mistari mirefu sokoni.
Note: foleni can also refer to a traffic jam; if you mean that, you might specify foleni ya magari.

Is -chukia the only way to express dislike? What about -penda?

-chukia = to hate (strong)
-penda = to like/love; its negation gives “dislike”: hapendi
So a milder version is: Juma hapendi foleni ndefu sokoni (“Juma doesn’t like long queues at the market”), which is softer than anachukia.

How can I add emphasis like “really hates”?

Common intensifiers:

sana (very): Juma anachukia sana foleni ndefu sokoni.
kabisa (completely/absolutely): Juma anachukia kabisa foleni ndefu sokoni. You can use both for strong emphasis: … sana kabisa (colloquial).

Can I add an object marker for foleni?

You can, but it’s typically used when the object is already known/topicalized or when the object comes before the verb. Class 9/10 object marker is -i-:

Juma anaichukia foleni ndefu sokoni. This sounds like you’re emphasizing a specific, already-mentioned queue. In neutral, first-mention contexts, the version without the object marker is more natural.

How would I ask “Does Juma hate long queues at the market?” in Swahili?

Several natural options:

Yes/no particle: Je, Juma anachukia foleni ndefu sokoni?
Rising intonation (speech): Juma anachukia foleni ndefu sokoni?
Tag: Juma anachukia foleni ndefu sokoni, siyo? (informal)
All are understood as yes/no questions.