Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunapima uzito wa maembe kwa mizani hii ndogo. - We measure the weight of mangoes with this small scale.

tu- = we (subject prefix)
-na- = present tense marker (often “are …-ing” or simple present)
pima = measure/weigh (verb root) So tu + na + pima → Tunapima = “we measure/we are measuring.”

Does Tunapima mean “we weigh” or “we are weighing”?

Both are possible. The present marker -na- commonly covers both simple present and present progressive. Context decides:

Habitual/general: “We weigh the mangoes …”
Right now: “We are weighing the mangoes …”

How do I make the sentence negative?

Drop the -na-, use the negative subject prefix, and change the final -a of the verb to -i:

Hatupimi uzito wa maembe kwa mizani hii ndogo. = We are not weighing the weight of the mangoes with this small scale.

Why is it uzito wa maembe and not uzito ya maembe?

The “of” linker is the associative -a, and it agrees with the head noun, which is uzito (weight). Uzito is in the U- class (often labeled 11/14), which takes wa for “of.” So it’s uzito wa …, regardless of what follows. Examples:

uzito wa maembe (weight of mangoes)
jina la mtoto (name of the child; head noun is jina → class 5 → la)
kitabu cha mwalimu (book of the teacher; head noun is kitabu → class 7 → cha)

What are the singular and plural for “mango,” and why is it maembe here?

Singular: embe (class 5)
Plural: maembe (class 6) In the sentence we’re talking about more than one mango, hence maembe.

What noun class is mizani, and is it singular or plural here?

mizani (scale/balance) belongs to the N class (9/10), where singular and plural often look the same. Here it’s singular, signaled by the demonstrative hii (“this”). Plural would be hizi (“these”):

Singular: mizani hii ndogo = this small scale
Plural: mizani hizi ndogo = these small scales

Why are the forms hii and ndogo used with mizani?

Because mizani is in the N class (9/10):

Proximal demonstrative (this/these): hii (sg.), hizi (pl.)
Adjective “small” with N-class nouns: ndogo (both sg. and pl.) Hence mizani hii ndogo (this small scale).

Why is it ndogo and not kidogo?

ndogo is the adjective “small” agreeing with the noun (here, N class).
kidogo usually means “a little/a bit” (quantity/degree) or is the class 7 adjective form. So “a small scale” is mizani ndogo, not “mizani kidogo.”

Could I drop uzito and just say Tunapima maembe?

Yes. pima by itself often implies weighing when the context includes a scale. Both are natural:

Tunapima maembe kwa mizani hii ndogo. (We weigh the mangoes with this small scale.)
Tunapima uzito wa maembe … (We measure the weight of the mangoes …) — more explicit.

Why use kwa before mizani? Can I use na?

kwa marks the instrument/means (“with/by means of”): kwa mizani = with a scale. Many speakers also use na for the instrument in everyday speech, but kwa (or kwa kutumia = “by using”) is the standard way to mark instruments:

… kwa mizani hii ndogo
… kwa kutumia mizani hii ndogo
Colloquial: … na mizani hii ndogo

Is the word order mizani hii ndogo fixed? Can I say mizani ndogo hii?

Both orders are possible. Default and very common is noun + demonstrative + adjective: mizani hii ndogo. You can also say mizani ndogo hii, which tends to give a bit more emphasis to the adjective (“this small scale” as opposed to some other type). Preposing the demonstrative (hii mizani ndogo) is also possible for emphasis, but noun-first is the safest default.

How would I say “with these small scales” (plural)?

Change the demonstrative to the plural form and keep the adjective the same (N class keeps ndogo):

kwa mizani hizi ndogo

How do I say it in the past or future?

Past: Tulipima uzito wa maembe kwa mizani hii ndogo. (We weighed …)
Future: Tutapima uzito wa maembe kwa mizani hii ndogo. (We will weigh …)

What exactly does pima mean? Is it only “weigh”?

pima means “measure, test, assess,” and by extension “weigh.” The object or context tells you what is being measured:

pima uzito = measure weight (weigh)
pima joto = take temperature
pima urefu = measure length
pima damu = test blood (e.g., for malaria, sugar)