Learn Hardcore Swahili: Asha huosha nazi mwenyewe kabla ya kupika chakula. - Asha washes the coconut herself before cooking the food.

hu- is the habitual/generic marker. It says the action is something that generally or usually happens, not something happening right now. So Asha huosha... = “Asha usually washes.../Asha washes (as a habit).”

With hu-, there is no subject prefix on the verb. The subject is shown by the noun or pronoun outside the verb (here, Asha).
Examples:
- Mimi huenda kazini. = I usually go to work.
- Watu hula asubuhi. = People eat in the morning.

Why isn’t there a subject marker like a- on the verb?

Because hu- (habitual) replaces the whole subject–tense slot. You don’t add a subject prefix (like a-, ni-, u-) when you use hu-. The subject is identified by the noun or pronoun in the sentence (here: Asha).

Can I use ana- instead (e.g., “Asha anaosha nazi…”)? What’s the difference?

Yes. Asha anaosha nazi... typically means “Asha is washing coconuts...” (right now) or a present-time action. Asha huosha nazi... means this is her habit or a general truth. If you want to keep the “usually” meaning without using hu-, you can use adverbs like:

Asha huwa anaosha nazi... (huwa = usually)
Asha mara nyingi anaosha nazi... (mara nyingi = often)

Who does mwenyewe refer to here—Asha or the coconuts?

It refers to Asha. mwenyewe emphasizes that the person (Asha) does it herself. For inanimate nouns like “coconuts,” you would use the “-enyewe” form that matches the noun class:

singular N-class: nazi yenyewe = the coconut itself
plural N-class: nazi zenyewe = the coconuts themselves So in this sentence, mwenyewe can only point back to Asha.

Where can I place mwenyewe in the sentence?

Common options:

End of the clause: Asha huosha nazi mwenyewe... (very common)
Right after the subject: Asha mwenyewe huosha nazi... Both are natural; placing it after the subject makes the emphasis on “Asha herself” a bit clearer.

What’s the difference between mwenyewe and pekee?

mwenyewe = “himself/herself,” emphasizing that the person personally does it.
pekee = “alone” or “only,” emphasizing lack of help or exclusivity. Examples:
Asha huosha nazi mwenyewe. = Asha washes the coconuts herself (she is the one who does it).
Asha huosha nazi peke yake. = Asha washes the coconuts alone (nobody helps her).

How would I say “She usually washes herself before cooking,” and how is that different?

Use the reflexive prefix ji-:

Asha hujiosha kabla ya kupika. = Asha usually washes herself before cooking. That’s different from Asha huosha nazi..., which means she washes coconuts (an external object). kujiosha = to wash oneself; kuosha = to wash something/someone else.

Why isn’t there an object marker for “nazi”? Could I say “Asha huziosha nazi ...”?

You typically don’t need an object marker when the object follows the verb in a neutral sentence. Object markers are used when the object is already known, emphasized, or fronted.

Neutral: Asha huosha nazi... (natural)
With object marker for emphasis/topicalization: Nazi hizi, Asha huziosha mwenyewe... (“These coconuts, Asha washes them herself...”) Note: hu- can combine with object markers (e.g., humwambia, huziosha), but don’t double-mark the object without a good discourse reason.

Is nazi singular or plural here? How can I tell?

nazi (coconut) is an N-class noun whose singular and plural look the same: nazi. The number is inferred from context or by adding determiners:

one coconut: nazi moja
three coconuts: nazi tatu Also note: mnazi = coconut palm (the tree), not the fruit.

What does ya do in “kabla ya kupika”? Do I always need it?

kabla ya is the standard preposition “before” when followed by a noun or an infinitive (verbal noun):

kabla ya kupika = before cooking
kabla ya chakula = before the meal You can also use a finite clause with the “not-yet” form:
kabla hajapika (chakula) = before she has cooked (lit. before she hasn’t-yet cooked) Pattern by person: kabla sijapika (I), kabla hujapika (you sg.), kabla hajapika (he/she), kabla hatujapika (we), kabla hamjapika (you pl.), kabla hawajapika (they).

Why say kupika chakula if kupika already means “to cook (food)”?

It’s a very common collocation. kupika alone is fine, but adding chakula makes it explicit and idiomatic. You can also specify what’s being cooked:

kupika mchele = to cook rice
kupika samaki = to cook fish

Can I move “kabla ya ...” to the front?

Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbial phrases:

Kabla ya kupika chakula, Asha huosha nazi mwenyewe. This sounds perfectly natural. Intonation (or a comma in writing) marks the fronted time phrase.

How else can I express “usually” without using hu-?

Common options:

huwa
- present: Asha huwa anaosha nazi mwenyewe kabla ya kupika.
mara nyingi (often): Asha mara nyingi huosha/anaosha nazi...
kwa kawaida (normally): Kwa kawaida, Asha huosha nazi... All keep the habitual meaning while letting you use normal tense marking.