Learn Hardcore Swahili: Leo jioni, ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi. - This evening, I want to write my dream for myself in my personal diary.

Leo jioni, ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi.

This evening, I want to write my dream for myself in my personal diary.

Breakdown of Leo jioni, ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi.

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Questions & Answers about Leo jioni, ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi.

Why does the sentence start with leo jioni? Can it go somewhere else, like at the end?

Time expressions like leo jioni (this evening) often come at the beginning of a Swahili sentence to set the scene, very much like “Today, this evening, ...” in English.

You can also say:

Ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi leo jioni.
Leo jioni ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi. (comma optional in normal writing)

All of these are grammatically fine. Starting with leo jioni simply emphasizes when the action will happen.

What is the difference between ninataka and nataka? Are both correct?

Both are correct and mean “I want”:

ninataka = ni- (I) + na- (present) + -taka (want)
nataka is a common spoken and written shortening of ninataka.

In most modern usage:

ninataka can feel a bit more careful/formal or slow.
nataka feels more natural in everyday conversation.

In this sentence, you could say:

Leo jioni, nataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu…

The meaning doesn’t change.

Could I add mimi and say Mimi ninataka...? Does that sound natural?

Yes, you can say:

Mimi ninataka kujiandikia ndoto yangu...

This adds emphasis to I, similar to:

“I (myself) want to write...”

Use mimi when you want to contrast with someone else (e.g. “I want to, but he doesn’t.”). In a neutral statement, ninataka alone is usually enough and more natural.

What exactly does kujiandikia mean, and how is it formed?

kujiandikia is a reflexive/benefactive verb form. Break it down:

ku- = infinitive marker (to ...)
-ji- = reflexive marker (oneself / for oneself)
-andika = write
-ia (here as -ikia) = “for / to” someone (applicative suffix)

So ku-ji-andik-ia literally means:

“to write for oneself / to oneself”

In context, kujiandikia ndoto yangu = “to write my dream down for myself”, i.e. for my own record.

Why not just use kuandika instead of kujiandikia? Would the meaning change?

You can use kuandika, and it’s perfectly correct:

Leo jioni, ninataka kuandika ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu binafsi.

Differences in nuance:

kuandika = to write (neutral: just the act of writing)
kujiandikia = to write for myself / to myself
→ subtly emphasizes that this writing is for your own benefit, a personal note.

In many everyday situations, kuandika is enough, but kujiandikia fits nicely when talking about diaries, notes to yourself, etc.

Why does ndoto yangu come after kujiandikia instead of before it?

Standard Swahili word order is:

[Subject marker] + [Tense marker] + [Verb] + [Object / Object phrase]

So:

nina-taka ku-ji-andik-ia ndoto yangu
→ I-want to-write-for-myself my dream

The full noun phrase ndoto yangu (my dream) naturally comes after the verb phrase. You wouldn’t normally say:

✗ ... ndoto yangu kujiandikia ...

If you wanted to use an object marker instead, you could say:

Ninataka kuijiandikia ndoto yangu…
Here -i- is an object marker for ndoto (class 9), but this is more advanced and not necessary; your original sentence is already good and natural.

Why is it ndoto yangu, not yangu ndoto? How do possessives work here?

In Swahili, possessives usually follow the noun:

ndoto yangu = my dream
shajara yangu = my journal

So the pattern is:

[Noun] + [Possessive adjective]

You do not say:

✗ yangu ndoto

Another way to express possession is [Noun] + ya + [pronoun], e.g.:

ndoto yangu ≈ ndoto ya mimi (my dream)
But ndoto yangu is the normal, natural form here. The -angu in yangu already includes the idea of “of me / my”.

What does katika mean exactly, and could I use something like kwenye instead?

katika is a preposition meaning roughly “in / inside / within”.

In this sentence:

katika shajara yangu binafsi = in my personal journal

You could also say:

kwenye shajara yangu binafsi
ndani ya shajara yangu binafsi (more literally “inside my journal”)

Nuance:

katika → a bit more formal/neutral, common in writing.
kwenye → very common in speech, slightly more colloquial.
ndani ya → emphasizes physical “inside.”

All three are acceptable here; katika is a good, standard choice.

What does shajara mean? Is it the same as daftari?

shajara means “diary / journal”, specifically a book used for writing dated entries, personal reflections, etc.

Compare:

shajara – diary/journal (personal record, often with dates)
daftari – notebook/exercise book (for schoolwork, notes, etc.)
diari – another word borrowed from “diary” (less common than shajara in some regions)

So in this sentence, shajara yangu binafsi clearly suggests a personal diary/journal, not just any notebook.

Why say shajara yangu binafsi when yangu already means “my”? Isn’t binafsi redundant?

They add slightly different ideas:

yangu = my
binafsi = personal, private, individual

So:

shajara yangu = my journal
shajara yangu binafsi = my personal/private journal

binafsi stresses that it’s not just any journal you own (like a class notebook), but a private, personal diary. It’s similar to the difference in English between:

“my journal” and
“my personal journal”

Not redundant—binafsi adds an extra nuance of privacy and intimacy.

If I wanted to say this more simply, what is a shorter but still natural version of the sentence?

Several shorter, natural versions are possible, depending on what you want to keep:

Keeping most of the nuance:
- Leo jioni, nataka kuandika ndoto yangu kwenye shajara yangu binafsi.
Slightly simpler (no binafsi):
- Leo jioni, nataka kuandika ndoto yangu katika shajara yangu.
Very simple, spoken style:
- Leo jioni nataka kuandika ndoto yangu kwenye shajara yangu.

All three are correct; they just differ in formality and how strongly they stress “personal/private.”