Learn Hardcore Swahili: Shangazi atanifundisha kupika chapati wikendi hii. - Aunt will teach me to cook chapati this weekend.

a- = subject marker for “he/she” (3rd person singular, human)
-ta- = future tense marker (“will”)
-ni- = object marker for “me”
fundish = verb stem “teach”
-a = final vowel (default for many verb forms) So a-ta-ni-fundish-a = “he/she will teach me.”

Why is “me” inside the verb (-ni-) instead of a separate word like mimi?

Swahili commonly marks objects inside the verb using an object marker (here, -ni- for “me”). You can still add the independent pronoun for emphasis:

Neutral: Shangazi atanifundisha … (“My aunt will teach me …”)
Emphatic: Shangazi atanifundisha mimi … (“My aunt will teach me (as opposed to someone else) …”) If you drop the object marker and say Shangazi atafundisha mimi …, it’s understandable but less natural; with human objects, the object marker is preferred.

Can I split atanifundisha into separate words like “ata ni fundisha”?

No. The subject marker, tense marker, and object marker are all bound to the verb. Write it as one word: atanifundisha.

How do I negate the sentence (“will not teach”)?

Use the negative prefix with the future marker:

Shangazi hatanifundisha kupika chapati wikendi hii. Breakdown: ha- (negative, 3sg) + -ta- (future) + -ni- (me) + fundish-a → “She will not teach me …”

How would I say it in the past or present?

Past: Shangazi alinifundisha … (a-li-ni-fundish-a) = “My aunt taught me …”
Present/ongoing: Shangazi ananifundisha … (a-na-ni-fundish-a) = “My aunt is teaching me …”

Why is it kupika “to cook”? Do I always need the ku-?

ku- is the infinitive marker (“to …”). After verbs like fundisha (teach), you use the infinitive for the action being taught:

… atanifundisha kupika chapati = “… will teach me to cook chapati.” Dropping ku- (e.g., “atanifundisha pika”) is ungrammatical.

Is “teach me how to cook” different from “teach me to cook”?

You can make “how to” explicit:

Neutral: atanifundisha kupika chapati
More explicit: atanifundisha jinsi ya kupika chapati or … namna ya kupika chapati (“… will teach me how to cook chapati”)

Could I say atanifundisha chapati?

No. That would read like “will teach me chapati” (as if chapati is the subject matter). You need the verb of the skill: kupika chapati (“to cook chapati”).

Does chapati change in the plural?

In Swahili, chapati is commonly both singular and plural. Number is shown with numerals or context:

chapati moja = one chapati
chapati mbili = two chapatis

Is kupika the right verb for chapati? What about baking?

Yes, kupika is “to cook” (using heat, including pan-frying). Chapati is made on a pan, so kupika chapati is correct. Kuoka means “to bake” (in an oven), which you’d use for bread/cake, not chapati.

Does shangazi mean any aunt or specifically a paternal aunt?

Traditionally, shangazi is your father’s sister (paternal aunt). Many speakers also use it more generally for “aunt.” For maternal aunts, you’ll often hear mama mdogo (mother’s younger sister) or mama mkubwa (mother’s older sister). Context and regional norms matter.

Do I need to say “my aunt” (shangazi yangu)?

If you mean your own aunt, add the possessive:

Shangazi yangu atanifundisha … = “My aunt will teach me …” For this noun, the possessive is yangu (not wangu). Verbal agreement still treats human nouns as class 1, so the verb keeps a- (“she/he”).

Why is it wikendi hii and not wikendi huyu?

Wikendi (“weekend”) is in noun class 9/10, whose proximal demonstrative is hii (“this”). Huyu is for class 1 (people), so it would be wrong here. Thus: wikendi hii = “this weekend.”

Can I put the time phrase at the beginning?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Wikendi hii, shangazi atanifundisha kupika chapati.
Neutral order (very common): … kupika chapati wikendi hii.

Is there another way to say “this weekend”?

Yes:

wikendi hii (widely used)
mwishoni mwa wiki hii (literally “at the end of this week”) Both are natural; choice depends on region and style.

Is the spelling wikendi or wikiendi?

Both appear. Wikendi is common; wikiendi is also used. Pick one and be consistent.

How do I say “My aunt will teach you/them/us …”?

Change the object marker:

You (sg.): atakufundisha
You (pl.): atawafundisha
Us: atatutufundisha? Careful—correct is atatutufundisha? No. The correct form is: atatutufundisha? Wait, you only need one object marker:
- Us: atatutufundisha is wrong; use atatufundisha
- Them: atawafundisha

Full examples:

Shangazi atakufundisha kupika chapati. (you sg.)
Shangazi atawafundisha kupika chapati. (you pl.)
Shangazi atatufundisha kupika chapati. (us)
Shangazi atamfundisha kupika chapati. (him/her)
Shangazi atawafundisha kupika chapati. (them)

How would I make a question like “What will my aunt teach me this weekend?”

Place nini after the verb phrase, or front it with focus:

Neutral: Shangazi atanifundisha nini wikendi hii?
Focused: Nini shangazi atanifundisha wikendi hii?