Learn Hardcore Swahili: Baada ya kunawa na kupiga mswaki, tulisema kwaheri na kwenda kulala. - After washing and brushing our teeth, we said goodbye and went to sleep.

In Swahili, baada ya is followed by a noun. To say “after doing X,” you turn the verb into a verbal noun by using its infinitive: baada ya ku- + verb. So: baada ya kunawa (after washing up), baada ya kupiga mswaki (after brushing). The ya is required because baada behaves like a noun (“the after of …”). Compare: kabla ya ku- (before doing), bila ku- (without doing).

What exactly does kunawa mean, and how is it different from kuosha or kuoga?

kunawa: to wash/rinse one’s hands/face (quick wash, often at a sink).
kuosha: to wash something (transitive), e.g., kuosha mikono/uso (wash hands/face), kuosha sahani (wash dishes).
kuoga: to bathe/shower (wash the whole body). In the sentence, kunawa suggests a quick washup (hands/face) before bed.

Why is it kupiga mswaki for “to brush teeth”? Doesn’t piga mean “hit”?

Yes, the basic meaning of piga is “hit/strike,” but it appears in many idioms where English uses different verbs. kupiga mswaki literally “to do/use a toothbrush” = brush one’s teeth. Similar collocations:

kupiga picha (take a photo)
kupiga simu (make a phone call)
kupiga deki (scrub a floor)
kupiga kelele (make noise)

Is the na in kunawa na kupiga mswaki the same na as “with”?

It’s the same word, but here it means “and” (joining two actions). na can mean “and,” “with,” or “by,” depending on context. In this case it simply coordinates the two infinitives.

Can kunawa take an object, or is it always objectless?

You can use it without an object to mean “wash up,” but it can also take logical body-part objects: kunawa mikono (wash hands), kunawa uso (wash the face). In finite forms: nawa mikono, ananawa uso, etc.

How is tulisema built morphologically?

tu- = 1st person plural subject prefix (“we”)
-li- = past tense marker
sema = verb stem “say” So tu-li-sema = “we said.”

Why does the second part say … tulisema kwaheri na kwenda kulala instead of conjugating again (e.g., tukaenda or tulienda)?

Swahili often avoids repeating a finite verb by using na + infinitive to show a subsequent action with the same subject: “… we said goodbye and (then) go to sleep.” All of these are acceptable, with small stylistic differences:

… tulisema kwaheri na kwenda kulala (neutral, less repetition)
… tukasema kwaheri, tukaenda kulala (narrative, step-by-step feel)
… tulisema kwaheri, tulienda kulala (straightforward “we went”)

Is kwenda irregular? Why not kuenda?

The verb is -enda (“go”). Its infinitive is conventionally kwenda (noted as irregular). You’ll see kuenda in some writing, but the standard dictionary form is kwenda. When you conjugate, you drop the infinitive ku-/kw- and add normal prefixes: tunaenda, tulienda, nitaenda (not “tulikwenda”).

What does the structure kwenda kulala express?

It’s “go to sleep,” literally “go to lie down/sleep.” The second infinitive kulala expresses purpose after kwenda: go (in order) to sleep. You could also just say tulilala (“we slept”), but kwenda kulala emphasizes the act of going to bed.

Is kwaheri the correct spelling? What about kwa heri or addressing several people?

Both kwaheri (one word) and kwa heri (two words) are common. To address more than one person, use kwaherini/kwa herini. Another common verb is kuaga (“to say goodbye”): tukaaga = “and then we took leave.”

Why is na used twice—once between kunawa and kupiga mswaki, and again before kwenda kulala?

First na: joins two parallel infinitives after baada ya (“after washing up and brushing …”).
Second na: links the completed clause tulisema kwaheri to a following action kwenda kulala, with the subject understood to be the same. It’s a compact way to indicate sequence without repeating conjugation.

Could I use something like kisha or halafu instead of the second na?

Yes. For clear sequencing you can say:

… tulisema kwaheri, kisha tukaenda kulala.
… tulisema kwaheri, halafu tukaenda kulala. These sound very natural in narratives.

Is the comma after the baada ya… clause required?

Not strictly. It’s often included for readability when a fronted time clause precedes the main clause. You’ll see both with and without a comma in practice.

How would I negate such “after doing” phrases?

Use kuto- before the infinitive, or use bila ku-:

Baada ya kutooga, … (after not bathing, …)
Bila kunawa, … (without washing up, …) Similarly: kabla ya kuto- (before not doing …), though many prefer rephrasing to avoid double negatives.