Learn Hardcore Swahili: Bibi yangu ana umri mkubwa, lakini bado anapenda kujifunza maneno mapya ya Kiswahili. - My grandmother is of advanced age, but she still likes to learn new Swahili words.

ana umri mkubwa
- a- = she/he (3rd person singular subject marker)
- -na- = present tense
- ana = she/he has
anapenda
- a- = she/he
- -na- = present
- -penda = like/love
- anapenda = she/he likes

So she is expressed by a- at the beginning of ana and anapenda.

Why is it Bibi yangu and not Bibi wangu for my grandmother?

Possessive pronouns in Swahili (my, your, his, etc.) must agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

Bibi belongs to noun class 9/10 (the N-class), and the possessive for my in this class is -yangu, not -wangu.

Class 1 (person): mtu wangu – my person
Class 9 (like bibi): bibi yangu – my grandmother

So:

bibi yangu = my grandmother / my old lady
Using bibi wangu would sound ungrammatical in standard Swahili.

What exactly does ana umri mkubwa mean literally, and why not just say yeye ni mzee?

Literally:

ana = she has
umri = age
mkubwa = big

So ana umri mkubwa literally means she has a big age → naturally translated as she is old / she is of advanced age.

You can say yeye ni mzee = she is old, but:

mzee can feel more direct and can mean an old person or elder.
ana umri mkubwa is often a bit softer/more descriptive: emphasizing age rather than labeling her as old.

Both are correct; the sentence is using a more polite, neutral expression.

Why is there a space in ana umri? Could it be written as one word?

It should be written with a space:

ana umri mkubwa
- ana = has
- umri = age

Swahili verbs (like ana) and their objects (like umri) are written as separate words.
Writing anaumri would be considered a spelling mistake in standard Swahili.

What is the function of bado in lakini bado anapenda?

bado means still (and in negative sentences it can mean not yet).

bado anapenda = she still likes / she still loves
(the situation continues up to now)

In a negative sentence:

bado hapendi = she does not like yet

In your sentence:

lakini bado anapenda = but she still likes
It emphasizes that even though she is old, this situation (liking to learn) continues.

How is anapenda formed, and what does each part mean?

anapenda comes from the verb root -penda (to like, to love).

Structure:

a- = she/he (3rd person singular subject prefix)
-na- = present tense marker
-penda = like/love (verb root)

So:

anapenda = she/he likes / loves
napenda = I like
wanapenda = they like

What is the difference between kujifunza, kujua, and kusoma?

All three are learning/knowledge-related, but with different focuses:

kujifunza
- from -jifunza (reflexive: learn for oneself)
- means to learn / to study (for yourself)
- anapenda kujifunza Kiswahili = she likes learning Swahili.
kujua
- from -jua
- means to know (have knowledge)
- anajua Kiswahili = she knows Swahili.
kusoma
- from -soma
- means to read, and also to study (especially in school/university context)
- anasoma Kiswahili = she studies Swahili (as a subject) / she reads Swahili.

In your sentence, anapenda kujifunza maneno mapya = she likes to learn new words (for herself).

Why is it maneno mapya and not maneno mpya?

Because adjectives in Swahili must agree with the noun class and number of the noun.

neno = word (singular, class 5)
maneno = words (plural, class 6)

The adjective -pya (new) changes form according to the noun class:

neno jipya = a new word
maneno mapya = new words

So ma- in mapya matches the plural noun maneno.
Using maneno mpya would break the agreement and sound wrong.

Why is it maneno mapya ya Kiswahili and not maneno mapya wa Kiswahili?

The connector ya is a possessive/associative marker that must agree with the noun class of the first noun (maneno).

maneno (class 6 plural) → uses ya
Kiswahili is just describing what kind of words: words of Swahili / Swahili words

So:

maneno ya Kiswahili = words of Swahili
maneno mapya ya Kiswahili = new Swahili words

wa is used with class 1/2 (people), e.g.:

mtu wa Kiswahili = a Swahili person (a Swahili speaker)

But for maneno, you must use ya.

Why do adjectives and possessives like yangu and mkubwa come after the noun instead of before it?

In Swahili, describing words usually come after the noun:

bibi yangu = my grandmother
umri mkubwa = big age
maneno mapya = new words
maneno mapya ya Kiswahili = new Swahili words

Typical order is:

noun + adjective + (other qualifiers, like possessives or of-phrases)

This is the opposite of English in many cases, where adjectives usually come before the noun (e.g. new words).

Does bibi always mean grandmother? Can it mean something else?

bibi can have several related meanings, depending on context:

grandmother – very common:
- bibi yangu = my grandmother
lady / madam / Mrs. – polite address for a woman:
- Bibi Asha = Mrs. Asha / Madam Asha
In some contexts, old lady (respectful, especially for elders)

In your sentence, Bibi yangu clearly means my grandmother from the context.

What does the Ki- in Kiswahili mean?

In Swahili, the prefix Ki- often marks languages or ways of doing things.

With the root -swahili:

Mswahili = a Swahili person
Waswahili = Swahili people
Kiswahili = the Swahili language
Uswahili = Swahili culture / way of life (in some uses)

So Kiswahili = the Swahili language.
That’s why maneno mapya ya Kiswahili = new words of the Swahili language → new Swahili words.

Is the comma before lakini necessary, and where does lakini go in the sentence?

Punctuation in Swahili is generally similar to English.

lakini means but.
It usually starts the contrasting clause, just like but in English.

Your sentence:

Bibi yangu ana umri mkubwa, lakini bado anapenda ...

The comma before lakini is natural and common, but in casual writing some people might omit it.
The important thing is that lakini introduces the contrasting idea: she is old, but she still likes to learn...