Learn Hardcore Swahili: Leo tutapima urefu wa daraja hili. - Today we will measure the length of this bridge.

Present/habitual: tunapima = “we (are) measure(ing)”
Past: tulipima = “we measured”
Perfect/experiential: tumepima = “we have measured”
Future progressive: tutakuwa tunapima or tutakuwa tukipima = “we will be measuring”

How do I negate the sentence?

Use the negative subject prefix for “we” (hatu-) and keep the future -ta-:

Leo hatutapima urefu wa daraja hili. = “Today we will not measure the length of this bridge.”

Note: in negative future, the verb still ends in -a (no change to -i).

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Add Je, at the start: Je, tutapima urefu wa daraja hili leo?
Or simply use rising intonation: Tutapima urefu wa daraja hili leo?

What exactly does urefu cover—length or height?

Urefu is an abstract noun meaning “length/height/tallness.” Context decides:

For long horizontal things (roads, bridges), it’s “length.”
For people or upright objects, it’s often “height.” Related terms:
upana = “width”
unene/ubebaji (contextual) = “thickness”
kimo = “stature/height (esp. of a person)”

Why is the linker wa used in urefu wa daraja hili?

In “NOUN of NOUN,” Swahili uses a linker that agrees with the head noun (the first noun).

Head noun here: urefu (an abstract u- noun, class 14)
Class 14 takes the linker wa Hence: urefu wa daraja hili = “length of this bridge,” with wa agreeing with urefu, not with daraja.

If the head noun were daraja, you’d use the class-5 linker la: e.g., daraja la chuma (“a metal bridge”).

What noun classes are involved in daraja hili?

daraja “bridge” is class 5 (plural class 6: madaraja).
The class-5 demonstrative “this” is hili; plural “these” is class-6 haya. So:
Singular: daraja hili = “this bridge”
Plural: madaraja haya = “these bridges”

Can the demonstrative come before the noun (e.g., hili daraja)?

The neutral, most common order is noun + demonstrative: daraja hili. Preposing the demonstrative (hili daraja) occurs for emphasis or in certain styles, but it’s best to stick to daraja hili until you’re comfortable with marked word orders.

Where can I place Leo in the sentence?

Time words are flexible:

Leo tutapima urefu wa daraja hili.
Tutapima urefu wa daraja hili leo. Both are fine. Putting Leo first slightly foregrounds “today.”

Could I replace “length of this bridge” with an object marker so I don’t repeat it?

Yes, if the object is already known in the discourse. The object marker for class 14 (urefu) is u-. It slots before the verb root:

Leo tutaupima (urefu wa daraja hili). Here tutaupima = tu- (we) + ta- (future) + u- (it, class 14) + pima (measure). If the full noun phrase follows in the same clause, the extra object marker adds definiteness/emphasis; otherwise, you can omit the noun phrase if context is clear: Leo tutaupima.

Why is it daraja hili and not daraja huu or daraja hii?

Demonstratives must agree with the noun class:

Class 5 singular uses hili.
huu is class 3 (e.g., mti huu “this tree”).
hii is class 9 (e.g., nyumba hii “this house”). So with daraja (class 5), it must be hili.

What if I want “that bridge” instead of “this bridge”?

Use the class-5 series:

Near speaker: hili = “this”
Near listener / previously mentioned: hilo = “that”
Far from both: lile = “that (over there)” Example: Leo tutapima urefu wa daraja lile.

Is there any comma after Leo?

No comma is required. You can write Leo tutapima … without punctuation after Leo. A comma can be used stylistically, but it isn’t necessary.

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

Swahili stress is typically on the second-to-last syllable.
Leo: LE-o
tutapima: tu-ta-PI-ma
urefu: u-RE-fu
daraja: da-RA-ja (the j is like English “jam”)
hili: HI-li