Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo, hatuoni matokeo mazuri. - When we practise without focus, we do not see good results.

That extra -po- turns the verb into a kind of “when/while” clause, which is why the sentence starts with Tunapofanya mazoezi… “When we exercise…”.

What is the difference between tunapofanya mazoezi and tukifanya mazoezi?

Both can translate as “when we do exercise”, but there is a nuance:

tunapofanya mazoezi
- uses -na- (present) + -po- (time marker)
- often means “whenever we exercise / at the time that we exercise”
- it sounds more neutral and descriptive of a general situation.
tukifanya mazoezi
- is from tuki- (tu- “we” + -ki- consecutive/when) + -fanya
- often means “when(ever) we exercise / if we exercise / in the event that we exercise”
- it can sound a bit more conditional or like a step in a sequence:
  - Tukifanya mazoezi sana, tutapata matokeo mazuri.
    If/when we exercise a lot, we will get good results.

In this particular sentence, tunapofanya highlights the time/situation in which something (not seeing good results) happens.

Is mazoezi singular or plural? Can I say zoezi?

Mazoezi is grammatically plural. The noun pattern is:

zoezi – singular (an exercise / a practice)
mazoezi – plural (exercises / practice / training)

In actual usage:

mazoezi is very common as an uncountable-style word for exercise in general:
- Ninapenda kufanya mazoezi. – I like to exercise / work out.
zoezi is used when you mean one specific exercise/task:
- Fanya zoezi la kwanza. – Do the first exercise.

So in Tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo…, mazoezi means “exercise” / “training” in general, not just “many individual exercises”.

Does mazoezi only mean physical exercise, or can it also mean “practice” (like practicing a skill)?

Mazoezi covers both physical exercise and practice/training for a skill. The exact meaning depends on context.

Examples:

Physical:
- Nafanya mazoezi ya viungo kila asubuhi.
  I do physical exercises every morning.
Skill practice:
- Mazoezi ya kuandika Kiswahili ni muhimu.
  Practice in writing Swahili is important.
- Tunafanya mazoezi ya kuimba.
  We’re doing singing practice / vocal exercises.

In your sentence, it could mean physical exercise or practice in general, depending on the broader context.

What exactly does bila mkazo mean, and how does bila work?

Bila mkazo literally means “without intensity/pressure/emphasis”.

bila = without
mkazo = emphasis, stress, intensity, pressure, effort

So tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo ≈ “when we exercise without intensity / without really pushing ourselves / without effort.”

About bila:

It’s a preposition meaning “without” and is followed by a noun:
- Anaenda bila pesa. – He/She goes without money.
- Aliandika bila makosa. – He/She wrote without mistakes.

You might also hear bila ya, e.g.:

bila ya mkazo – also without intensity, a bit more wordy/colloquial.

In standard written Swahili, bila + noun (without ya) is very common and perfectly correct.

What does mkazo mean, and where does this word come from?

Mkazo is a noun with several related meanings, all linked to the idea of “tightening / pressing / stressing”:

intensity, effort – putting a lot of push into something
emphasis – stressing a word or idea
pressure, strain, stress (in a physical or mental sense)

It comes from the verb kaza:

kaza = to tighten, press, strain, apply pressure, make firm

So:

kaza misuli – tighten the muscles
weka mkazo kwenye… – put emphasis on… / stress…

In your sentence, bila mkazo is best understood as “without intensity / without really pushing / without effort.”

How is hatuoni formed from the positive form, and what tense is it?

The positive present form is:

tunaona – we see / we are seeing

To form the present negative, Swahili:

Adds the negative prefix ha-
Keeps the subject prefix (tu- for “we”)
Drops -na- (the present marker)
Changes the final -a of the verb to -i

So:

tunaona
- tu- (we) + -na- (present) + -on- (root of ona “see”) + -a (final vowel)
hatuoni
- ha- (negative) + -tu- (we) + -on- (root) + -i (negative present ending)

Meaning: “we do not see / we are not seeing.”

Therefore:

Tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo, hatuoni matokeo mazuri.
= When we exercise without intensity, we don’t see good results.

Why is it matokeo mazuri and not matokeo nzuri?

It’s about adjective agreement with noun classes.

matokeo is a ma- class (class 6) noun (singular would be tokeo, plural matokeo).
The adjective -zuri (“good / nice / fine / beautiful”) changes its form depending on the noun class.

For ma- class plural nouns, -zuri takes ma-:

matokeo mazuri – good results
majibu mazuri – good answers
mabadiliko mazuri – good changes

The form nzuri is used with N-class nouns (like habari, kazi, nyumba):

habari nzuri – good news
kazi nzuri – good work
nyumba nzuri – a nice house

Since matokeo is ma- class, mazuri is the correct agreeing form.

Could we also say matokeo mema instead of matokeo mazuri? Is there a difference?

Yes, matokeo mema is also correct. Both mazuri and mema can mean “good”, but they have slightly different flavors:

-zuri (mazuri)
- Often: nice, fine, beautiful, pleasing, of good quality
- With matokeo, it suggests pleasing / satisfactory / positive results.
-ema (mema)
- Often: good in a moral/beneficial sense, kind, virtuous, positive
- matokeo mema can suggest beneficial / positive / favorable outcomes, slightly more on the “good for you / for us” side.

In everyday speech, you will hear both:

Natumaini utapata matokeo mazuri. – I hope you get good results.
Natumaini utapata matokeo mema. – I hope you get good results (good/favorable outcomes).

In your sentence, mazuri is perfectly natural and very common.

Can the order of the two clauses be reversed? For example: Hatuoni matokeo mazuri tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo?

Yes, you can reverse the order, and it will still be grammatical:

Tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo, hatuoni matokeo mazuri.
Hatuoni matokeo mazuri tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo.

Both mean essentially the same thing:
When we exercise without intensity, we don’t see good results.

Notes:

The version with the “when” clause first (as in the original) is very natural in Swahili, especially when explaining a general rule.
The comma is mainly a writing convention; in speech, the pause can go in either place, depending on emphasis.

Where is the word “we” in this sentence? Why don’t we see sisi?

Swahili normally shows the subject inside the verb using a subject prefix, so you don’t need a separate pronoun like sisi unless you want emphasis.

In your sentence:

tunapofanya
- tu- = we
hatuoni
- -tu- (after ha-) = we

So “we” appears twice, embedded in the verbs:

tunapofanya – when we do
hatuoni – we don’t see

You would only add sisi for emphasis or contrast:

Sisi tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo, hatuoni matokeo mazuri.
We (as opposed to others), when we exercise without intensity, don’t see good results.

Does tunapofanya mazoezi bila mkazo refer only to physical exercise, or can it be metaphorical, like studying or practicing a skill?

It can be both literal and metaphorical, depending on context.

Literal (physical):

Tunapofanya mazoezi ya mwili bila mkazo, hatuoni maendeleo.
When we do physical exercise without intensity, we don’t see progress.

Metaphorical / extended sense:

Tunapofanya mazoezi ya lugha bila mkazo, hatuoni matokeo mazuri.
When we practice language without focus/intensity, we don’t see good results.

Because mazoezi can mean training/practice in a wide sense and mkazo can mean focus / intensity / emphasis, the sentence is very natural for talking about any kind of training or practice, not just the gym.