Learn Hardcore Swahili: Wakati mwingine mimi hunong’ona kwa sauti ya chini ili nisimsumbue mtoto anayesoma. - Sometimes I whisper in a low voice so that I do not disturb the child who is studying.

Wakati mwingine literally means “another time” or “at another time”, but in normal usage it corresponds to English “sometimes / at times / occasionally.”

It’s a common way to talk about things that happen from time to time, not always.
You’ll often see it at the beginning of a sentence, just like “Sometimes…” in English.

You may also see mara nyingine with almost the same meaning; wakati mwingine is a bit more “time/period” oriented, while mara nyingine is more like “on another occasion,” but in many everyday contexts they overlap and both can translate as “sometimes.”

Why is mimi included? Can it be left out?

Mimi means “I / me.” In Swahili, subject pronouns are often optional because the subject is already marked on the verb.

In mimi hunong’ona, the verb already shows the subject “I” (hidden inside the verb form).
So you can say just Wakati mwingine hunong’ona… and it is grammatically correct.

Including mimi adds a bit of emphasis or clarity, similar to saying “I (personally) sometimes whisper…” in English. It can make the sentence feel slightly more personal or contrastive, depending on context.

What is the hu- in hunong’ona? Is it the same as the hu meaning “dew” or “beard”?

The hu- here is a verbal prefix showing habitual or general action, not the noun hu (“dew,” “beard,” etc.).

Hunong’ona = “I (habitually) whisper / I sometimes whisper / I tend to whisper” (no extra tense marker).
This hu- is attached directly to the verb stem and replaces the usual tense-aspect marker like -na-, -li-, -ta-.

Compare:

Ninanong’ona – “I am whispering / I whisper (right now / in general).”
Hunong’ona – “I (normally / sometimes) whisper; I have the habit of whispering.”

With hu- you do not add another tense marker like na, li, ta in the same verb form. You don’t say *hunananong’ona.

So what is the difference between hunong’ona and ninanong’ona?

Both involve present time, but the nuance is different:

Hunong’ona
- Uses the hu- habitual prefix.
- Suggests a general habit, tendency, or repeated action.
- Fits well with wakati mwingine (“sometimes”), because “sometimes I whisper” is describing a typical pattern.
Ninanong’ona
- Uses ni- (I) + -na- (present) + nong’ona (whisper).
- Often focuses more on what is happening now or in a current situation, like “I am whispering.”

In your sentence, hunong’ona matches the idea of “sometimes I (tend to) whisper…”

What does nong’ona mean, and is it different from just kusema?

Kunong’ona means “to whisper / to speak very softly.”

It’s more specific than kusema (“to say / to speak”).
It implies low volume, usually so that others don’t hear or aren’t disturbed.

So:

Ninanong’ona – “I am whispering.”
Ninasema – “I am speaking / I am saying (something),” with no implication of volume.

In your sentence, hunong’ona kwa sauti ya chini nicely emphasizes whispering in a low voice.

What does kwa sauti ya chini literally mean, and why is kwa used?

Kwa sauti ya chini literally breaks down as:

kwa – “with / by / in (a certain manner)”
sauti – “voice/sound”
ya – “of” (linker for noun class 9/10 sauti)
chini – “down / low”

So kwa sauti ya chini = “with a low voice” / “in a low voice.”

The kwa here is the common preposition used for:

Means/instrument: kuandika kwa kalamu – to write with a pen
Manner: kusema kwa upole – to speak gently

Here it expresses manner: he/she whispers in a low voice.

Why sauti ya chini and not something like sauti ndogo? Do they mean the same?

Both can be understood, but there’s a nuance:

sauti ya chini – more clearly “a low voice” in terms of volume or pitch.
sauti ndogo – literally “a small voice”; it can also be interpreted as “quiet/soft voice,” but ya chini is more standard for “low (in volume).”

So kwa sauti ya chini is a very natural way to say “in a low voice” when you want to avoid disturbing someone.

What does ili mean, and what kind of verb form follows it?

Ili is a conjunction meaning “so that / in order that.”

It introduces a purpose clause: it tells you why something is done.

