Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani, utaweka akiba kila wiki. - If you control the use of money at home, you will put savings aside every week.

Ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani
- This is the condition: If/When you control the use of money at home…
utaweka akiba kila wiki
- This is the result: …you will put aside savings every week.

Swahili often puts the conditional clause first, just like English, but you can also reverse the order:

Utaweka akiba kila wiki ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani.
(You will save every week if you control the use of money at home.)

What exactly does ukidhibiti mean and how is it formed?

Ukidhibiti comes from the verb kudhibiti (to control, to regulate). It’s made of:

u- = subject prefix for you (singular)
-ki- = conditional/temporal marker, roughly “if/when”
dhibit = verb root
-i = final vowel (part of the normal verb form dhibiti)

So ukidhibiti literally encodes “you-if-control”, i.e. “if/when you control”.

You don’t need an extra word like kama (if), because the -ki- inside the verb already provides that meaning.

Is ukidhibiti closer to if you control or when you control?

The -ki- form usually suggests a real or likely situation, and can be translated as either:

if you control (conditional, but expecting it might actually happen)
when(ever) you control (each time that you do it)

In this sentence, both readings work:

If you control the use of money at home…
When you control the use of money at home…

If the speaker wanted a very clear “if” (including more hypothetical situations), they might use kama:

Kama utadhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani, utaweka akiba kila wiki.
(If you will control the use of money at home, you will save every week.)

But ukidhibiti alone is natural and common.

Why is there no separate word for “you” in the Swahili sentence?

Swahili usually does not need independent subject pronouns, because they are built into the verb.

Ukidhibiti
- u- = you (sg)
- so wewe (you) is understood without being written.

If you want to emphasize you, you can add the pronoun:

Wewe ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani, utaweka akiba kila wiki.
(YOU, if you control the use of money at home, will save every week.)

What does the -ki- in ukidhibiti actually do, grammatically?

The -ki- is a conditional/temporal verbal infix. Its main uses:

To express a real condition:
- Ukifanya kazi, utapata pesa.
  If you work, you will get money.
To express “when(ever)” meaning:
- Nikifika, nitakupigia simu.
  When I arrive, I will call you.

So in ukidhibiti, -ki- turns the verb into a dependent “if/when” clause.

How is utaweka formed, and what tense is it?

Utaweka comes from kuweka (to put, to place; also to deposit/save money).

It breaks down as:

u- = subject prefix for you (singular)
-ta- = future tense marker
wek = verb root
-a = final vowel

So utaweka means “you will put (aside)” or “you will save” in the future.

Why can weka mean “to save money” and not just “to put”?

The basic meaning of weka is to put/place. But with a suitable object and context, it extends to:

kuweka akiba = to put aside savings → to save (money)
kuweka pesa benki = to put money in the bank → to deposit money

So utaweka akiba is literally you will put savings but understood as “you will save (money)”.

What does matumizi mean, and what kind of noun is it?

Matumizi means use, usage, spending, expenditure (often specifically of money).

Grammatically:

It’s a noun in class 6 (ma‑ class).
It’s derived from the verb kutumia (to use) using a noun-forming pattern.

In context, matumizi ya pesa means “the use/spending of money” or “expenses”.

Why is it matumizi ya pesa and not matumizi za pesa?

The connector ya/za/wa/... must agree with the noun it refers to – the thing being possessed, not the owner.

Here:

matumizi (use/spending) is class 6 → it takes ya.
pesa (money) is what those matumizi are of.

So:

matumizi ya pesa = use/spending of money

If we had a class 10 noun instead (e.g. sifa – qualities), we could see za:

sifa za pesa = qualities of money

But matumizi is class 6, so ya is correct, not za.

What does nyumbani mean exactly, and how is it different from nyumba?

nyumba = house/home (basic noun)
nyumbani = at home, in the house, homeward, depending on context

The -ni ending makes it locative (a place form):

Nyumbani as used here means “at home / in the home”.

So:

pesa nyumbani = money at home
nyumbani ninapumzika = at home I rest

Does kila wiki mean every week or each week, and how does kila work?

Kila wiki can be translated as every week or each week.
Kila:

means every/each
comes before the noun
does not change for noun class

Examples:

kila wiki = every week
kila siku = every day
kila mtu = every person / everyone

So utaweka akiba kila wiki = you will save every week.

Is the word order fixed, or can we move parts of the sentence around?

There is some flexibility. Common patterns:

Conditional first (as in the original):
- Ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani, utaweka akiba kila wiki.
Main clause first:
- Utaweka akiba kila wiki ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani.

You generally keep small phrases together:

matumizi ya pesa (use of money)
akiba kila wiki (savings every week)

But you can shuffle the major chunks (conditional vs. main clause) without changing the meaning significantly.

Is the comma after nyumbani necessary in Swahili writing?

The comma is optional and mostly reflects how you pause in speech, not a strict grammatical rule.

Ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani utaweka akiba kila wiki.
Ukidhibiti matumizi ya pesa nyumbani, utaweka akiba kila wiki.

Both are fine. Many writers like to add the comma to clearly separate the if/when clause from the result clause, especially in longer sentences.