Learn Hardcore Swahili: Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani. - The students sit quietly in the classroom.

mwanafunzi = student (singular)
- m- / mwana- = class 1 (person) singular prefix
- -funzi = learner (from the verb -funza, to teach/train)
wanafunzi = students (plural)
- wa- / wana- = class 2 (people) plural prefix
- -funzi = learner

So:

mwanafunzi = a student
wanafunzi = (the) students

Swahili does not change the ending of the word to make plurals (like student → students). Instead, it changes the prefix from m-/mwana- to wa-/wana- for this noun class.

In wanakaa, what does each part mean? Is wana- the same as in wanafunzi?

Wanakaa is the verb they sit / they stay / they live (depending on context). It’s made of:

wa- = subject prefix they (3rd person plural, for people)
-na- = present tense marker (often called the “general present” or present continuous)
-kaa = verb root sit / stay / live / reside

So wanakaa literally means they-are-sitting / they-are-staying.

The wana- in wanafunzi and the wa- ... -na- in wanakaa are not the same thing, even if they look similar:

In wanafunzi, wana- is part of the noun meaning students.
In wanakaa, wa- is the subject prefix (they), and -na- is the tense marker.

Does wanakaa mean “are sitting” or “sit”? Is it continuous or simple present?

Wanakaa covers both meanings. Swahili doesn’t strictly separate simple present and present continuous like English does.

Depending on context, wanakaa can mean:

They are sitting (right now)
They sit (as a general or habitual action)
They stay / they live (in some place)

In Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani, the most natural translations are:

The students are sitting quietly in class.
or
The students sit quietly in class.

Context (time expressions, surrounding sentences) tells you which English tense fits best.

What exactly is kimya? Is it an adjective (“quiet”) or a noun (“silence”)?

In Swahili, kimya is basically a noun meaning silence.

However, it is very commonly used adverbially, in the sense of:

quietly / in silence
silent / quiet (as a state)

Common patterns:

kuwa kimya = to be silent / to be quiet
kaa kimya = to stay silent, to keep quiet
kimya kimya = quietly, secretly, on the quiet

In Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani, wanakaa kimya literally means they stay (in) silence, which we translate more naturally as they sit quietly or they keep quiet.

So grammatically it’s a noun, but functionally here it behaves more like an adverb (quietly).

What does darasani literally mean, and why isn’t there a separate word for “in”?

Darasani comes from:

darasa = class / classroom
-ni = locative suffix, meaning in / at / on (location marker)

So darasani literally means in the class / in the classroom / in class.

Swahili often uses -ni instead of a separate preposition like in:

nyumba (house) → nyumbani = at home / in the house
shule (school) → shuleni = at school
kanisa (church) → kanisani = at church

You can also say katika darasa (= in the classroom), but darasani is more compact and very natural.

Why is there no word for “the” in Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani?

Swahili generally does not use articles like the or a/an.

Whether you translate wanafunzi as students or the students depends entirely on context, not on a specific word in the Swahili sentence.

So:

Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani.
- can be Students sit quietly in class.
- or The students are sitting quietly in class.

If you need to emphasize a specific group, you can qualify the noun:

Wanafunzi wale wanakaa kimya darasani. = Those students sit quietly in class.
Wanafunzi wetu wanakaa kimya darasani. = Our students sit quietly in class.

But there is no direct equivalent to the as a separate word.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Darasani wanafunzi wanakaa kimya instead?

The basic, neutral word order in Swahili is Subject – Verb – (other elements), so:

Wanafunzi (subject)
wanakaa (verb)
kimya (manner)
darasani (location)

= Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani.

However, Swahili word order is fairly flexible for emphasis or style. You can say:

Darasani wanafunzi wanakaa kimya.
- Emphasis on darasani = In class, the students sit quietly.

The meaning is basically the same; you’re just highlighting different parts. The verb still must carry the correct subject prefix (wa- here), so the listener always knows who is doing the action, even if you change the order a bit.

If wanakaa kimya means “they keep quiet”, how would you say “they speak quietly” instead?

For “speak quietly”, you would normally use a verb for speaking plus an adverb of manner. Two natural options:

Wanafunzi wanaongea kwa sauti ya chini darasani.
- wanaongea = they are talking
- kwa sauti ya chini = in a low voice / quietly
- = The students are speaking quietly in class.
Wanafunzi wanazungumza taratibu darasani.
- wanazungumza = they are speaking / conversing
- taratibu = gently / carefully / slowly (often also used for “softly/quietly”)
- = The students speak quietly in class.

Wanakaa kimya means they aren’t speaking at all; they’re silent.

What’s the difference between wanakaa kimya and wamekaa kimya?

Both involve kaa (sit/stay), but the tense/aspect changes the nuance:

wanakaa kimya
- wa- (they) + -na- (present) + kaa (sit/stay)
- focus on an ongoing or general present:
  - They are sitting quietly / They sit quietly.
wamekaa kimya
- wa- (they) + -me- (perfect) + kaa
- literally: they have sat / they are in a state of having sat
- often used to describe a current completed state, so:
  - They are (now) sitting there quietly / They have settled down and are quiet.

In many contexts English will translate both with are sitting, but wamekaa kimya can suggest they’ve already assumed that position/state and remain like that.

Do you ever need a separate pronoun like they in Swahili, e.g. Wao wanakaa kimya darasani?

Normally, you do not need a separate subject pronoun in Swahili, because the subject prefix on the verb already shows who is doing the action:

wanakaa = they sit / are sitting
anakaa = he/she sits / is sitting

So:

Wanafunzi wanakaa kimya darasani. is fully complete.

You can add wao (= they) or other independent pronouns only for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Wao wanakaa kimya darasani, lakini walimu wanaongea.
- They stay quiet in class, but the teachers are talking.

Here wao is stressed: they, as opposed to someone else. Normally, you’d omit it.