Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunapenda kula matunda mekundu nyumbani.

tunapenda = we (tu-) + present (-na-) + like (-penda) → “we like”
sisi tunapenda = “we, we like” → used for emphasis or contrast, e.g.
Wao hawapendi kula matunda mekundu, lakini sisi tunapenda.
“They don’t like to eat red fruit, but we do.”

So tunapenda alone is normally enough; sisi is added only when you want to stress the “we.”

What exactly is kula here? Is it “to eat” or “eating”? Why is it in this form?

Kula is the infinitive form of the verb -la (“to eat”). The infinitive in Swahili is formed with ku- + verb root.

kula literally = “to eat”
After -penda, it works like English “to” or “-ing”:
- Tunapenda kula matunda mekundu.
  “We like to eat red fruit.” / “We like eating red fruit.”

So kula here is a verb in its infinitive form, functioning as the object of tunapenda (“we like to eat …”).

Why is it tunapenda kula… and not just tunakula…?

These say different things:

Tunapenda kula matunda mekundu.
“We like to eat red fruit.” → expresses a preference or enjoyment.
Tunakula matunda mekundu.
“We are eating red fruit.” (right now / as a general present action)

So tunapenda kula is a two-verb construction:

tunapenda = we like
kula = to eat
Together: “we like to eat …”, not simply “we are eating …”

What is the number and class of matunda? Does it mean “fruit” or “fruits”?

Matunda is the plural of tunda (“fruit”) and belongs to noun class 6 (ma- class).

Singular: tunda = one fruit
Plural: matunda = fruits

In English, we sometimes say “fruit” in a general or uncountable sense, but in Swahili you normally use the actual plural matunda when you mean more than one fruit or fruit in general.

Why is “red” translated as mekundu and not as nyekundu?

The basic adjective root is -ekundu (“red”). In Swahili, adjectives agree with the noun class of the noun they describe by taking a class-specific prefix.

tunda / matunda are in noun classes 5/6 (li-/ma-)
Class 6 (ma-) uses the adjective prefix me-.

So:

tunda jekundu = a red fruit (class 5 with je-)
matunda mekundu = red fruits (class 6 with me-)

Nyekundu is the class 9/10 form, used with nouns in that class, for example:

nguo nyekundu = a red dress
chai nyekundu = red tea

Here, because the noun is matunda (class 6), the correct agreement form is mekundu.

Why does the adjective mekundu come after matunda instead of before it?

In Swahili, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun they modify:

mtoto mdogo = small child
kitabu kipya = new book
matunda mekundu = red fruit(s)

So the normal order is: noun + agreeing adjective

Putting mekundu before matunda would be ungrammatical in standard Swahili.

Why is there no word meaning “of” or “that are” between matunda and mekundu?

Swahili does not need a separate word like “of” or “that are” between a noun and its basic descriptive adjective. Agreement on the adjective (me- in mekundu) is enough to show the relationship.

So:

matunda mekundu literally = “fruits red”
The meaning is “red fruits” or “fruits that are red,” with no extra word needed.

You would only use linking words (like ya, wa, etc.) for more complex noun–noun relations, not for a simple describing adjective like -ekundu.

What exactly does nyumbani mean? Is it “at home”, “in the house”, or “to home”?

Nyumbani is formed from nyumba (“house, home”) plus the locative suffix -ni.

It often translates as:

“at home”
“in the house”
“home” (as a location in general)

Its exact English translation depends on context:

Tuko nyumbani. = We are at home.
Anaenda nyumbani. = He/She is going home.
Tunapenda kula nyumbani. = We like to eat at home.

So in Tunapenda kula matunda mekundu nyumbani, nyumbani means “at home” (as in: we like to eat red fruit at home).

Why is there no separate word for “at” before nyumbani?

Swahili often uses the -ni locative ending on a noun instead of a separate preposition like “at” or “in.”

nyumba = house/home
nyumbani = at/in/to the house, at home

Because -ni already carries the locative meaning, you don’t need a separate word for “at”. So you say:

nyumbani not kwa nyumbani for “at home” in this sentence.
Dar es Salaam → Dar es Salaam (place name), but Dar es Salaam can also take -ni in some contexts: Dar es Salaam → Dar es Salaam (locative form), giving “in Dar es Salaam”.

Why does nyumbani come at the end of the sentence? Could it go somewhere else?

Typical Swahili word order is:

[Subject–Tense–Verb] + [Object] + [Place/Time]

So:

Tunapenda = we like
kula matunda mekundu = to eat red fruit
nyumbani = at home

→ Tunapenda kula matunda mekundu nyumbani.

You could sometimes move nyumbani earlier for emphasis (especially in speech), e.g.:

Nyumbani tunapenda kula matunda mekundu.
“At home, we like to eat red fruit.”

But the most neutral, natural order is to place the location nyumbani toward the end, as in the original sentence.