Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mtihani huu ni mgumu, kwa hiyo tunahitaji umakini darasani. - This exam is difficult, so we need concentration in the classroom.

This is just a word-order difference from English. You don’t say huu mtihani in standard Swahili unless you are doing something special with emphasis (and even then, it’s not the usual pattern).

What is the difference between huu, hii, hiki, and huyu? Why do we use huu with mtihani?

These are all forms of “this”, but they depend on the noun class of the word they refer to.

Near the speaker (“this”):

huu – class 3 (m-/mi-) or class 11 (u-) singular, e.g.
- mtihani huu – this exam
- mti huu – this tree
hii – class 4 (mi-) plural, class 9/10 (N-class), etc., e.g.
- mitihani hii – these exams
- chai hii – this tea
hiki – class 7 (ki-/vi-) singular, e.g.
- kitabu hiki – this book
huyu – class 1 (m-/wa-) human/animate singular, e.g.
- mwalimu huyu – this teacher

Mtihani belongs to the m-/mi- class (class 3/4), so its singular “this” is huu:

mtihani huu = this exam

Why is the adjective mgumu used here, and why does it have m- at the beginning?

Swahili adjectives usually take a prefix that agrees with the noun class of the noun they describe.

The root of the adjective here is -gumu (difficult). With different classes, it changes:

Class 3/4 (m-/mi-):
- mtihani mgumu – a difficult exam
- mitihani migumu – difficult exams

The noun mtihani is in class 3, so the adjective gets the m- prefix:

mtihani huu ni mgumu – this exam is difficult

If the noun were plural (mitihani), the adjective would change to match:

mitihani hii ni migumu – these exams are difficult

How would the sentence change if we were talking about several exams instead of one?

You would need to make mtihani, huu, and mgumu all plural:

Singular:
- mtihani huu ni mgumu – this exam is difficult
Plural:
- mitihani hii ni migumu – these exams are difficult

Changes:

mtihani → mitihani (exam → exams)
huu → hii (this → these, for class 4 plural)
mgumu → migumu (difficult, agreeing with plural noun)

The rest of the sentence can stay the same:

Mitihani hii ni migumu, kwa hiyo tunahitaji umakini darasani.
These exams are difficult, so we need attention in class.

What exactly does kwa hiyo mean, and how is it used?

Kwa hiyo is a connector that means “so,” “therefore,” or “because of that.” It links a reason with a result.

In the sentence:

Mtihani huu ni mgumu, kwa hiyo tunahitaji umakini darasani.

The structure is:

Reason: Mtihani huu ni mgumu – This exam is difficult
Result: tunahitaji umakini darasani – we need attention in class
Linker: kwa hiyo – therefore / so

You can use kwa hiyo at the beginning of the result clause, just like English “so”:

Mvua inanyesha, kwa hiyo hatutaenda uwanjani.
It’s raining, so we won’t go to the field.

Is there a difference between kwa hiyo and kwa hivyo?

Both can often be translated as “so / therefore / thus,” and in many everyday contexts they are interchangeable.

General tendencies:

kwa hiyo – very common in conversation and writing, often “so / therefore.”
kwa hivyo – can sound a bit more like “thus / in that way,” sometimes a bit more formal or stylistic, depending on region and speaker.

In this sentence, you could say:

Mtihani huu ni mgumu, kwa hiyo tunahitaji umakini darasani.
Mtihani huu ni mgumu, kwa hivyo tunahitaji umakini darasani.

Both would be understood; kwa hiyo is probably more frequent in casual speech.

What does tunahitaji literally consist of? Why do we have tuna- and not just tu-?

Swahili verbs are built from several parts stuck together in this order:

subject prefix + tense marker + verb root

In tunahitaji:

tu- = we (subject prefix)
-na- = present tense marker (“now / generally / currently”)
-hitaji = verb root “need”

So:

tu- + -na- + -hitaji → tunahitaji = “we need”

You don’t see tuna- as a separate word; it’s just tu- (we) plus -na- (present) merged together inside the verb.

Does tunahitaji mean “we are needing” (continuous) or just “we need” (simple present)?

Swahili’s -na- present tense doesn’t match English exactly. It often covers both:

Simple present (we need)
Present continuous (we are needing – though in English we don’t usually say this with need)

So tunahitaji is normally translated as “we need” in natural English.

Examples:

Tunahitaji msaada. – We need help.
Tunakula. – We are eating / We eat (now).

Why is umakini used here instead of just makini?

The root -makini relates to being careful, attentive, or precise.

kuwa makini = to be careful / to be attentive
(Here makini is an adjective.)
umakini = attentiveness, concentration, carefulness
(The u- turns it into an abstract noun.)

In the sentence:

tunahitaji umakini darasani – we need attention in class

You need a noun after tunahitaji (we need something), so you use umakini, not makini.

Compare:

Tunahitaji umakini. – We need attentiveness.
Tunapaswa kuwa makini. – We should be careful / attentive.

What does darasani literally mean, and why is there no separate word for “in” before it?

Darasani comes from:

darasa – class, classroom
-ni – a locative suffix meaning “in / at / on” depending on context

So darasani literally means “in the class / in class.”

In Swahili, you often show location by adding -ni to a noun instead of using a separate preposition:

nyumba – house → nyumbani – at home / in the house
shule – school → shuleni – at school
kanisa – church → kanisani – at church

That’s why you don’t need an extra word like in; -ni already does that job in darasani.

Can I also say katika darasa instead of darasani? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say katika darasa, and it will be understood as “in the classroom / in class.”

General nuance:

darasani – very natural and common, especially in speech; short and idiomatic.
katika darasa – a bit more explicit; can sound slightly more formal or literal (“inside the classroom”).

In most everyday situations, darasani is the more typical choice:

Tunahitaji utulivu darasani. – We need calm in class.
Wanafunzi wako darasani. – The students are in class.

Why is there no word like “the” before mtihani or darasa?

Swahili does not have articles like “a/an/the”. The ideas of definiteness and number are usually expressed through:

Noun class prefixes (m-, wa-, ki-, etc.)
Context and sometimes demonstratives like huu, hiyo, ile, etc.

So:

mtihani – can be “an exam” or “the exam,” depending on context
mtihani huu – clearly “this exam”
darasani – “in (the) class / in class”

English must choose a/an/the, but Swahili usually leaves that to context.

How would I say “This exam is very difficult, so we really need to pay attention in class”?

You can extend the original sentence like this:

Mtihani huu ni mgumu sana, kwa hiyo tunahitaji sana umakini darasani.

Or more naturally (putting sana after the main phrase):

Mtihani huu ni mgumu sana, kwa hiyo tunahitaji umakini sana darasani.

Breakdown:

mgumu sana – very difficult
tunahitaji umakini sana – we really need (a lot of) attention
darasani – in class