Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwanamume huyu ni mtu mzima, lakini ana hofu kidogo kabla ya matokeo. - This man is an adult, but he has a little fear before the results.

mwanamume and mwanaume both mean “man (male person).” Both are correct; mwanaume is more common in contemporary usage, while mwanamume is also acceptable and seen in some regions and older texts.
mume means “husband.” Don’t confuse it with mwana(m)ume.
Plurals:
- mwanaume/mwanamume → wanaume (also seen: wanamume, less common)
- mume → waume (husbands)

Why is huyu placed after the noun (mwanamume huyu) instead of before it?

In neutral style, Swahili usually puts the demonstrative after the noun: mtu huyu (“this person”), mwanaume huyu (“this man”). You can put it before for emphasis: huyu mwanaume (“this very man”).
Also note the three distances in Class 1:

huyu = this (near the speaker)
huyo = that (near the listener/previously mentioned)
yule = that (far away)

How would I make the whole sentence plural: “These men are adults, but they are a little afraid before the results”?

Use Class 2 agreement and plural nouns:

Wanaume hawa ni watu wazima, lakini wana hofu kidogo kabla ya matokeo.
- wanaume (men), hawa (these), watu wazima (adults), wana (they have)

What does ni do here? Is it the verb “to be”?

Yes. ni is the copula “is/are.” It links the subject to a noun or adjective:

Mwanamume huyu ni mtu mzima. = “This man is an adult.” The negative is si:
Mwanamume huyu si mtu mzima. = “This man is not an adult.” You don’t need a separate subject pronoun; the noun itself is the subject.

Does mtu mzima mean “old person”? How is it different from mzee?

mtu mzima literally “whole/complete person,” idiomatically “adult.” It does not mean “old.”
mzee means “elder/old person.”
So “adult” = mtu mzima; “old person/elder” = mzee.

How does the adjective mzima agree with mtu? What happens in the plural?

Adjectives agree with the noun class:

Class 1 singular: mtu mzima
Class 2 plural: watu wazima You can see the m-/wa- pattern in the noun and the adjective: mzima → wazima in the plural.

What exactly is ana in ana hofu? How is “have” expressed?

Swahili expresses “to have” with the verb kuwa na (“to be with”). In the present:

ni-na (I have) → nina
u-na (you have) → una
a-na (he/she has) → ana
tu-na (we have) → tuna
m-na (you pl. have) → mna
wa-na (they have) → wana The negative is irregular: sina, huna, hana, hatuna, hamna, hawana.
So ana hofu = “he/she has fear.”

Is ana hofu kidogo the same as “he is a little afraid”? Could I say anaogopa kidogo?

Both are fine but with a nuance:

ana hofu kidogo = “he has a little fear” (noun “fear,” slightly more formal/stronger)
anaogopa kidogo = “he is a little afraid” (verb “to fear,” more directly about his feeling) For everyday exam nerves, many speakers prefer ana wasiwasi kidogo (“he’s a little anxious/worried”).

What’s the difference among hofu, wasiwasi, and uoga?

hofu = fear, dread (can sound strong/formal/literary)
wasiwasi = worry, anxiety, unease (very common for everyday concerns)
uoga = cowardice/fearfulness (trait, can be pejorative) In your sentence about results, wasiwasi is often the most natural choice.

Where does kidogo go, and can it come before the noun?

As a quantifier/adverb, kidogo usually comes after the word it modifies:
- ana hofu kidogo (a little fear)
- anaogopa kidogo (fears a little)
Before the noun is not idiomatic for this meaning; don’t say “kidogo hofu.”
For extra emphasis: kidogo tu (“just a little”), kiduchu (very little, colloquial).

What is kabla ya exactly? Does ya change with the noun class?

kabla ya is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning “before.” The ya does not change with the following noun:

kabla ya matokeo (before the results)
kabla ya safari (before the trip) Similarly: baada ya (after), badala ya (instead of), karibu na (near).

Do I need to add a verb like “come out” after matokeo?

You can, but you don’t have to. kabla ya matokeo is natural and commonly understood as “before the results (come out).”
If you want to be explicit:

kabla ya matokeo kutoka (before the results come out)
kabla ya matokeo kutolewa (before the results are released)

Is matokeo singular or plural? What’s the singular?

matokeo is Class 6 (ma-), typically plural: “results/outcomes.”
The singular is tokeo: “a result/outcome.” Examples:
matokeo mazuri (good results, plural agreement)
tokeo zuri (a good result, singular agreement)

Why is there a comma before lakini? Is that required?

Punctuation follows normal writing style. A comma before lakini (“but”) is optional and common, just like in English. You can write either:

… mtu mzima, lakini ana … (with comma)
… mtu mzima lakini ana … (without comma)

Where is the “he” in the second clause? I don’t see a separate pronoun.

It’s built into the verb. The subject prefix a- in a-na is “he/she.” Swahili normally omits independent pronouns unless you want emphasis:

Neutral: … lakini ana hofu kidogo …
Emphatic: … lakini yeye ana hofu kidogo … (yeye = he/she, for emphasis)

How would I say “This man is not an adult” and “he doesn’t have any fear”?

“This man is not an adult.” → Mwanamume huyu si mtu mzima.
“He doesn’t have any fear.” → Hana hofu kabisa.
You can soften it: hana hofu yoyote (“doesn’t have any fear”).

Could I replace mtu mzima with mtu mkubwa?

No. mtu mkubwa literally means “big/important person” and often implies status, not adulthood. For “adult,” stick with mtu mzima. For “old/elder,” use mzee.

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words here?

mwanamume: mwa-na-MU-me (mw as in “mwa,” stress tends to fall near the penultimate syllable)
huyu: HOO-yoo
mtu: M-tu (the initial m is syllabic; it’s fine to give a tiny vowel if needed: “əm-tu”)
hofu: HO-fu
matokeo: ma-to-KE-o (four syllables)