Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ukiandika muhtasari mzuri, mwalimu atakusifu. - If you write a good summary, the teacher will praise you.

The infix -ki- marks a real/likely conditional or temporal clause: “if/when (and then).” So u-ki-andik-a means “if/when you write.” It often implies a cause-and-effect relationship: do X, and then Y will follow. Depending on context, it can be translated as either “if” or “when.”

Can you break down the structure of Ukiandika for me?

Yes:

u- = subject marker “you (singular)”
-ki- = conditional/temporal marker “if/when”
andika = verb root “write”
final vowel -a (default for indicative) Together: u-ki-andik-a → “if/when you write.”

Why not use kama for “if,” as in Kama ukiandika…?

You can, but it’s often redundant. The -ki- already expresses “if/when,” so Ukiandika… is complete on its own. If you want a more neutral or explicitly hypothetical “if,” you can use kama with other tenses/aspects, e.g.:

Kama utaandika muhtasari mzuri, mwalimu atakusifu. (If you will write…)
Kama unaandika muhtasari mzuri, mwalimu atakusifu. (If you are writing…) People do say Kama ukiandika…, but many teachers will prefer either Ukiandika… or Kama utaandika… rather than combining both.

Could ukiandika also mean “when you write” instead of “if you write”?

Yes. -ki- can be “if” or “when,” depending on context. If the action is expected/habitual or seen as a trigger for the next event, “when” fits well:

“When you write a good summary, the teacher (always) praises you.”

How do I make the negative: “If you don’t write a good summary, the teacher won’t praise you”?

Use the negative counterpart -sipo-:

Usipoandika muhtasari mzuri, mwalimu hatakusifu. Breakdown:
u-sipo-andik-a = “if you (sg) don’t write”
ha-ta-ku-sifu = “he/she will not praise you (sg)”

What exactly is going on inside atakusifu?

Breakdown:

a- = subject marker “he/she” (here: “the teacher”)
-ta- = future tense
-ku- = object marker “you (singular)”
sifu = verb root “praise”
final vowel -a (indicative) Together: a-ta-ku-sif-u/-a → “he/she will praise you.”

Is the ku in atakusifu the “to” of the infinitive?

No. Inside a conjugated verb, -ku- is the object marker for “you (singular).” The infinitive “to praise” is kusifu (as a separate word), but here ku is not an infinitive marker—it’s a pronominal object inside the verb complex.

Could I omit the object marker -ku- and just say Mwalimu atasifu?

You can say Mwalimu atasifu, but then it just means “The teacher will praise,” with no object specified. If you want “you,” keep -ku-. You can add wewe for emphasis: Mwalimu atakusifu wewe (“The teacher will praise YOU”), but the -ku- is still needed to mark the object.

How would this sentence change for “you (plural)”?

Conditional: Mkiandika muhtasari mzuri… (you plural)
Main clause object (you plural): …mwalimu atawasifu. Note: -wa- is the plural human object marker and can mean “you (pl)” or “them,” so add ninyi for clarity if needed: Mwalimu atawasifu ninyi.

Why is it muhtasari mzuri and not muhtasari nzuri?

Agreement with noun class. Muhtasari is class 3 (singular), which takes the adjective agreement m- for -zuri, giving mzuri. Compare:

Class 3/4: mzuri/mizuri (muhtasari mzuri / mihtasari mizuri)
Class 9/10: nzuri (e.g., safari nzuri)
Class 7/8: kizuri/vizuri (e.g., kitabu kizuri / vitabu vizuri)

What’s the plural of muhtasari?

Mihtasari (class 4). Example: mihtasari mizuri = “good summaries.”

Can I put the conditional clause second: “The teacher will praise you if you write a good summary”?

Yes:

Mwalimu atakusifu ukiandika muhtasari mzuri. Meaning and nuance are the same; Swahili allows either order.

Is there a passive version?

Yes:

Utasifiwa na mwalimu ukiandika muhtasari mzuri. = “You will be praised by the teacher if you write a good summary.”
Passive uses -w- (here in -sifiw- → utasifiwa).

Would kusifia work instead of kusifu?

Both exist, but they’re used a bit differently:

kusifu = to praise (someone) in general; very common here.
kusifia = often “to praise (someone) for [something],” sometimes with a nuance of praising qualities/attributes.
Your sentence is most natural with kusifu: mwalimu atakusifu. You could also say mwalimu atakupongeza (“will congratulate/commend you”), which is another common verb.

Why is there a comma after mzuri?

It separates the conditional/temporal clause from the main clause. In Swahili, punctuation is similar to English here. The comma is common when the -ki- clause comes first, but you’ll also see the sentence without a comma in informal writing.

How do I pronounce muhtasari?

Syllables: mu-hta-sa-ri (4 syllables).
The cluster mh/ht is pronounced with a clear h: [mu-hta-sa-ri].
Stress is typically penultimate: mu-hta-SA-ri.