After ili, Swahili normally uses a subjunctive verb form (often without ku-), for example:

Ninasoma ili nipite mtihani. – I’m studying so that I may pass the exam.
- nipite is subjunctive.

In your sentence, ili nisimsumbue mtoto… = “so that I don’t disturb the child…”, and nisimsumbue is in the subjunctive (and negative).

How is nisimsumbue built, and what does each part mean?

Nisimsumbue comes from the verb kusumbua (to bother/disturb). It’s made of:

ni- – subject prefix “I”
-si- – negative marker in this context
-m- – object marker “him/her” (referring to the child)
sumbue – subjunctive form of sumbua

So altogether:

nisimsumbue ≈ “that I not disturb him/her” or “so that I don’t disturb him/her.”

Because ili expresses purpose, the verb is subjunctive and here it’s negative to show the speaker’s purpose is not to disturb the child.

Why is the verb negative (nisimsumbue) after ili? Could it be positive?

It’s negative simply because the intended result is not to disturb the child.

ili nimfumbe – “so that I may close (something) for him/her” (positive)
ili nisimsumbue – “so that I may not disturb him/her” (negative)

So the negativity is about the meaning of the sentence, not about a fixed rule after ili. You use positive or negative depending on what you want to say:

Ninaongea polepole ili anisikie vizuri. – I speak slowly so that he/she hears me well.
Ninaongea polepole ili wasinikasirike. – I speak slowly so that they do not get angry with me.

Why is mtoto anayesoma used instead of just mtoto anasoma?

Mtoto anayesoma means “the child who is studying / the child who is reading.” This is a relative clause describing the noun mtoto.

mtoto anasoma – “The child is studying/reading.” (full sentence)
mtoto anayesoma – “The child who is studying” (child + description)

In your sentence, mtoto is being specified by the phrase anayesoma, so we get:

…ili nisimsumbue mtoto anayesoma.
– “…so that I don’t disturb the child who is studying.”

You cannot just put mtoto anasoma there, because that would start a new sentence, instead of modifying the noun.

How is anayesoma formed, and what does the -ye- part do?

Anayesoma is a relative verb form built from anasoma (“he/she is reading/studying”).

Breakdown:

a- – subject prefix, “he/she” (agreement with mtoto, class 1)
-na- – present tense marker
-ye- – relative marker for class 1 (who/that/which)
soma – verb root “read/study”

So:

anasoma – “he/she is studying.”
anayesoma – “he/she who is studying” → “who is studying.”

The -ye- is what turns a normal verb into a relative form (here: “who is [doing X]”).

Could we also say mtoto ambaye anasoma instead of mtoto anayesoma?

Yes.

mtoto ambaye anasoma = mtoto anayesoma = “the child who is studying.”

Ambaye + ordinary verb is another way to form a relative clause. Differences:

mtoto anayesoma – more compact, very common in speech and writing.
mtoto ambaye anasoma – also correct and natural; sometimes sounds a bit clearer for beginners.

Both are fully acceptable in standard Swahili.

Does anayesoma agree with mtoto in any special way?

Yes. Agreement happens through the subject prefix and the relative marker.

mtoto is noun class 1 (singular human: m-/wa-).
Class 1 uses:
- a- as the subject prefix (he/she)
- -ye- as the relative marker

So:

mtoto anayesoma – child who is studying
If it were plural (watoto – children, class 2), it would be:
- watoto wanaosoma – children who are studying
- wa- (they) + -na- (present) + -o- (relative marker for class 2) + soma

Can mimi be placed after the verb, like Hunong’ona mimi…?

Yes, but the feel changes slightly.

Mimi hunong’ona… – very natural; mild emphasis on mimi at the start (“I sometimes whisper…”).
Hunong’ona mimi… – also grammatically possible, but often used in more contrastive or emotional contexts, like:
- “Hunong’ona mimi, si yeye!” – “It’s me who whispers, not him/her!”

In your neutral, descriptive sentence, the most natural are:

Wakati mwingine hunong’ona kwa sauti ya chini…
Wakati mwingine mimi hunong’ona kwa sauti ya chini… (with extra emphasis on “I”).