Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini nyumbani.

Use mimi only when you want to stress the subject (I as opposed to someone else), or in contrastive contexts or after certain conjunctions. In neutral speech, you’ll often just hear Ninasoma….

What does ninasoma break down into morpheme by morpheme?

Ninasoma is made of several parts:

ni- = I (1st person singular subject marker)
-na- = present tense / present continuous
-som- = verb root meaning read / study
-a = final vowel (required on most verb forms)

So ni-na-som-a literally encodes I – present – read. Together it’s understood as I read / I am reading.

Does ninasoma mean I read or I am reading?

It can cover both meanings, depending on context:

Right now sense (present continuous):
Mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini nyumbani.
I am reading a book carefully at home (right now).
Habitual sense (simple present):
Kila jioni ninasoma kitabu nyumbani.
Every evening I read a book at home.

Spoken English separates I read vs I am reading, but Swahili uses the same -na- form (ninasoma) for both, and context tells you which one is meant.

What is the difference between ninasoma and nasoma?

In everyday spoken Swahili, ninasoma is often shortened to nasoma:

Ninasoma kitabu. → Nasoma kitabu.

They mean the same thing: I am reading / I read a book.

The ni- is just dropped in fast or informal speech because the verb still clearly refers to I in context. In careful or formal speech, you’ll hear and write ninasoma more often.

Why is it kitabu and not something like buk? What is kitabu exactly?

Kitabu is the standard Swahili word for book. It comes from Arabic (kitāb).

A few important points:

ki- at the beginning shows it belongs to noun class 7 (ki-/vi- class).
The plural is vitabu (vi- is the plural prefix in this class).

So:

kitabu = book
vitabu = books

Swahili does not use articles like a / the, so kitabu can be a book or the book depending on context.

Where do adjectives go with words like kitabu?

In Swahili, adjectives normally come after the noun and agree with its noun class.

For kitabu (class 7):

kitabu kizuri = a good book
- kizuri is the adjective -zuri (good) with a ki--class agreement: ki-zuri.

Your sentence doesn’t include an adjective, but if you added one, it would look like:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu kizuri kwa makini nyumbani.
I am reading a good book carefully at home.

Why is there no word like a or the before kitabu?

Swahili does not use articles like a/an or the. The bare noun kitabu can cover all these English possibilities:

I am reading a book.
I am reading the book.
I read books. (in some contexts)

Which one is meant depends on context, not on a separate word. If you need to be specific, you can add context, demonstratives, or possessives:

kitabu hiki = this book
kitabu changu = my book

What does kwa makini literally mean, and why use kwa here?

Kwa makini means carefully / attentively.

makini by itself is an adjective meaning careful, attentive, focused.
kwa is a preposition that, among other functions, is used to turn certain nouns or adjectives into adverbial phrases.

So:

kwa makini = in a careful way / carefully

This kwa + word structure is very common to express manner:

kwa haraka = quickly / in a hurry
kwa uzuri = beautifully
kwa nguvu = with force / strongly

Could I just say Mimi ninasoma kitabu makini without kwa?

No, Mimi ninasoma kitabu makini is not natural Swahili.

makini is an adjective, so directly after a noun it would be understood as describing the book, not how you read.
But kitabu makini is not a usual phrase (a careful book doesn’t really make sense).

To say carefully, you use the adverbial phrase kwa makini:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini.
I am reading the book carefully.

What does nyumbani mean exactly? Is it house or home?

Nyumbani means at home / home (as a place).

Contrast:

nyumba = house (the physical building)
nyumbani = at home (location; can be your house, or wherever your home is)

So in your sentence:

nyumbani = at home

You don’t need an extra word like at or in in front of nyumbani.

Why is it nyumbani and not kwa nyumbani or katika nyumba?

Nyumbani already has a built-in sense of at home, so:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu nyumbani.
I am reading a book at home.

If you say katika nyumba, you’re literally saying in a/the house, which is more neutral and physical:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu katika nyumba.
I am reading a book in the house. (not necessarily my home)

You would not normally say kwa nyumbani in this sense. Just use nyumbani for at home.

Can I say nyumbani kwangu instead of nyumbani?

Yes. Nyumbani kwangu means at my home / at my house.

nyumbani = at home
kwangu = at mine / my place

So:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu nyumbani.
Could be I am reading a book at home (context may already imply it’s your home).
Mimi ninasoma kitabu nyumbani kwangu.
Emphasizes at my home / at my place.

Both are correct; nyumbani alone is usually enough when talking about yourself.

Is the word order Mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini nyumbani fixed, or can I move parts around?

Swahili word order is fairly flexible, especially for adverbial phrases like kwa makini and nyumbani, but there are more natural and less natural orders.

Your sentence:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini nyumbani.
Subject – verb – object – manner – place (very natural)

Other acceptable orders:

Mimi ninasoma kitabu nyumbani kwa makini.
…at home, carefully. (place then manner)

Less good:

Mimi kwa makini ninasoma kitabu nyumbani.
Understandable, but sounds marked or unusual in everyday speech.

You generally keep:

Subject + verb together
Object close to the verb
Adverbs (manner, place, time) after that, in a fairly free order

Could I say Nyumbani, mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini?

Yes, that is correct and natural. You’re fronting the place phrase for emphasis:

Nyumbani, mimi ninasoma kitabu kwa makini.
At home, I read a book carefully.

This emphasizes Nyumbani (as opposed, for example, to shuleni – at school, or kazini – at work).

What part of speech is makini? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

Makini is basically an adjective meaning careful, attentive, focused.

Mwanafunzi makini = a careful/attentive student

When used with kwa (as in kwa makini), it functions adverbially:

kufanya kazi kwa makini = to work carefully

So:

makini alone → adjective
kwa makini → adverbial phrase (carefully)

What does kwa generally mean? It seems to be used in many ways.

Kwa is a very flexible preposition. Some common uses:

Means / manner
- kwa makini = carefully
- kwa haraka = quickly
- kwa sauti kubwa = in a loud voice
By / using (instrument)
- kuandika kwa kalamu = to write with a pen
- kusafiri kwa basi = to travel by bus
At (for some locations, especially people’s places or offices)
- niko kwa mama = I am at my mother’s (place)
- ameenda kwa daktari = she has gone to the doctor’s (office)

In your sentence, it is being used in the manner sense (carefully).

Do I have to pronounce all syllables clearly in nyumbani? How is it said?

Nyumbani is pronounced roughly as:

nyu-BA-ni

Tips:

ny is one sound, like the ny in canyon or Spanish ñ: [ɲ].
Stress usually falls on the second-last syllable in Swahili, so nyu-BA-ni (stress on BA).

So you don’t say ni-um-ba-ni; it’s one blended consonant at the start: nyu-.