Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ni vizuri kila mwanafunzi aruhusiwe kuuliza swali lolote kwa uhuru bila kuogopa. - It is good that every student is allowed to ask any question freely without fear.

ni here is the copula “to be” used for equating two things or describing a state:
- Ni vizuri – It is good
- Ni muhimu – It is important
- Ni vibaya – It is bad

We don’t say “ina vizuri” or “iko vizuri” because vizuri is an adverb/adjectival form meaning “well / good(ly)”, and this kind of general evaluative statement in Swahili uses the copula ni, not a verb of existence or possession.

You can treat Ni vizuri … as a fixed pattern meaning:

“It is good (that) …” / “It is a good thing (if/when) …”

You can also replace vizuri with near-synonyms:

Ni vyema kila mwanafunzi… – It is good / it is better that every student…

Why is it kila mwanafunzi (singular) and not a plural like wanafunzi wote or kila wanafunzi?

In Swahili, kila (every) is always followed by a singular noun, even though its meaning is plural in English.

kila mwanafunzi – every student / each student
kila mtu – every person
kila siku – every day

You cannot say:

✗ kila wanafunzi – this is ungrammatical.

If you want all students (not “every individual student”), you use forms like:

wanafunzi wote – all the students
wanafunzi wote wa darasa – all the students in the class

So:

kila mwanafunzi focuses on each individual student, one by one.
wanafunzi wote focuses on the whole group as a set.

What form is aruhusiwe, and how is it built from the verb kuruhusu (“to allow”)?

aruhusiwe is the subjunctive passive form of kuruhusu (to allow).

Breakdown:

a- : subject prefix for 3rd person singular (he/she/it → here: each student)
-ruhusu- : verb root (allow)
-iw- / -ew- : passive extension. With ruhusu, you get ruhusiw-
final -e : subjunctive ending (instead of the normal -a)

So:

(active indicative)
- anaruhusu – he/she allows
(passive indicative)
- anaruhusiwa – he/she is allowed / is being allowed
(active subjunctive)
- aruhusu – he/she should allow / may allow
(passive subjunctive)
- aruhusiwe – he/she/it should be allowed

In this sentence:

kila mwanafunzi aruhusiwe…
literally: every student should-be-allowed (to)…

The subjunctive here expresses a desirable or recommended situation, matching Ni vizuri… = It is good that…

Why is the passive (aruhusiwe) used instead of an active form like awaruhusu?

The passive is chosen because the focus is on the students and their freedom, not on who is doing the allowing.

kila mwanafunzi aruhusiwe kuuliza…
– every student should be allowed to ask…
(we care about the student’s freedom, not the authority)

An active version would need an explicit subject:

Ni vizuri mwalimu awaruhusu wanafunzi kuuliza maswali yoyote kwa uhuru bila kuogopa.
– It is good that the teacher allows the students to ask any questions freely without fear.

Here, mwalimu (the teacher) is the one allowing.

So:

Passive (“aruhusiwe”): neutral about who gives permission; emphasizes the right or condition of the student.
Active (“awaruhusu”): highlights the agent (for example, the teacher, parents, administration, etc.).

Why do we have kuuliza with a double u, and what does the ku- mean here?

kuuliza is the infinitive of the verb uliza (to ask).

ku- is the usual infinitive prefix:
- kula – to eat
- kunywa – to drink
- kuandika – to write
- kuuliza – to ask

The double u is just the combination of ku + uliza:

ku + uliza → kuuliza

Both u’s are pronounced, but they blend smoothly:

/ku.uliza/ (two syllables: ku-u
- li-za), sounding like a slight lengthening of the u.

So, kuuliza = “to ask”, and in this sentence it depends on aruhusiwe:

aruhusiwe kuuliza – be allowed to ask.

What is the difference between swali lolote and something like swali yoyote or just swali lote?

swali lolote is the correct, natural form here. It means “any question (at all)”.

Agreement pattern

swali is noun class 5:

singular: swali (class 5)
plural: maswali (class 6)

The adjective -ote (all / any (entire)) must agree in class:

Class 5 agreement prefix for adjectives is usually l-/lo-.
So:
- swali lolote – any question
- swali lote – the whole question / the entire question

Why “lolote” and not “yoyote”?

