Learn Hardcore Swahili: Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi kila asubuhi kabla ya kazi. - Grandmother likes to pray a short prayer every morning before work.

Grandmother – This is the most common meaning in everyday use.
Lady / Madam / Mrs. – As a respectful term of address for a woman, especially an older one.

In a sentence like “Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi…”, the most natural reading is “Grandmother likes to say a short prayer…”, unless context clearly shows it’s just “the lady” or “the woman.”

Why is it hupenda and not anapenda? What’s the difference?

Both come from the verb kupenda (to like / to love):

anapenda = he/she likes/loves (simple present, ongoing or general)
hupenda = he/she usually likes / tends to like / habitually likes

The prefix hu- (with no subject prefix like a-, ni-, wa-) is used to show a habitual action or general truth:

Bibi anapenda kusali = Grandma likes to pray (statement about her liking in general).
Bibi hupenda kusali = Grandma usually / habitually prays; it’s her routine.

In this sentence, hupenda emphasizes that praying a short prayer every morning is her regular habit.

Why do we use kusali after hupenda? Can you use other verb forms there?

After kupenda (to like / to love), Swahili normally uses the infinitive (ku- + verb):

kupenda kusoma – to like to read
kupenda kula – to like to eat
kupenda kusali – to like to pray

So hupenda kusali literally: (she) habitually-likes to-pray.

You would not normally say:

✗ hupenda anasali
✗ hupenda atasali

When one verb is “controlling” another like this (like want to X, like to X), the second verb is almost always in the ku- infinitive form.

What is the difference between kusali and kuomba? Don’t they both mean “to pray”?

Both relate to prayer, but they differ in nuance:

kusali – to say prayers / to recite a prayer
- Often used for more formal, set prayers, especially in religious contexts (church, mosque).
- Closely tied to the noun sala (a prayer).
kuomba – to ask / to request / to beg / to pray (asking for something)
- Much broader. You can kuomba msaada (ask for help), kuomba ruhusa (ask for permission), or kuomba kwa Mungu (pray to God, asking for something).

In this sentence:

kusali sala fupi suggests she is reciting a short, perhaps fixed prayer, not just vaguely “talking to God.”

Why say kusali sala? Isn’t that redundant, like saying “to pray a prayer”?

It might feel redundant in English, but in Swahili this verb + object (same root) pattern is common and natural, especially:

To make the action more concrete:
- kuimba wimbo – to sing a song
- kucheza mchezo – to play a game
- kusali sala – to say/perform a prayer
To allow modification with adjectives or numbers:
- kusali sala fupi – to say a short prayer
- kuimba wimbo mzuri – to sing a good song
- kucheza mchezo mmoja – to play one game

So kusali sala fupi = to recite a short prayer is very natural Swahili.

How does sala fupi work grammatically? Why is the adjective fupi after sala?

In Swahili, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe:

mti mrefu – tall tree
mtoto mdogo – small child
sala fupi – short prayer

Sala is a class 9/10 noun; for this class, adjectives often appear in their basic form without a visible agreement prefix. Fupi is one of those adjectives that doesn’t change shape much.

So:

sala fupi = short prayer (literally: prayer short).

What does kila asubuhi mean exactly, and why is asubuhi singular after kila?

kila asubuhi = every morning.

kila = every / each
asubuhi = morning

In Swahili, kila is followed by a singular noun:

kila siku – every day
kila wiki – every week
kila mtu – each person
kila asubuhi – every morning

So you don’t make asubuhi plural here. The structure kila + singular noun is the standard way to say “every X.”

Can the position of kila asubuhi change in the sentence?

Yes. Swahili word order is fairly flexible for time expressions. All of these are grammatical, with similar meaning:

Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi kila asubuhi kabla ya kazi.
Kila asubuhi, Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi kabla ya kazi.
Bibi, kila asubuhi, hupenda kusali sala fupi kabla ya kazi.

The most neutral is usually subject + verb + rest, like the original sentence. Moving kila asubuhi to the front can give it a bit more emphasis: As for every morning, Grandma likes to…

What does kabla ya kazi mean, and why do we need ya?

kabla ya kazi = before work / before (her) job.

kabla = before (preposition).
When kabla is followed by a noun, it normally takes ya:
- kabla ya chakula – before food
- kabla ya safari – before the trip
- kabla ya kazi – before work

ya here is a kind of linking word (a genitive connector) that ties kabla to the noun kazi.

So the whole phrase kila asubuhi kabla ya kazi = every morning before work.

Can kazi here mean both “job” and “work in general”?

Yes. kazi is flexible:

job / employment:
- Nina kazi nzuri. – I have a good job.
work / tasks / duties more generally:
- Nina kazi nyingi leo. – I have a lot of work today.

In kabla ya kazi, it can be understood as:

before work (starts) or
before her job / before going to work,

depending on context. Both are natural readings.

Could you also say kabla ya kwenda kazini instead of kabla ya kazi? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can. The meanings are close but not identical in nuance:

kabla ya kazi – before work (more general)
kabla ya kwenda kazini – before going to work / before going to the workplace

Examples:

Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi kila asubuhi kabla ya kazi.
Focuses on the time before her workday starts.
Bibi hupenda kusali sala fupi kila asubuhi kabla ya kwenda kazini.
Emphasizes before she leaves for work / before she goes to her workplace.

Both are correct; the original is slightly simpler and more general.

Is the sentence talking about the present, the past, or just a general habit?

The sentence expresses a general, habitual present:

The hu- prefix in hupenda marks habitual aspect: something that regularly happens.
kila asubuhi (every morning) also reinforces this idea of repeated habit.

So it doesn’t mean:

one specific morning (not “this morning”), or
a finished period in the past.

It means that as a routine, Grandma prays a short prayer every morning before work.

How should I pronounce hupenda? Is the h always pronounced?

Pronunciation tips:

hupenda = hu-pen-da
- The h is pronounced as in English hat.
- Swahili generally pronounces every written letter (except some loan-word quirks).

Also note:

Stress in Swahili typically falls on the second-to-last syllable, so:
- hu-PEN-da
- ku-SA-li
- SA-la FU-pi
- ki-la a-su-BU-hi
- KA-bla ya KA-zi

Keeping the h audible in hupenda helps distinguish it from forms like upenda (which could be interpreted differently in some contexts).