Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tumia nenosiri imara kila mahali; ndiko usalama huanzia. - Use a strong password everywhere; that is where security begins.

It’s the second-person singular imperative of kutumia “to use,” so it’s a direct instruction: “Use…”. For addressing more than one person, use the plural imperative tumieni. To soften it, add tafadhali (please): Tafadhali tumia… or Tafadhali tumieni….

Why is the adjective after the noun in nenosiri imara?

In Swahili, descriptive adjectives generally follow the noun they modify. So nenosiri imara is “a strong password.”

Does the adjective imara agree with the noun class of nenosiri?

Imara is one of the invariable adjectives; it doesn’t change form for noun class or number. You say nenosiri imara, manenosiri imara, mti imara, miti imara, etc.

What noun class is nenosiri, and what’s its plural?

Nenosiri is in the JI/MA class (Class 5/6). The regular plural would be manenosiri, though in practice people rarely pluralize “password” and would just talk about “passwords” in context or switch to a different phrasing.

Is nenosiri always one word? I’ve seen neno la siri and nywila.

All three occur. Nenosiri (one word) is very common. Neno la siri literally “secret word” is also understood. Nywila is widely used (especially in Tanzania) for “password.” Context and regional preference determine which you see.

What does kila mahali literally mean, and why is mahali singular?

Kila means “every” and always takes a singular noun. Mahali is “place,” so kila mahali = “every place,” i.e., “everywhere.”

Could I say kila sehemu, kote kote, or popote instead of kila mahali?

Yes, with nuance:

kila sehemu ≈ “every place/part,” close to “everywhere.”
kote kote = “all over (the place),” emphatic.
popote = “anywhere,” more like “wherever.” All would be understood; kila mahali is a neutral “everywhere.”

What is ndiko, exactly?

Ndiko is the focus form built from ndi- (focus/emphasis) + the locative pronoun -ko. It means “that’s where.” It points back to kila mahali and emphasizes the location: “everywhere—that’s where…”

Why ndiko and not ndipo or ndimo?

Swahili has three locative sets:

-po for a specific/definite place (e.g., “here/there” in a particular spot),
-ko for a general/unspecified place,
-mo for “inside/within.” Because kila mahali is general/unspecified, ndiko (the -ko set) matches best. You’d use ndipo with something like hapo, and ndimo with an interior like ndani.

What does the prefix hu- in huanzia do?

Hu- is the habitual/generic tense marker. It states a general truth or regular tendency: usalama huanzia… = “security begins (generally) from…”. With hu-, you don’t use a subject marker on the verb; the subject (here usalama) is just a noun phrase before the verb.

Why huanzia and not huanza?

Anza = “begin,” while anzia = “begin from/at (a place/source).” Because ndiko highlights a place, huanzia (“begins from there”) is the precise choice.

Could I say Usalama unaanza instead of usalama huanzia?

You could, but it changes the meaning. Unaanza (na-tense) is a here-and-now or ongoing present (“is starting”). The sentence wants a general principle, so the habitual hu- is better: usalama huanzia…

Why is the order ndiko usalama huanzia and not usalama huanzia ndiko?

Fronting ndiko places focus on the location: “It is there (i.e., everywhere) that security begins.” This ndi- construction is a common way to emphasize the focal element in Swahili.

Is the semicolon necessary in kila mahali; ndiko…?

Not required; it’s stylistic. You could use a period, colon, or dash: kila mahali. Ndiko… / kila mahali: ndiko… The meaning stays the same.