Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwanamke huyu hanywi soda, wala kahawa; anapenda maji tu. - This woman drinks neither soda nor coffee; she likes only water.

Present affirmative: subject prefix + na + verb stem ending in -a (e.g., anapenda).
Present negative: negative subject prefix + verb stem + final -i (no -na), and many stems change slightly.
For kunywa, the stem is nyw-; in the present negative it becomes -nywi, so with 3sg negative ha- you get ha-nyw-i → hanywi.
Compare: anapenda → hapendi, anasoma → hasomi, anaenda → haendi, anakunywa → hanywi.

How does the present negative work in general?

Affirmative present: subject prefix + -na-
- stem + final -a (e.g., anapika).
Negative present: negative subject prefix + stem + final -i (drop -na-) (e.g., hapiki).
Negative subject prefixes: 1sg si-, 2sg hu-? No—2sg is hu- only in habitual; in the present negative it’s hu-? Correction: 2sg is hu- only in habitual; in present negative it’s hu? To keep it simple here, note the pattern shown in the sentence: 3sg uses ha- (→ hanywi, hapendi, hasomi).
Some verbs are irregular in the stem: kwenda → haendi, kunywa → hanywi.

What does wala mean here?

Wala means nor / not even and is used after a negative to add another negated item. So hanywi soda, wala kahawa = she doesn’t drink soda, nor coffee (not even coffee).

Do I need to repeat the verb after wala?

No. Repetition is optional.

Without repetition (very common): Hanywi soda, wala kahawa.
With repetition (heavier): Hanywi soda, wala hanywi kahawa.
You can also drop the comma: Hanywi soda wala kahawa.

Can I use au instead of wala in a negative sentence?

Prefer wala after a negation to mean nor. Au normally means or and can be ambiguous in negatives. Hanywi soda au kahawa is heard, but wala makes the neither/nor meaning clear and is the standard choice.

Why is the demonstrative after the noun: Mwanamke huyu and not Huyu mwanamke?

The default in Swahili is noun + demonstrative: mwanamke huyu (this woman). Fronting the demonstrative (Huyu mwanamke) is possible but adds emphasis/contrast on this (as opposed to some other woman).

What exactly does huyu agree with?

Huyu is the class 1 (m-/wa-) proximal demonstrative meaning this (person). It agrees with mwanamke (class 1). Plural would be hawa (these people): wanawake hawa.

What nuance does anapenda have? Could I use hupenda instead?

Anapenda is the normal present and can cover present/habitual meaning in everyday Swahili.
Hupenda uses the habitual marker hu- (which does not take a subject prefix) and means something like generally/usually tends to like. You could say Mwanamke huyu hupenda maji tu to stress a general habit. Both are acceptable; anapenda is the more neutral choice here.

What does tu mean and why is it after maji?

Tu means only / just. It follows the element it restricts. So:

Anapenda maji tu = She likes only water (restriction on the object).
Anapenda tu maji = She just/only likes water (restriction on the liking action; in practice, many speakers still interpret this as object-focused, but the most standard way to say only water is to put tu after maji).

Could I say maji pekee or maji peke yake instead of maji tu?

Maji pekee = the only water / water alone (more formal/bookish).
Maji peke yake usually means water by itself/alone (without anything else mixed), or alone by itself; it’s not the most natural for “only water (as a choice).”
For everyday “only water (is what she likes),” maji tu is the most natural.

Is wala the same as na?

No. Na = and (affirmative). Wala = nor / and not (used in negative contexts). So:

Anakunywa soda na kahawa = She drinks soda and coffee.
Hanywi soda wala kahawa = She drinks neither soda nor coffee.

Why is there a semicolon before anapenda maji tu? Could it be a period?

Yes, a period or a coordinating conjunction would work:

Hanywi soda, wala kahawa. Anapenda maji tu.
Hanywi soda, wala kahawa; anapenda maji tu.
You could also use bali (but rather): Hanywi soda, wala kahawa, bali anapenda maji tu. The semicolon simply links two closely related clauses.

How do I pronounce the nyw cluster in hanywi?

ny is a palatal nasal (like the ñ in Spanish señor).
nyw = that palatal nasal plus a w glide. Say ny (ñ) then round your lips slightly into w: ha-ÑYWI.

What is the affirmative present of kunywa?

You’ll hear both:

Anakunywa (very common today).
Ananywa (also seen, more traditional/literary in some registers). Negative present is always hanywi.

Why not say hapendi soda instead of hanywi soda?

You can, but it changes the meaning. Hanywi is about the action (she doesn’t drink them). Hapendi is about preference (she doesn’t like them). Your sentence first states what she doesn’t drink, then states what she likes: anapenda maji tu.

Is maji singular or plural?

Maji is a mass noun in class 6 (ma-), which uses plural agreement. For example, “a lot of water” is maji mengi (not singular jingi). In this sentence it’s just the object; the verb agreement is determined by the subject (mwanamke, class 1 → a- / ha-).

Could I use an object marker to mean “She doesn’t drink it”?

Yes. With a class 9 object (like soda, class 9 has object marker i-), you can say:

Hainywi = She doesn’t drink it (class 9 thing previously known in context). Structure: ha- (neg 3sg) + i (obj marker) + nyw (stem) + -i (neg final) → ha-i-nywi → hainywi.

Is wala always tied to a previous negative?

Yes. Wala piggybacks on a negative. It can also begin a clause that continues a prior negative context:

Hanywi soda. Wala kahawa. = She doesn’t drink soda. Nor coffee. But if there’s no prior negation, wala sounds wrong; use na or au instead depending on meaning.