Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu. - The teacher is writing the mark in the book.

Anaandika is the present tense form of kuandika (to write). The -na- in the verb marks a general present tense that often corresponds to English is …-ing, but can also mean writes in a habitual sense.

So anaandika can mean:

is writing (right now / currently)
writes (as a regular action), depending on context

Examples:

Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu.
– The teacher is writing marks in the book.
Kila siku, mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye vitabu.
– Every day, the teacher writes marks in the books.

Context tells you whether to translate it as continuous or simple present in English.

Why is there no word for the or a before mwalimu and kitabu?

Swahili does not use separate words for articles like the or a/an. Nouns appear without articles, and definiteness (whether it is the teacher or a teacher) is understood from context.

So:

Mwalimu can mean a teacher or the teacher
Kitabu can mean a book or the book

If the context is known (for example, you and your listener already know which teacher and which book), you’ll usually translate it as the teacher and the book in English, even though Swahili doesn’t show that explicitly.

How can I tell that mwalimu is singular? What would the plural be?

Mwalimu belongs to the m-/wa- noun class (people).

Singular: mwalimu – teacher
Plural: walimu – teachers

The verb also changes to agree with the plural subject:

Mwalimu anaandika… – The teacher is writing… (singular: a- in anaandika)
Walimu wanaandika… – The teachers are writing… (plural: wa- in wanaandika)

How would I say “The teachers are writing marks in the books” using this sentence as a model?

You need to pluralize mwalimu → walimu and kitabu → vitabu, and adjust the verb to the plural subject:

Walimu wanaandika alama kwenye vitabu.
– The teachers are writing marks in the books.

Changes made:

Mwalimu → Walimu (teacher → teachers)
anaandika → wanaandika (he/she is writing → they are writing)
kitabu → vitabu (book → books; ki-/vi- noun class)

What exactly does alama mean here? Is it a mark, marks, a grade, or something else?

Alama is a noun that can mean:

a mark or marks
a grade (school grade/score)
a sign, symbol, or punctuation mark, depending on context

In this sentence:

Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu.

it most naturally means marks or grades that a teacher writes in a book (e.g., a mark next to a student’s answer, a score, or a grade in a gradebook).

Note: alama belongs to an N-class where the singular and plural form are the same. So alama can mean mark or marks; English number is supplied by context.

What does kwenye mean, and can it mean both in and on?

Yes. Kwenye is a general locative preposition meaning in, on, or at, depending on the noun and situation.

kwenye kitabu
– in the book (e.g., in the pages / inside the text)
kwenye meza
– on the table
kwenye shule
– at school

So Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu is best translated as:

The teacher is writing marks in the book.

The exact English preposition is chosen by what sounds natural with that noun.

Could I use katika instead of kwenye? Would the meaning change?

You can say:

Mwalimu anaandika alama katika kitabu.

This is still correct and means essentially the same thing: in the book.

Differences:

kwenye: very common in everyday speech, more colloquial and flexible (in/on/at).
katika: a bit more formal or written; usually corresponds closely to in or within.

In this sentence, both are acceptable; kwenye kitabu is what you’ll hear most in normal conversation.

Why is the order anaandika alama kwenye kitabu and not anaandika kwenye kitabu alama? Is word order strict in Swahili?

The basic order in Swahili is Subject – Verb – Object – (other elements).

So the default pattern is:

Mwalimu (subject)
anaandika (verb)
alama (object)
kwenye kitabu (prepositional phrase telling where)

→ Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu.

You could say Mwalimu anaandika kwenye kitabu alama, and you would be understood, but it sounds less natural. Normally:

The direct object (alama) comes right after the verb.
Location phrases like kwenye kitabu come after the object.

Swahili word order is more flexible than English because a lot of information is carried in verb prefixes, but following the usual S–V–O–(place/time) order will sound most natural.

How do I make this sentence negative: “The teacher is not writing marks in the book”?

Use the negative present form of the verb:

Mwalimu haandiki alama kwenye kitabu.
– The teacher is not writing marks in the book. / The teacher does not write marks in the book.

Changes:

anaandika → haandiki
- a- (he/she) becomes ha- (negative)
- -na- (present marker) disappears
- final -a in the verb stem changes to -i in the negative present

So the pattern is:
a-na-andika → ha-andik-i → haandiki

How do I turn this into a question: “What is the teacher writing in the book?”

Add the question word nini (what) after the verb phrase:

Mwalimu anaandika nini kwenye kitabu?
– What is the teacher writing in the book?

Structure:

Mwalimu – the teacher
anaandika – is writing
nini – what
kwenye kitabu – in the book

Note that you don’t need to change the verb; you simply add the question word and rising intonation in speech (or a question mark in writing).

Is there any situation where I would add an object prefix to the verb in a sentence like this?

You add an object prefix when the object is already known and often not stated again as a full noun phrase—similar to using him/her/it/them in English.

For alama (N-class), the object prefix is zi- (for plural “them” referring to N-class nouns):

Mwalimu anaziandika.
– The teacher is writing them (the marks).

In your original sentence, because alama is explicitly stated right after the verb, you do not normally add an object prefix:

✅ Mwalimu anaandika alama kwenye kitabu.
❌ Mwalimu anaziandika alama kwenye kitabu. (redundant and unnatural)

Use the object prefix when the object is understood from context and not repeated as a full noun.