Learn Hardcore Swahili: Leo mama anatumia viungo vingi kupika supu, kama vile vitunguu, giligilani na pilipili hoho. - Today mother is using many ingredients to cook soup, such as onions, coriander, and bell pepper.

Leo mama anatumia…
- Slight emphasis on today.
- Feels like: “Today, mom is using…”
Mama leo anatumia…
- Slight emphasis on mama.
- Feels like: “Mom, today, is using…” (as opposed to other days or other people).

In Swahili, time words like leo, jana, kesho often come:

At the very beginning: Leo ninaenda sokoni.
Or right after the subject: Ninaenda leo sokoni.

So the position is flexible and mainly affects emphasis, not grammar.

What exactly is inside the verb anatumia? How is it formed?

Anatumia can be broken down like this:

a- = subject prefix for he/she (3rd person singular)
-na- = present tense marker (present/ongoing or general present)
-tumia = verb root tumia = to use

So anatumia literally means “he/she uses / is using”.

Other examples with the same pattern:

Ninatumia = I use / I am using
Unatumia = You (singular) use / are using
Wanatumia = They use / are using

Why don’t we have a separate word for “is” in “is using”? Why not something like mama ni anatumia?

In Swahili, the idea of “is/are/am” in the present tense is usually packed into the verb itself using the marker -na-.

Mama anatumia… = Mom is using…
No extra ni is needed.

The verb “to be” (kuwa) appears mainly:

In other tenses: alikuwa, atakuwa, angekuwa, etc.
In equative sentences: Yeye ni mwalimu. (She is a teacher.)

But in present-tense action sentences, you normally do not say:

✗ Mama ni anatumia…

You just say:

✓ Mama anatumia…

Why do both words viungo vingi start with vi-? What’s going on grammatically?

This is noun class agreement.

kiungo = ingredient / joint / link (singular) – class 7
viungo = ingredients / joints / links (plural) – class 8

Adjectives must agree with the noun class:

Class 7–8 (ki-/vi-) adjective for “many” is -ingi, which becomes:
- kingi with ki- (singular)
- vingi with vi- (plural)

So:

kiungo kimoja = one ingredient
viungo vingi = many ingredients

The vi- in viungo and vingi is not duplication; it’s agreement between noun and adjective in class 8.

What’s the difference between kiungo and viungo?

kiungo = one ingredient (or one joint, one link)
viungo = several ingredients (or joints, links)

Some useful combinations:

kiungo kimoja = one ingredient
viungo viwili = two ingredients
viungo vingi = many ingredients

So in the sentence viungo vingi tells you we are talking about many ingredients, not just one.

Why is it vitunguu here and not kitunguu? What’s the singular and plural?

Again, this is class 7–8 (ki-/vi-) behavior:

kitunguu = one onion
vitunguu = onions (more than one)

In the sentence we have a list of ingredients, and vitunguu is treated as plural:

vitunguu, giligilani na pilipili hoho
→ onions, coriander and bell pepper.

So if you wanted to say one onion, you would say:

kitunguu kimoja

How should vitunguu be pronounced, especially with the double u?

Vitunguu has three syllables: vi–tu–nguu.

The ng is like in “singer”, not like “finger”.
The uu is a long u sound, held slightly longer:
- nguu = like “ngoo” but with a longer oo.

So roughly: vee-too-NGOO (with the NGOO slightly stretched).

What does kama vile mean exactly? Could I just say kama instead?

kama vile here means “such as / like / for example”.

kama alone means “like / as / if” depending on context.
vile means “like that / in that way / those (things)”.

Together kama vile often introduces examples:

Ninapenda matunda, kama vile maembe na ndizi.
→ I like fruits, such as mangoes and bananas.

You can say just kama in casual speech:

…kupika supu, kama vitunguu na pilipili hoho.

But kama vile is a bit clearer and more standard for “such as”.

Why is it kupika supu and not something like kupika ya supu?

In Swahili, many verbs take their object directly, without an extra preposition.

kupika supu = to cook soup
(kupika = to cook; supu = soup)

You do not say:

✗ kupika ya supu (there is no need for ya here)

Compare:

kula chakula = to eat food
kunywa maji = to drink water
kusoma kitabu = to read a book

The pattern is simply verb + object.

What is giligilani? I don’t recognize this word.

Giligilani is a Swahili word for coriander / cilantro (the herb).

Depending on the region and speaker, you may also hear:

kotimiri / kotimili
mkoranderi (from “coriander”)

But giligilani is widely understood in many Swahili-speaking areas as the leafy herb used to flavor food.

What is the difference between pilipili and pilipili hoho?

pilipili on its own usually refers to hot chili peppers (spicy).
pilipili hoho refers to sweet bell peppers / capsicum (not hot).

So:

Ninapenda pilipili. = I like chili (spicy peppers).
Ninapenda pilipili hoho. = I like bell peppers.

In the sentence, pilipili hoho means the non-spicy bell pepper used as an ingredient in the soup.

What noun class is supu, and why doesn’t it change form like kitunguu/vitunguu?

Supu is a borrowed word (from English/French “soup”), and it usually belongs to class 9/10 in Swahili.

Class 9/10 often has:

The same form for singular and plural:
- supu (one soup, several soups – context tells you)
- chai (tea/teas)
- mbwa (dog/dogs)

That’s why you don’t see a change like ki- / vi-.
The noun supu just stays supu, and number is understood from context or from adjectives/numbers if you need to be explicit.

How would the verb change if the subject were I or we instead of mama?

You only change the subject prefix at the start of the verb:

Mimi (I):
- Leo ninatumia viungo vingi… = Today I am using many ingredients…
Sisi (we):
- Leo tunatumia viungo vingi… = Today we are using many ingredients…

Pattern:

ni- = I
u- = you (sing.)
a- = he/she
tu- = we
m- = you (pl.)
wa- = they

All followed by -na- for present tense and the verb root -tumia.