Learn Hardcore Swahili: Akiwa nyumbani, Asha anapika samaki.

The -ki- in akiwa links that first part to the main action, and it usually suggests that the two actions are happening at the same time or that one is the condition for the other.

Why is there no separate word for when or while here?

In Swahili, the idea of when/while/if is very often built into the verb using -ki-, instead of using a separate word like when.

So instead of saying:

Wakati anakuwa nyumbani, Asha anapika samaki
(literally: The time she is at home, Asha cooks fish)

Swahili normally just compresses it into:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha anapika samaki.

That -ki- in akiwa does the job that when/while does in English.

What is the difference between nyumba and nyumbani?

nyumba = house, home (the noun by itself)
- Example: Hii ni nyumba ya Asha. = This is Asha’s house.
nyumbani = at home / at the house
- The -ni on the end makes it locative (a place form).

So in the sentence:

akiwa nyumbani = when/while she is at home

If you only said akiwa nyumba, it would sound wrong; you need the -ni to show location.

Could we say katika nyumba instead of nyumbani?

You could say akiwa katika nyumba, and it would be understood as when she is in the house, but:

nyumbani is the most natural, especially when you mean at home.
katika nyumba sounds more like inside a/the house (slightly more literal, less idiomatic for “at home”).

So for the everyday idea of being at home, nyumbani is the better, more idiomatic choice.

What tense is anapika, and does it mean cooks or is cooking?

Anapika is in the present tense with -na-, built from:

a- = he/she
-na- = present tense marker
-pika = root “to cook”

So anapika = she cooks / she is cooking.

Depending on context, it can be translated as:

When she is at home, Asha cooks fish. (general or typical behavior)
While she is at home, Asha is cooking fish. (right now)

Swahili -na- covers both simple present and present continuous ideas; English forces you to choose one translation.

Why is there no separate word for she before anapika?

Swahili usually does not use separate subject pronouns like she, he, I when the subject is clear. Instead, the subject is built into the verb as a prefix:

a-napika = she/he cooks
ni-napika = I cook
wa-napika = they cook

So anapika already contains the idea she/he. Adding yeye (she) is usually only done for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Yeye anapika, si mimi. = She is the one cooking, not me.

Does samaki mean one fish or several fish?

Samaki can mean one fish or fish (plural):

Nimenunua samaki.
- Could be I have bought a fish or I have bought fish (some fish).

If you need to be very clear:

samaki mmoja = one fish
samaki wawili = two fish
samaki wengi = many fish

In Asha anapika samaki, English can translate this as fish (uncountable) or a/the fish, depending on context. Swahili itself does not force the choice here.

Can I change the word order and say Asha anapika samaki akiwa nyumbani? Does the meaning change?

Yes, that is also correct:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha anapika samaki.
Asha anapika samaki akiwa nyumbani.

Both mean essentially the same thing: When/while she is at home, Asha cooks fish.

Differences:

Starting with Akiwa nyumbani puts a little more emphasis on the condition being at home.
Putting akiwa nyumbani at the end sounds a bit more like an afterthought, but is still natural.

In everyday speech, both orders are used.

Why is there a comma after nyumbani? Is it required in Swahili?

The comma is mainly a writing and punctuation choice, not a grammar rule of Swahili itself.

Writers usually add a comma after an introductory clause:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha anapika samaki.

It:

Shows a pause in reading.
Separates the dependent clause (Akiwa nyumbani) from the main clause (Asha anapika samaki).

Without the comma, the sentence is still grammatically correct; the meaning does not change.

How would I say this sentence in the past or future?

You keep akiwa nyumbani the same and change the tense of the main verb:

Past:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha alipika samaki.
= When she was at home, Asha cooked fish.

Recent or continuous past:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha alikuwa akipika samaki.
= While she was at home, Asha was cooking fish.

Future:

Akiwa nyumbani, Asha atapika samaki.
= When she is at home, Asha will cook fish.

So the pattern is stable:

Akiwa nyumbani + [Asha + verb in whatever tense you need].