Learn Hardcore Swahili: Sijawahi kutumia kalamu ya wino; kawaida ninaandika kwa penseli. - I have never used an ink pen; I usually write with a pencil.

si- = I (1st person) in the negative
-ja- = negative perfect (the counterpart of perfect -me-)
wahi = the verb “to have ever (done), to manage in time” Together with an infinitive, it means “I have never (ever) …”: sijawahi kutumia = “I have never used.”
Affirmative: nimewahi kutumia = “I have (at some point) used.”

Can I just say Sijatumia kalamu ya wino to mean “I’ve never used a pen”?

Not quite. Sijatumia means “I haven’t used (it) (so far / this time).” To mean “never in my life (up to now),” use sijawahi kutumia.
You can also say sijatumia kalamu ya wino kamwe / hata mara moja for “I have never used a pen,” but sijawahi kutumia is the most idiomatic.

What’s the difference between sijawahi and sikuwahi?

sijawahi = I have never (up to now). It’s open-ended up to the present.
sikuwahi = I never (did) during some past period, but it leaves open the possibility that now I might.
Example: Sikuwahi kutumia kalamu ya wino nikiwa shuleni, lakini sasa natumia.

Why is it ya in kalamu ya wino and not wa?

The “of” linker agrees with the head noun’s class. kalamu is class 9, whose genitive linker is ya. So: kalamu ya wino = “pen of ink.” If the head noun were class 1, you’d see wa (e.g., mtu wa…).

Does kalamu ya wino mean a specific type of pen?

It generally means “an ink pen,” i.e., any pen that uses ink (ballpoint, gel, fountain, etc.). If you specifically mean a fountain pen, say kalamu ya chemchemi. kalamu on its own can mean a writing instrument (often “pen” in context), while penseli is explicitly “pencil.”

Is kawaida okay by itself, or should it be kwa kawaida?

Both are used:

kwa kawaida = “as a rule / usually” (a bit more formal or explicit)
kawaida on its own also works adverbially in many contexts.
Synonyms include mara nyingi (“often”).

Could I use the habitual marker hu- instead of kawaida ninaandika?

Yes. hu- marks habitual actions: huandika = “(I/you/he…) usually write(s).”
Note: hu- does not take a subject prefix. To make the subject explicit, add a pronoun: Mimi huandika kwa penseli or Kwa kawaida huandika kwa penseli (context supplies the subject).

Why is it ninaandika, not naandika?

Standard Swahili uses the subject prefix: ni-na-andika → ninaandika. In casual speech you’ll hear contractions like naandika, but for careful writing, ninaandika is preferred.

Why kwa penseli and not na penseli?

kwa is the clearest, most standard preposition for the instrument (“with/by means of”): kuandika kwa penseli.
Colloquially, na can also mean “with,” so kuandika na penseli is heard, but na can be ambiguous (“and”). kwa kutumia penseli (“by using a pencil”) is another natural option.

Do I need “a/an” before kalamu or penseli?

No. Swahili doesn’t use articles. Indefiniteness is understood from context. If you need to stress “a single one,” you can add moja: kalamu moja, penseli moja.

Why not say sijawahi kuitumia?

You use an object marker (here, -i- for class 9) when the object is specific/known or pronominal (“it”).

Indefinite object: sijawahi kutumia kalamu ya wino (“a pen”).
Definite/pronominal: sijawahi kuitumia (“I have never used it,” where “it” is a known pen).

Are kalamu and penseli singular here? What are their plurals?

Both are class 9 nouns whose singular and plural look the same. Context shows number.

Singular: kalamu hii, penseli hii
Plural: kalamu hizi, penseli hizi

Is the semicolon natural here? Could I use lakini instead?

A semicolon is fine in Swahili prose. You could also write:

Sijawahi kutumia kalamu ya wino, lakini kwa kawaida ninaandika kwa penseli.
Alternatives to lakini include ila or hata hivyo (with punctuation adjustments).

Can I swap the clause order?

Yes. For example: Kwa kawaida ninaandika kwa penseli; sijawahi kutumia kalamu ya wino.
Swahili allows flexible adverb placement for emphasis.

Does wahi always mean “ever”?

No. kuwahi also means “to be (in time), to manage to do something in time.”

Nimewahi leo. = “I’m (on time) today.”
Nimewahi kutumia… = “I have at some point used…”

How do I say “I have used an ink pen before”?

Nimewahi kutumia kalamu ya wino. (neutral “I’ve used one before.”)
Nimetumia kalamu ya wino hapo awali / kabla. (emphasizes “previously/earlier.”)

How do I say “I don’t use ink pens (as a rule), I use a pencil”?

Situmii kalamu za wino; huandika kwa penseli.
Or: Kwa kawaida situmii kalamu ya wino; ninaandika kwa penseli.

Is kalamu alone enough, or should I add ya wino?

kalamu can mean a writing instrument in general (often understood as “pen,” but sometimes ambiguous). Adding ya wino removes ambiguity with penseli (pencil). If the context already makes “pen” clear, kalamu alone is fine.

Where does the stress fall in these words?

Swahili typically stresses the second-to-last syllable of a word.

si-ja-WA-hi (sijawahi)
ka-LA-mu (kalamu)
WI-no (wino)
ni-na-an-DI-ka (ninaandika; the “aa” runs together)
ka-wai-DA (kawaida)
pen-SE-li (penseli)