-ote does not use y-; yoyote would come from -yote, which is different. For class 5, the correct agreement for -ote is lolote:

✗ swali yoyote – incorrect for “any question” in standard Swahili.
✓ swali lolote – correct.

Meaning nuance

swali lolote – any question (no restriction, any choice is okay); often implies freedom of choice.
swali lote – the whole question (e.g., jibu swali lote – answer the whole question, not just part of it).

In this sentence, swali lolote clearly means:

any question they wish, with no limitation on topic or type.

Could we say “Ni vizuri kila mwanafunzi kuuliza swali lolote…” without aruhusiwe, and how would that change the meaning?

You could say “Ni vizuri kila mwanafunzi kuuliza swali lolote…”, and people would understand you, but the nuance changes slightly.

With “aruhusiwe” (original)
Ni vizuri kila mwanafunzi aruhusiwe kuuliza swali lolote…
– It is good that every student should be allowed to ask any question…
Focus: students having permission / the right; emphasizes freedom granted.
Without “aruhusiwe”
Ni vizuri kila mwanafunzi kuuliza swali lolote…
– literally: It is good for every student to ask any question…
Focus: the action itself (asking questions) is good or recommended; it doesn’t directly talk about permission or the teacher’s attitude.

So:

With aruhusiwe: emphasizes permission and lack of restrictions.
Without aruhusiwe: emphasizes the habit or practice of asking questions as something good.

What does kwa uhuru literally mean, and why do we need kwa before uhuru?

kwa uhuru literally means “with freedom” or “in a free manner”, hence “freely”.

uhuru = freedom / liberty (a noun)
kwa = preposition often used to show manner, means, or instrument.

Common patterns:

kwa hasira – angrily (with anger)
kwa sauti kubwa – loudly (with a loud voice)
kwa makini – carefully
kwa uhuru – freely (with freedom)

You generally need “kwa” when you take a noun (like uhuru) and use it to express how something is done (manner). Without kwa, it would just be the bare noun “freedom”, not an adverbial phrase meaning “freely”.

How does bila kuogopa work grammatically, and is this a common pattern in Swahili?

Yes, bila kuogopa is part of a very common and productive pattern in Swahili:

bila + infinitive (ku- + verb) = “without doing X”

Examples:

bila kusema – without speaking
bila kuangalia – without looking
bila kusoma – without reading
bila kuogopa – without fearing / without being afraid

Breakdown here:

bila – without
kuogopa – to fear / to be afraid

So bila kuogopa = “without fear(ing)” → without being afraid.

This pattern is very natural and is used all the time to express actions that do not accompany the main action.

What does kuogopa mean exactly, and how is it used in sentences? Does it always need an object?

kuogopa means “to fear / to be afraid (of)”.

Without an explicit object
- Anaogopa. – He/She is afraid.
- Usiogope. – Don’t be afraid.
With an object (person or thing feared)
- Anaogopa mbwa. – He/She is afraid of dogs.
- Naogopa giza. – I’m afraid of the dark.
- Tunamwogopa mwalimu. – We are afraid of the teacher.
  (note the object marker -m- → -mw- in tunamwogopa)

In bila kuogopa, the object is implicit:

without being afraid (of anything / anyone)

It doesn’t always need an object; context usually makes the meaning clear.

Are there alternative ways to express “without fear” in Swahili besides bila kuogopa?

Yes, there are a few alternatives, with slightly different formality or nuance:

bila hofu
- hofu = fear (noun)
- bila hofu – without fear
  Slightly more formal or abstract than bila kuogopa.
pasipo kuogopa
- pasipo = old/ more formal form of without / in the absence of
- pasipo kuogopa – without fearing
  Sounds more formal, often in written or religious language.
kwa ujasiri
- literally: with courage
- Pragmatically can mean boldly, fearlessly.

In everyday, neutral speech, bila kuogopa and bila hofu are the most common for “without fear”.