Learn Hardcore Swahili: Dada anapika wali kama unavyofahamu, kwa kutumia mwiko mrefu. - Sister cooks rice as you know, using a long cooking stick.

Dada primarily means “sister.” By itself, it does not specify whose sister; context supplies that. To say “my sister,” use dada yangu; “his/her sister” is dada yake.
Age isn’t specified unless you add mdogo (younger) or mkubwa (older): dada mdogo, dada mkubwa.
It’s also commonly used as a polite form of address for a woman (like “ma’am/miss”): Dada, tafadhali nisaidie (Ma’am, please help me).
Plural in everyday speech is often still dada with human agreement: dada wawili (two sisters). You may also hear wadada (colloquial) meaning “ladies/young women.”

What tense/aspect is anapika? Does it mean “is cooking” or “cooks”?

anapika = a- (3rd person sg, class 1 human) + -na- (present) + pika (cook).
It can mean either “is cooking (now)” or “cooks (generally/habitually),” depending on context.
To force a clearly habitual meaning, many speakers use hu-: Dada hupika wali kila siku (Sister cooks rice every day).
Other helpful contrasts:
- Dada yuko akipika (She’s in the middle of cooking right now; progressive feeling).
- Dada amepika (She has cooked / has finished cooking).
- Dada alipika (She cooked).
- Dada atapika (She will cook).

Why is it anapika and not inapika? What agreement is being shown?

Human nouns typically take class 1/2 agreement: singular a-, plural wa-. Hence Dada anapika, Dada wawili wanapika.
Non‑human class 9/10 nouns often take i-: e.g., chai inachemka (the tea is boiling).
Even though dada looks like a class 9/10 noun in form, it triggers human (class 1/2) agreement in usage.

What’s the difference between wali and mchele?

mchele = uncooked rice (grains).
wali = cooked rice (ready to eat).
Examples:
- Nimenunua mchele. (I’ve bought uncooked rice.)
- Tunakula wali. (We’re eating cooked rice.)
- Naosha mchele kisha napika wali. (I rinse the raw rice then cook rice.)

How does kama unavyofahamu work, and why not just kama unajua?

kama unavyofahamu literally “as/like you (how you) understand/know.”
- u- (you sg) + -na- (present) + -vyo- (manner/“the way that”) + fahamu (understand/know).
kama can mean “as/like” or “if.” The -vyo- part makes the “as/like” meaning clear and idiomatic: “as you know.”
kama unajua is potentially ambiguous (“if you know”). Prefer kama unavyojua or kama unavyofahamu to mean “as you know.”

Why use fahamu instead of jua here? Is there a nuance?

jua = know (facts, learned information).
fahamu = understand, be aware/comprehend (slightly more formal).
Both are fine with this structure: kama unavyojua (common), kama unavyofahamu (a bit more formal/neutral). The meaning here is the same: “as you know.”

Should unavyofahamu be written as one word? How is it pronounced?

Yes, write it as one word: unavyofahamu. The relative marker -vyo- is infixed within the verb.
Penultimate stress per word:
- u-na-vyo-fa-HA-mu (stress on “ha”).
- a-na-PI-ka (anapika).
- WA-li (wali).
- MWI-ko (mwiko).
Pronounce vyo like “vyoh.”

What does kwa kutumia mean? Could I say akitumia or just kwa mwiko mrefu instead?

What exactly is a mwiko? Is kijiko wrong here?

mwiko is a long (often wooden) cooking spoon/stirrer/ladle used for stirring foods like ugali, stews, or rice.
kijiko is a smaller spoon (for eating, serving, or measuring). In kitchens, mwiko is the larger implement; for rice you’ll commonly stir with a mwiko and serve with a kijiko cha kupimia/kuhudumia depending on context.

Why is the adjective after the noun in mwiko mrefu, and how does agreement work?

Adjectives typically follow the noun and take its class agreement.
mwiko is class 3 (m-/mi-), so:
- singular: mwiko mrefu (a long stirring spoon)
- plural: miiko mirefu (long stirring spoons)
Other adjectives also agree:
- singular: mwiko mweusi (a black spoon)
- plural: miiko myeusi (black spoons)

Can I move kama unavyofahamu or kwa kutumia… to different positions?

Yes. These are movable adjuncts. For example:

Kama unavyofahamu, dada anapika wali kwa kutumia mwiko mrefu.
Dada anapika wali, kama unavyofahamu, kwa kutumia mwiko mrefu.
Dada, kwa kutumia mwiko mrefu, anapika wali kama unavyofahamu. Punctuation helps mark it as an aside; all are acceptable, with slightly different emphasis and rhythm.

Why is there a comma after kama unavyofahamu?

It marks kama unavyofahamu (“as you know”) as a parenthetical aside, similar to English.
It’s not grammatically required but improves readability and signals a pause. Without the comma, the reader might momentarily attach kwa kutumia… to the “as you know” phrase.

How would I say “as you know her” (i.e., referring to a person), not just “as you know”?

Add the object marker m- for “her/him”: kama unavyomfahamu = “as you know her/him.”
Plural “you”: kama mnavyomfahamu (as you [all] know her/him).

What’s the plural of dada, and how do numbers agree?

Commonly, plural is still dada but with human (class 2) agreement: dada wawili, dada watatu.
You will also hear wadada for “ladies/young women,” especially in modern or colloquial usage: wadada watatu.
In careful standard usage, dada wawili is a safe default for “two sisters.”

Could wali be misunderstood as the “guardian” word? Are there homographs to watch out for?

Yes, wali also means “guardian” (especially in Islamic/legal contexts, e.g., wali wa ndoa = marriage guardian). Context disambiguates: in cooking contexts, wali is cooked rice.
Another homograph to note: mwiko can also mean “taboo/prohibition” (e.g., Ni mwiko kufanya hivyo = It’s taboo to do that). In kitchen contexts, mwiko is the utensil. Context makes the meaning clear.