Mimi nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana kusikiliza muziki, kisha nitaendelea na kazi ya nyumbani.

I will use the lunch break to listen to music, then I will continue with homework.

Breakdown of Mimi nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana kusikiliza muziki, kisha nitaendelea na kazi ya nyumbani.

• mimi: I
• na: with
• kisha: then
• kutumia: to use
• kuendelea: to continue
• muziki: the music
• kusikiliza: to listen
• mapumziko ya mchana: the lunch break
• kazi ya nyumbani: the homework

Questions & Answers about Mimi nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana kusikiliza muziki, kisha nitaendelea na kazi ya nyumbani.

Why is the subject Mimi written if the verb already shows “I”?

In Swahili, the subject is already marked on the verb (ni- = I), so you can say:

• Nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana…

However, using Mimi adds emphasis or clarity, similar to English:

• Mimi nitatumia… = I will use… (as opposed to someone else, or stressing your own plan)

So both are grammatically correct; with Mimi it sounds more emphatic: Me, I will use the lunch break…

How is the verb nitatumia built, and what does each part mean?

Swahili verbs are built from several parts:

• ni- = subject prefix for I
• -ta- = future tense marker (will)
• -tumia = verb stem meaning use / spend (time)

So:

• ni-ta-tumia = I + will + use → I will use / I will spend

The basic dictionary form is kutumia (to use), where ku- is the infinitive prefix.

Does tumia here mean “use” or “spend (time)”?

In this sentence, tumia is used in the sense of to spend (time):

• nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana
  = I will spend the lunch break / I will make use of the lunch break

Swahili often uses tumia for both:

• Kutumia pesa = to use/spend money
• Kutumia muda = to use/spend time

Context tells you whether it’s “use” or “spend”. Here it’s clearly about time.

What does mapumziko ya mchana literally mean, and is it like “lunch break”?

Literally:

• mapumziko = break(s), rest period(s)
• ya = of (linking word)
• mchana = daytime / afternoon

So mapumziko ya mchana is the midday/daytime break, often understood as a lunch break in a school or work context.

You could think of it as:

• mapumziko ya mchana ≈ “the midday break” / “lunch break”

Why is it mapumziko ya mchana and not something like mapumziko wa mchana?

The linking word (ya, wa, la, cha, etc.) has to agree with the class of the first noun:

• mapumziko is in noun class 6 (ma‑)
• Class 6 uses ya for “of”

So:

• mapumziko ya mchana = break(s) of the daytime
  (mapumziko class 6 → ya)

If it were singular pumziko (class 5), you would say:

• pumziko la mchana (class 5 → la)

Why is mapumziko plural? Could we say pumziko la mchana instead?

Yes, pumziko la mchana is grammatically correct and would mean “the midday break” (singular).

However, mapumziko (plural) is very common for:

• breaks
• rest periods
• time off / holidays

Using the plural here is natural, a bit like saying “my lunch breaks” or just “lunch break” in a general sense. It doesn’t necessarily emphasize more than one break; it’s just the usual form.

What exactly is kusikiliza and why is there no “to” between the verbs in Swahili?

Kusikiliza is the infinitive form:

• ku- = infinitive marker
• -sikiliza = listen (attentively)

So kusikiliza muziki = to listen to music

In Swahili, when one verb follows another, the second is usually in the infinitive with ku-, but you don’t insert a separate word like English “to”:

• Nitatumia mapumziko ya mchana kusikiliza muziki.
  = I will use the lunch break to listen to music.

There is no separate “to” word; ku- on the verb already plays that role.

What is the difference between kusikiliza and kusikia?

Both are related to hearing, but they’re different:

• kusikiliza = to listen (actively, attentively)
  → deliberate action, like paying attention to music, a person, a radio
• kusikia = to hear (or to feel/sense)
  → more passive: you hear a noise, you hear something said

In your sentence, kusikiliza muziki = to listen to music (on purpose), so kusikiliza is the appropriate choice.

What does kisha mean here, and could I use halafu instead?

Kisha is a connector meaning:

• then / after that

So:

• … kusikiliza muziki, kisha nitaendelea …
  = … listen to music, then I will continue …

You can normally replace kisha with halafu without changing the basic meaning:

• … kusikiliza muziki, halafu nitaendelea …

Nuance:

• kisha can sound a bit more formal or “written” to some speakers.
• halafu is very common in everyday speech.

Both are very widely understood.

How is nitaendelea na kazi ya nyumbani structured grammatically?

Breakdown:

• ni- = I (subject prefix)
• -ta- = future tense marker (will)
• -endelea = continue
• na = with / on
• kazi ya nyumbani = homework / work of home

So:

• nitaendelea na kazi ya nyumbani
  = I will continue with the homework / with the work at home

The verb kuendelea na [X] means to continue with [X] or to go on with [X]. The na here is like English “with” or “on”.

Does kazi ya nyumbani mean “homework” or “housework”?

Kazi ya nyumbani can mean either, depending on context:

• In a school context: usually homework (assignments from school)
• In a household / chores context: housework (tasks at home)

Some speakers might specify more clearly, for example:

• kazi za nyumbani = household chores
• madaftari ya kazi ya nyumbani = homework books

In your sentence, without extra context it is slightly more likely to be understood as homework (school work done at home), but it can be either.

Why is it kazi ya nyumbani and not kazi ya nyumba?

There is a subtle difference:

• nyumba = house (the building)
• nyumbani = at home / in the home (locative form)

The set phrase for homework/housework is usually with nyumbani:

• kazi ya nyumbani = work of the home / work done at home

Kazi ya nyumba is much less idiomatic and would sound more like “the house’s work” (not the normal expression for chores or homework). So kazi ya nyumbani is the standard phrase.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Swahili does not have separate words for “the” or “a/an” like English does. Nouns are generally bare, and definiteness is understood from context:

• mapumziko ya mchana = lunch break / the lunch break
• kazi ya nyumbani = homework / the homework

If you need to be extra specific, you can use other strategies:

• hayo mapumziko ya mchana = that particular lunch break
• ile kazi ya nyumbani = that specific homework

But usually, the context is enough, so Swahili just says mapumziko ya mchana and kazi ya nyumbani without any article.