Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri, uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani.

Ukiutumia can be broken down like this:

• u- = subject prefix “you (singular)”
• -ki- = “when / if / while” marker (the -ki- conditional/consecutive tense)
• -u- = object prefix “it” for u- class nouns like ujana
• tumia = verb stem “to use”

So ukiutumia literally means “when/if you use it”, where “it” refers to ujana (youth), which is then repeated explicitly in the sentence:
Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri…
When/if you use it, your youth, well…

The extra -u- is an object marker that stands for ujana:

• -u- = “it (your youth)”

So ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri is literally:

• u-ki-u-tumia ujana wako vizuri
  → you-when-it-use your youth well

In Swahili it is very common (and natural) to:

1. Use an object marker in the verb, and
2. Still say the noun again after the verb.

That means both of these are grammatically fine:

1. Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri… – when you use it, your youth, well…
2. Ukitumia ujana wako vizuri… – when you use your youth well…

The meaning is basically the same. Using the object marker -u- can add a slight feeling of emphasis or definiteness, a bit like saying “when you use it – your youth – well…”. But many speakers would also say Ukitumia ujana wako vizuri without the object marker.

The -ki- marker in ukiutumia is usually called the “ki tense” and it often expresses:

• When / whenever / while
• And, in many contexts, “if” (a real or likely condition)

It is not the normal present or future tense; it is a subordinate form that depends on another clause, here:

• … uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani. – your old age will be peaceful.

So the time reference comes mainly from the main clause (with utakuwa, future), and ukiutumia is understood as:

• “if/when you use it…” (with the result in the future)

In other words, ukiutumia itself is not “you will use it”; it’s “if/when you use it,” linked to a future result: utakuwa.

In Swahili, possessives like -angu, -ako, -ake, -etu, -enu, -ao must agree with the noun class.

Some examples:

• kitabu changu – my book (class 7 → ch-)
• nyumba yangu – my house (class 9 → y-)
• gari langu – my car (class 5 → l-)

Ujana and uzee are u- class abstract nouns. For this class, the possessive uses w-:

• ujana wangu / wako / wake – my/your/his-her youth
• uzee wangu / wako / wake – my/your/his-her old age

So we say:

• ujana wako (not ujana yako)
• uzee wako (not uzee yako)

The w- in wako is the agreement marker for this u- noun class.

Words like ujana (youth) and uzee (old age) are abstract nouns in the u- class. Practically, that means:

• Subject prefix on the verb: u-

  • Ujana wako una thamani. – Your youth has value.
  • Uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani. – Your old age will be peaceful.

• Object prefix: u-

  • Uki*u*tumia ujana wako vizuri… – If/when you use it (your youth) well…

• Possessive: w-

  • ujana wako, uzee wako, ujana wake, uzee wake, etc.

So the u- in utakuwa and the w- in wako are both there because uzee belongs to this u- class.

Wenye comes from the adjective -enye, which means roughly “having / possessed of / characterized by”.

It must agree with the noun class:

• mtu mwenye pesa – a person having money (wealthy)
• nyumba yenye dirisha kubwa – a house having a big window
• gari lenye rangi nyekundu – a car having a red color

For u- class nouns like uzee, the form is wenye:

• uzee wenye amani – old age having peace → peaceful old age

In the sentence:

• uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani

we can understand it as:

• “your old age will be (something) that has peace”
  → “your old age will be peaceful.”

So wenye amani functions as a descriptive phrase, like an adjective: “peaceful.”

Yes, you can say:

• Uzee wako utakuwa na amani.

Both are grammatically correct, but the nuance is slightly different:

• utakuwa na amani

  • literally: “will have peace”
  • focuses more on possessing peace.

• utakuwa wenye amani

  • literally: “will be (something) having peace”
  • sounds more descriptive, like saying “will be peaceful.”

In practice, both versions would usually be understood the same way in this context. Wenye amani is just a bit more like an adjective (“peaceful”), and na amani is more like “with peace / having peace.” Both are natural Swahili.

The verb utakuwa breaks down as:

• u- = subject prefix
• -ta- = future tense
• kuwa = “to be”

Here the subject is uzee wako (“your old age”). For u- class nouns like uzee, the subject prefix is also u-.

So in uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani:

• u- in utakuwa agrees with uzee, not “you”.

It’s true that u- is also the subject prefix for “you (singular)”, so context tells you which one it is:

• Utakuwa vizuri. – You will be fine. (subject is you)
• Uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani. – Your old age will be peaceful. (subject is uzee wako)

When a noun like uzee wako is right before the verb, the u- is almost always understood as agreement with that noun, not the second person pronoun.

Yes, you can say:

• Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri, uzee utakuwa wenye amani.

Grammatically this means:

• “If/when you use your youth well, old age will be peaceful.”

Without wako after uzee, the sentence sounds a bit more general, like a proverb about old age in general.

With wako:

• … uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani.
  → clearly “your old age”.

So:

• with wako = clearly personal: your old age.
• without wako = can sound more like a general truth about old age, though context (and the earlier ujana wako) may still make listeners think of your old age.

In a didactic or proverbial sentence like this, both patterns occur in real Swahili, but repeating wako keeps the parallel structure and clarity.

Yes, you can express the condition with kama (“if”):

Possible variants:

1. Kama utatumia ujana wako vizuri, uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani.
2. Kama ukitumia ujana wako vizuri, uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani.
3. Ukitumia (or ukiutumia) ujana wako vizuri, uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani. ← your original structure (without kama)

All of these are used by native speakers. Some notes:

• ukitumia / ukiutumia on its own already means “if/when you use”, so kama is not required.
• kama + future (kama utatumia…) is a very clear “if you will use…” structure.
• kama ukitumia… is also common, and many speakers don’t feel it as redundant.

In proverbs and general statements, the -ki- form without kama (like Ukitumia ujana wako vizuri…) is especially common and sounds very natural.

Yes, you can reverse the order:

• Uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri.

The meaning remains the same:

• “Your old age will be peaceful if/when you use your youth well.”

In Swahili, the -ki- clause can come before or after the main clause:

• Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri, uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani.
• Uzee wako utakuwa wenye amani ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri.

In writing, people often put a comma when the -ki- clause comes first, and often no comma when it comes second, but this is a matter of style more than strict grammar.

Vizuri is an adverb meaning “well / properly / nicely.” In this sentence:

• ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri
  → “if/when you use your youth well / properly.”

About alternatives:

• vyema – also means “well / properly”, often a bit more formal or literary.

  • Ukiutumia ujana wako vyema… is correct and sounds good.

• kwa vizuri – is not typical here; Swahili normally uses vizuri directly after the verb, not with kwa.

  • So ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri is much more idiomatic than ukiutumia ujana wako kwa vizuri.

So you can naturally say:

• Ukiutumia ujana wako vizuri… (very common)
• Ukiutumia ujana wako vyema… (also correct; slightly more formal/standard)

Both will be understood as “if/when you use your youth well.”