Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia kwa uwazi darasani. - The teacher teaches physics clearly in class.

In very careful or textbook Swahili, the hu- form (e.g. hufundisha) is used for pure habitual (he/she usually teaches), but in normal conversation anafundisha often covers both is teaching and teaches depending on context. The context (time expressions, surrounding sentences) tells you which one is meant.

There is no word for is in the sentence. Why is that?

Swahili does not use a separate verb to be in the present tense the way English does. Instead, the idea of is/are/am is built into the verb using prefixes and tense markers.

In anafundisha:

a- already tells you he/she (or the teacher as the subject).
-na- is the present marker.

So ana- together gives the function that English expresses with he/she is. You don’t say yeye ni anafundisha; anafundisha alone already means he/she is teaching or he/she teaches.

What exactly does kwa uwazi mean, and why do we need kwa?

Kwa uwazi literally means with clarity or in clarity, and functions as an adverb: clearly.

Structure:

kwa = a preposition that often means with, by, in (a certain manner).
uwazi = the noun clarity, openness (from the adjective wazi = open, clear).

Swahili frequently forms adverbial expressions (in a … way, manner) using kwa + noun, for example:

kwa haraka – quickly (with speed)
kwa urahisi – easily (with ease)
kwa nguvu – forcefully (with force)

So anafundisha kwa uwazi = he/she teaches in a clear/transparent way → He/She teaches clearly.

Could we just say Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia wazi instead of kwa uwazi?

Wazi is an adjective meaning open / clear and is more often used like:

mlango uko wazi – the door is open
maelezo yako si wazi – your explanation is not clear

You can hear kufundisha wazi or kuongea wazi in the sense of to teach/speak openly, especially in informal speech, but kwa uwazi sounds more standard and unambiguously means clearly, in a clear manner.

So:

anafundisha kwa uwazi – sounds very natural and idiomatic (teaches clearly).
anafundisha wazi – can be understood, but is less standard and may be taken as teach openly (e.g. not hiding anything) rather than teach in a clear, understandable way.

For a learner, kwa uwazi is the safer and more generally correct choice here.

What does darasani literally mean, and how is it different from darasa?

darasa = class, classroom (the basic noun).
darasani = in class, in the classroom.

The -ni ending is a locative suffix meaning in/at/on a place. It often corresponds to English in the X or at the X.

More examples:

nyumba → nyumbani = home, at home
shule → shuleni = at school
kanisa → kanisani = in/at church

So darasani normally does not need an extra preposition like in. The phrase kwa uwazi darasani is clearly in class / clearly in the classroom.

Why is the word order … fizikia kwa uwazi darasani and not … darasani kwa uwazi? Can we move these parts around?

Swahili word order is relatively flexible, especially for adverbial phrases (things like in the classroom, clearly, today, etc.). All of the following are possible and grammatical:

Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia kwa uwazi darasani.
Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia darasani kwa uwazi.
Darasani, mwalimu anafundisha fizikia kwa uwazi.

The basic pattern is:

Subject – Verb – Object – (Adverbials)

The default feel is object (fizikia) right after the verb, then manner (kwa uwazi), then place (darasani). Changing the order tends to change the emphasis more than the core meaning. For a learner, the original order is a very natural and clear model.

There is no word for the or a. How do we know if it’s the teacher or a teacher?

Swahili does not have articles like the or a/an. The noun mwalimu by itself can mean any of:

a teacher
the teacher
(the) teacher in general

Which one is meant depends on context:

If the conversation is already about a specific teacher, mwalimu will be understood as the teacher.
If you are introducing a new person, it will be heard as a teacher.
In general statements, it can mean a teacher or teachers in general (depending on context).

So Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia kwa uwazi darasani could be translated as The teacher teaches physics clearly in class or A teacher teaches physics clearly in class depending on the situation.

How do mwalimu and walimu work? What are the singular and plural forms?

Mwalimu belongs to the m-/wa- noun class, which typically includes people.

Singular: mwalimu – teacher
Plural: walimu – teachers

Other examples in the same class:

mtoto → watoto (child → children)
mwanafunzi → wanafunzi (student → students)
mfanyakazi → wafanyakazi (worker → workers)

So:

Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia… – The teacher teaches physics…
Walimu wanafundisha fizikia… – The teachers teach physics…

Why is there no object marker in anafundisha fizikia? When would you need one?

In anafundisha fizikia, fizikia (physics) is a normal, explicit object after the verb, so no object marker is required.

Swahili object markers (small prefixes inside the verb like -ki-, -wa-, etc.) are generally used when:

The object is already known/definite and often a person, or
The object noun itself is not stated after the verb.

For example:

Mwalimu anaiifundisha fizikia. – (rare/unnatural; you normally wouldn’t do this with fizikia.)
Mwalimu anawafundisha wanafunzi fizikia. – The teacher teaches the students physics.
Mwalimu anawafundisha. – The teacher teaches them. (no noun wanafunzi stated, so -wa- stands for them.)

With non-human subjects like fizikia, and when the noun is explicitly mentioned, it’s most natural simply to say anafundisha fizikia without an object marker.

How would I say The teacher does not teach physics clearly in class?

You negate the verb by changing the subject marker and removing -na-. The pattern for class 1 (he/she) is:

Affirmative: anafundisha
Negative: hafundishi

So the full negative sentence is:

Mwalimu hafundishi fizikia kwa uwazi darasani.
= The teacher does not teach physics clearly in class.

Breakdown of hafundishi:

ha- = negative marker for he/she (class 1)
-fundish- = root teach
-i = final vowel in the present negative

What is the difference between anafundisha and hufundisha?

Both are present-time forms, but with different nuances:

anafundisha
- Basic present; in practice, it can mean:
  - is teaching (now)
  - teaches (as a current activity)
- Very common in everyday speech.
hufundisha
- Present habitual; more strongly means usually teaches / teaches (as a habit or permanent job).
- Often found in proverbs, general truths, or more formal/written language.

Examples:

Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia sasa. – The teacher is teaching physics now.
Mwalimu hufundisha fizikia kila siku. – The teacher usually teaches physics every day.

In many casual conversations, people still use anafundisha where textbooks might prefer hufundisha.

Can I say Mwalimu wa fizikia anafundisha kwa uwazi darasani? What does wa fizikia add?

Yes, that is correct and natural. It means:

Mwalimu wa fizikia anafundisha kwa uwazi darasani.
= The physics teacher teaches clearly in class.

Here:

mwalimu wa fizikia = teacher of physics / physics teacher
- wa is the of connector (possessive/associative), agreeing with mwalimu (class 1).

So:

Mwalimu anafundisha fizikia… – The teacher teaches physics… (we only know what they teach in this sentence).
Mwalimu wa fizikia anafundisha… – tells us their subject role (they are a physics teacher) and then continues with what they do.

How do you pronounce fizikia, uwazi, and darasani? Where is the stress?

Swahili words are generally stressed on the second-to-last syllable.

Syllable breakdown and stress (stressed syllable in caps):

fi-zi-KI-a → fizikia (fee-zee-KEE-ah)
u-WA-zi → uwazi (oo-WAH-zee)
da-ra-SA-ni → darasani (da-ra-SAH-nee)

Every vowel is clearly pronounced; there are no silent vowels.