Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu, ni kipi ungependa kuazima wiki hii? - Among these three books, which one would you like to borrow this week?

kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu = among these three books / between these three books
You use kati ya + [plural noun] when you are talking about selecting or comparing items:
- Kati ya wanafunzi wote, ni nani alifaulu vizuri zaidi?
  = Among all the students, who passed best?

It’s similar to English “among” or “out of” in choice questions.

Why is it vitabu hivi vitatu and not something like hivi vitabu vitatu or vitatu hivi vitabu?

The usual order in Swahili is:

Noun + Demonstrative + Number

So:

vitabu (books) – noun
hivi (these) – demonstrative (class 8)
vitatu (three) – number (class 8)

Therefore the natural order is vitabu hivi vitatu = these three books.

Other orders would sound odd or wrong in standard Swahili. You can sometimes move the number for emphasis, but vitabu hivi vitatu is the neutral, textbook word order.

Why is the demonstrative hivi used instead of hii or haya?

Swahili demonstratives must agree with the noun class.

vitabu is plural of kitabu (book)
kitabu is in noun class 7; its plural vitabu is in class 8
The class 8 demonstrative for “these” is hivi

Some relevant demonstratives:

Class 7: kitabu hiki (this book)
Class 8: vitabu hivi (these books)

Hii is for class 9/10 (e.g. wiki hii – this week), and haya is for class 6 (e.g. maji haya – this water). So hivi is the only correct “these” for vitabu.

What exactly does ni kipi mean, and why do we need ni there?

kapi / kipi is an interrogative adjective/pronoun meaning “which (one)” for class 7/8 nouns:

kitabu kipi? – which book?
kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu, ni kipi…? – among these three books, which one…?

Here ni is the copula (“to be”), like a short “is”:

Literally: among these three books, it is which (one) [that] you would like to borrow this week?

You could also say:

Kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu, kipi ungependa kuazima…?

Dropping ni is possible in casual speech, but ni kipi is very natural and clear.

What tense or mood is ungependa, and what does it add to the meaning?

ungependa is in the conditional / hypothetical mood and is often used for polite requests or offers.

Root: -penda (to like / to love)
Conditional marker: -nge-
Subject prefix: u- (you, singular)

So u- + -nge- + -penda → ungependa

Meaning: “you would like” or in questions, “would you like”.

It sounds softer and more polite than a straightforward unataka (you want).

Why is ungependa used instead of unataka or unapenda?

Because the speaker is being polite and tentative, not demanding or assuming.

Unataka kuazima kitabu gani?
= What do you want to borrow? (more direct, neutral)
Unapenda kuazima kitabu gani?
= Which book do you like to borrow? (sounds a bit odd for a one-time choice)
Ungependa kuazima kitabu gani?
= Which book would you like to borrow? (polite, sounds like an offer)

In your sentence, ungependa corresponds very well to English “would you like”.

How is ungependa formed from penda? Can you show other persons too?

Take the verb root -penda and add:

Subject prefix (person)
Conditional marker -nge-

Examples with -penda:

ningependa – I would like
ungependa – you (sg) would like
angependa – he/she would like
tungependa – we would like
mngependa – you (pl) would like
wangependa – they would like

So ungependa is just the you-singular conditional form.

What does kuazima mean exactly? Is it “borrow” or “lend”?

Kuazima can mean both to borrow and to lend, depending on context. It’s a bit “two‑way”, like “to loan/borrow”.

Examples:

Nilienda kwa jirani kuazima sukari.
= I went to the neighbour to borrow sugar.
Niliwazimia marafiki zangu vitabu.
= I lent my friends some books.

To be more precise, you can also use:

kukopa – to borrow (especially money, but also figurative)
kukopesha – to lend (especially money)

In the sentence about books, kuazima is the normal, natural verb.

Why is there ku- in kuazima?

The ku- here marks the infinitive (“to …”).

Verb root: -azima
Infinitive: kuazima = to borrow / to lend / to loan

In Swahili, dictionary forms are usually written with ku- (for most verbs):

kusoma – to read
kuandika – to write
kuazima – to borrow/lend

In the sentence, kuazima is functioning like “to borrow” after ungependa (would you like to borrow).

Why is it wiki hii instead of hii wiki?

Again, this is about word order and agreement. For demonstratives, the normal pattern is:

Noun + Demonstrative

wiki hii – this week (class 9 noun wiki, demonstrative hii)
siku hii – this day
nyumba hii – this house

So wiki hii is the normal, correct form. Hii wiki would sound wrong in standard Swahili.

Can hivi be omitted? For example, can I say kati ya vitabu vitatu instead?

You can say kati ya vitabu vitatu, but it changes the nuance.

kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu = among these three books (specific, visible / known set)
kati ya vitabu vitatu = among three books (some three books, less clearly “these ones here”)

In a classroom or library context, hivi shows the speaker is referring to those exact three books in front of you or already identified in the conversation.

How would I answer this question in Swahili if I want to choose a specific book?

Common patterns would be:

Ningependa kuazima hiki.
= I’d like to borrow this one.
Ningependa kuazima kitabu hiki.
= I’d like to borrow this book.
Ningependa kuazima kile cha historia.
= I’d like to borrow that history one.

Note the polite ningependa (“I would like”) mirroring ungependa (“would you like”).

Why does the question start with Kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu instead of putting it later in the sentence?

Swahili often puts the context / setting at the beginning of the sentence.

Kati ya vitabu hivi vitatu, ni kipi ungependa kuazima wiki hii?
= Literally: Among these three books, which one would you like to borrow this week?

You could reorder a bit, but leading with kati ya… is very natural, just like English “Out of these three books, …”. It sets up the frame of choice before asking the question.

What noun class is kitabu/vitabu, and how does that affect words like kipi, hivi, vitatu?

kitabu / vitabu belong to noun classes 7/8:

Singular (class 7): ki-
- kitabu hiki – this book
- kitabu kimoja – one book
- kitabu kipi – which book
Plural (class 8): vi-
- vitabu hivi – these books
- vitabu vitatu – three books
- ni kipi – which one (referring to a class 7/8 item)

So kupi/kipi, hiki/hivi, kimoja/vitatu all change according to this class pattern.

Is the sentence formal, informal, or neutral in tone?

The sentence is polite and neutral.

Use of ungependa = “would you like” (polite, non‑pushy)
No slang or very casual forms
Suitable for a teacher, librarian, friend, or colleague talking respectfully.

It’s not extremely formal, but it’s clearly more polite than using direct unataka.