Hii ni siri binafsi.

This is a personal secret.

Breakdown of Hii ni siri binafsi.

• ni: to be
• hii: this
• binafsi: personal
• siri: the secret

Questions & Answers about Hii ni siri binafsi.

Does each word in Hii ni siri binafsi correspond directly to an English word?

Roughly yes:

• Hii = this
• ni = is (the copula “to be”)
• siri = secret
• binafsi = personal / private

So the structure is basically: This – is – secret – personal, which in natural English you’d say as “This is a personal secret.”

Why is it Hii and not Huyu or Hiki? Aren’t all of them “this”?

Swahili has different words for “this” depending on the noun class of the thing you’re talking about.

• huyu – “this” for people (class M‑WA):
  
  • mtu huyu – this person
• hiki – “this” for things in the KI‑VI class:
  
  • kitabu hiki – this book
• hii – “this” for nouns in the N class (often starting with consonants like s, n, m, sh, etc.) and some others:
  
  • siri hii – this secret
  • ndizi hii – this banana

The noun siri belongs to the N class, so it uses hii.

In Hii ni siri binafsi, hii is used on its own as “this” (referring back to some situation, statement, or thing previously mentioned), not directly in front of the noun.

What exactly does binafsi mean here? Is it closer to “personal” or “private”?

Binafsi basically means personal / individual / pertaining to oneself.

Common uses:

• siri binafsi – a personal/private secret
• maoni binafsi – personal opinions
• mimi binafsi – I personally (me, myself)

In this sentence, binafsi suggests:

• the secret concerns someone personally (not something general or public)
• it should not be shared freely (it’s private in that sense)

So both “personal secret” and “private secret” are good translations; “personal secret” is usually the most natural.

Why is it siri binafsi and not binafsi siri?

In Swahili, adjectives and descriptive words usually come after the noun they describe.

• mtoto mzuri – good child
• kitabu kikubwa – big book
• siri binafsi – personal secret

So the order noun + adjective is normal.
Binafsi siri would sound wrong or at least very odd in standard Swahili.

Could I say Hii siri ni binafsi instead of Hii ni siri binafsi?

You could, but it sounds less natural and a bit clumsy in most contexts.

• Hii ni siri binafsi.

  • This is a personal secret.
  • Very natural; hii stands alone as the subject (“this”), and siri binafsi is the complement.

• Hii siri ni binafsi.

  • Literally: “This secret is personal.”
  • Grammatically possible if hii is directly modifying siri (“this secret”), but then you would normally say siri hii ni binafsi instead.

The clean, idiomatic way to express the idea “This is a personal secret” is Hii ni siri binafsi.

What kind of word is ni? Does it change like “am / is / are” in English?

Ni is the copula, equivalent to “to be” in English in sentences like “X is Y”.

Key points:

• It does not change for person or number:

  • Mimi ni mwanafunzi. – I am a student.
  • Wewe ni mwanafunzi. – You are a student.
  • Hii ni siri binafsi. – This is a personal secret.

• For negation, you don’t say “ni not”; you use other forms:

  • Si siri. – It’s not a secret.
  • Hii si siri binafsi. – This is not a personal secret.

So you can think of ni as a fixed “is/are/am” that doesn’t conjugate.

Can siri be both “a secret” and “secrets”? How do I say the plural?

Yes, siri is both singular and plural in form.

• siri (singular) – a secret
• siri (plural) – secrets

Context tells you which is meant. If you want to be explicit, you can add numbers or quantifiers:

• siri moja – one secret
• siri nyingi – many secrets
• siri zangu – my secrets

The demonstratives also change:

• siri hii – this secret
• siri hizi – these secrets

In Hii ni siri binafsi, we’re talking about one secret (or one specific matter) that is personal.

Can Hii refer to something abstract, like a topic or situation, or only to physical objects?

Hii can refer to both concrete things and abstract things.

Examples:

• Hii ni nyumba yangu. – This is my house. (concrete)
• Hii ni shida kubwa. – This is a big problem. (abstract)
• Hii ni siri binafsi. – This is a personal secret. (could be information, a story, a plan, etc.)

So you can absolutely use Hii to point to an idea, situation, or bit of information you’ve just mentioned or are about to mention.

How would I say “That is a personal secret” instead of “this”?

You change Hii (“this”) to a “that” demonstrative:

Common options:

• Hiyo ni siri binafsi.

  • Neutral “that” (often used for something just mentioned in conversation, not necessarily far away).

• Ile ni siri binafsi.

  • More like “that over there / that one (further away or more strongly contrasted).”

Both can be translated as “That is a personal secret.”
Which one you choose depends on context and emphasis, but Hiyo ni siri binafsi will cover most everyday situations.

Is the word order fixed, or could I say something like Ni siri binafsi hii?

The normal, neutral order is:

• Hii ni siri binafsi.

Other orders like Ni siri binafsi hii or Siri binafsi hii ni… are possible in very specific contexts for emphasis or poetic/literary style, but:

• They sound marked, dramatic, or poetical.
• They’re not what you should use as a learner in normal conversation.

For clear, standard Swahili, stick with Hii ni siri binafsi.