Learn Hardcore Swahili: Asha aliingia darasani, akasalimia kila mtu, akaanza kuandika kwenye ubao. - Asha entered the classroom, greeted everyone, then started writing on the board.

The infix -ka- is the consecutive (or narrative) marker. It links actions in sequence, roughly “and then.”
It does not carry its own tense; it inherits the time/aspect set earlier in the discourse.
Here, aliingia (simple past) sets the time. Then akasalimia, akaanza mean “(and then) greeted,” “(and then) began.”

Why is the first verb aliingia in simple past, but the next ones use -ka- instead of also being simple past?

Typical Swahili narrative: set the tense with the first verb (a-li-ingia = she entered), then continue the chain with -ka- forms.
You could say all in simple past (e.g., “aliingia, alisalimia, alianza…”), but using -ka- is more natural and explicitly marks the sequence.

Could I add “and” (na) before the aka- verbs?

Yes, you can say: Asha aliingia darasani, na akasalimia kila mtu, na akaanza…
It’s also fine to use kisha or halafu (“then”): …, kisha akasalimia…, halafu akaanza…
In polished narrative, commas plus -ka- often suffice without “na.”

Can a sentence begin with aka- (e.g., “Akaingia darasani…”)?

Generally no. -ka- depends on a prior clause or context to supply the tense/aspect. Starting a new sentence with aka- is usually avoided unless the tense was clearly set just before.

How is aliingia built morphologically?

a- (3rd person singular subject for class 1: he/she) + -li- (simple past) + ingia (enter).
So a-li-ingia = “she entered.”

How are akasalimia and akaanza built?

a- (3sg subject) + -ka- (consecutive) + verb.
a-ka-salimia = “and then she greeted.”
a-ka-anza = “and then she began.” The double “a” in akaanza is just ka + anza side by side; it’s not a separate word.

Why is it darasani instead of just darasa?

The suffix -ni marks a locative (“in/at/into”). With motion verbs like ingia (“enter”), you typically use the locative: aliingia darasani = “she entered the classroom.”
Without -ni (aliingia darasa) is less standard and can sound off in careful speech.

Could I say aliingia katika darasa or aliingia kwenye darasa?

You can say aliingia katika darasa; it is grammatical but more formal/literary.
aliingia kwenye darasa is heard but less idiomatic than darasani in many contexts.
Safest, most natural choice here is darasani.

Why is it kwenye ubao and not ubaoni?

Both are acceptable:
- kwenye ubao = “on the board” using the preposition kwenye (“in/at/on”).
- ubaoni = ubao
  - -ni locative (“on the board”).
Regional/style preference varies. Ubaoni is compact; kwenye ubao is very common in everyday speech.

Could I say akaandika kwenye ubao instead of akaanza kuandika kwenye ubao?

Yes, but it changes the meaning:
- akaandika = “and then she wrote.”
- akaanza kuandika = “and then she began to write,” highlighting the start of the action rather than its completion.

Why is it kuandika (to write) after akaanza?

Verbs like anza (“begin”), anza + ku- + (verb) take an infinitive complement:
- akaanza kuandika = “she began to write.”
Using another aka- there (akaandika) would start a new action, not a complement.

Does kila mtu mean the same as watu wote?

Should there be an object marker in akasalimia kila mtu (e.g., akamsalimia or akawasalimia)?

Not necessary. The overt object kila mtu serves as the object.
Object markers can co-occur with a full object for topicalization/emphasis (e.g., akawasalimia watu wote), but are not required here.
If you did add one, for a singular human object it would be -m- (e.g., akamsalimia “she greeted him/her”), not -wa-, which is plural “them.”

Where is the pronoun “she”? Why isn’t it written?

Swahili marks the subject on the verb. a- already means “he/she.”
The noun Asha names the subject; adding yeye (“she”) is only for emphasis/contrast.

Are the commas required? There’s no “and.”

Commas are normal to separate short consecutive clauses, especially with -ka-. They’re not absolutely required but improve readability.
You may also add na/kisha/halafu if you prefer explicit connectors.

Does -ka- always imply immediate next action?

It marks sequence, often perceived as “next,” but it doesn’t guarantee immediacy. Context supplies how quickly things followed.

Can -ka- be used with other tenses, or only after the past?

It’s most common after a past or perfect that sets the timeline, and after imperatives/subjunctives to chain instructions (e.g., Nenda ukamwone…).
After a future, many speakers prefer explicit connectors (kisha/halafu) rather than -ka-, though usage varies by style and region.

How would you negate the middle action (“didn’t greet anyone”) and still keep the sequence?

You negate that clause normally and can keep -ka- for what follows:
- Asha aliingia darasani, hakumsalimia mtu yeyote, akaanza kuandika kwenye ubao.
- Breakdown of the negative: ha-ku-m-salimia = “did not greet him/her”; with mtu yeyote it means “didn’t greet anyone.” Adjust object marker as needed or omit it: hakusalimia mtu yeyote is also common.

Is there anything special about the double “a” in akaanza?

It comes from -ka-
- anza. Orthographically both “a”s appear: ka-anza → kaanza. It’s not a separate word; pronounce it smoothly as one verb form.