Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.

we live (habitual/regular):
We live together at home in peace (this is our normal situation).
we are living (right now/these days):
We are living together at home in peace (at this period of time).

Swahili -na- covers both the English simple present and present continuous, so the exact English translation depends on the situation, not on a change in the Swahili verb form.

Why is there no separate word for we in the sentence?

In Swahili, the subject is usually built into the verb as a prefix:

tu- = we
wa- = they
ni- = I
u- = you (singular)
a- = he / she
m- = you (plural)

So tunaishi already contains tu- (we), and you normally do not add a separate pronoun.
Saying Sisi tunaishi pamoja… is possible, but then sisi is for emphasis: We (as opposed to others) live together…

What exactly does pamoja mean here?

Pamoja means together / as one / in unity.

In this sentence, tunaishi pamoja means we live together:

Physical togetherness: in the same place / same home.
It can also suggest harmony or unity, especially combined with kwa amani (in peace).

So pamoja is functioning like an adverb: together.

Can I say pamoja na instead of pamoja here?

Not in the same way.

pamoja by itself = together
- Tunaishi pamoja. → We live together.
pamoja na = together with / as well as
- Anaishi pamoja na kaka yake. → He/She lives together with his/her brother.

In Tunaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani, you are not listing who is together with whom, you are just saying we live together, so pamoja alone is correct.

What is the difference between nyumba and nyumbani?

nyumba = house / home (basic noun)
nyumbani = at home / in the house / to home

-ni at the end of a noun often adds a place/location meaning.
So:

nyumba → the building or home itself
nyumbani → the location (at/in/to home)

In this sentence, nyumbani is used because we are talking about where we live.

Why is there no separate word for at before nyumbani?

The idea of at is already included in nyumbani through the -ni ending.

Compare:

English: at home
Swahili: nyumbani (literally home-LOCATIVE)

So Swahili does not need a separate preposition like at; the -ni suffix on the noun does that job.

Does nyumbani always just mean at home, or can it mean other things like in the house or to home?

Nyumbani can cover several English prepositions, depending on context:

at home → Niko nyumbani. (I am at home.)
in the house → Mtoto yuko nyumbani. (The child is in the house.)
to home → Ninarudi nyumbani. (I am going back home.)

The exact English preposition (at, in, to) is chosen based on the verb and context, but Swahili still just uses nyumbani.

What does kwa mean in kwa amani, and what is its role?

Kwa is a very flexible preposition. Here, in kwa amani, it expresses manner:

kwa amani → in peace / peacefully / in a peaceful way

So in this sentence:

tunaishi = we live
kwa amani = in a peaceful way

Together: we live peacefully.

More examples of this pattern:

kwa furaha = with joy / joyfully
kwa heshima = with respect / respectfully

Could I just say amani instead of kwa amani?

Not in this sentence.

amani alone is a noun = peace.
kwa amani turns it into something like an adverbial phrase = peacefully / in peace.

If you said Tunaishi pamoja nyumbani amani, it would sound wrong or incomplete. Kwa is needed here to show the role of amani in the sentence (manner: in peace).

Is the word order fixed, or can I move pamoja, nyumbani, and kwa amani around?

The given order is the most natural:

Tunaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.
(verb) (together) (at home) (in peace)

Swahili word order is somewhat flexible for emphasis, so you could see:

Nyumbani tunaishi pamoja kwa amani.
Emphasis on at home.

But you would not normally scramble them randomly. Keeping:

Verb (tunaishi)
Then adverbs/phrases like pamoja, nyumbani, kwa amani

is the safest and most natural pattern for a learner.

How would I say this sentence in the negative: We do not live together at home in peace?

To negate tunaishi, you change the verb form:

tunaishi → hatuishi (we do not live)

So:

Hatuishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.
= We do not live together at home in peace.

Changes in the verb:

tu- (we) becomes ha-tu- (negative we)
the -na- tense marker disappears
the final -a becomes -i: -ishi stays the same, but the verb ends with -i for present negative

How would I change the sentence to talk about the past or the future?

You only change the tense marker in the verb:

Present: tunaishi → we live / we are living
Past: tuliishi → we lived
Future: tutaishi → we will live

So:

Tuliishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.
= We lived together at home in peace.
Tutaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.
= We will live together at home in peace.

How do I say I live, you live, they live using the same pattern as tunaishi?

Use different subject prefixes with the same tense marker -na- and root -ishi:

ninaishi = I live / I am living
unaishi = you (singular) live / are living
anaishi = he / she lives / is living
tunaishi = we live / are living
mnaishi = you (plural) live / are living
wanaishi = they live / are living

So, for example:

Wanaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani.
= They live together at home in peace.

Does pamoja always mean physically together, or can it also mean being united?

Pamoja can mean both:

Physical togetherness
- Wanaishi pamoja. → They live together (in the same place).
Unity / being of one mind or purpose
- Tunasimama pamoja. → We stand together (united).

In Tunaishi pamoja nyumbani kwa amani, both ideas fit nicely: living in the same home and living in unity, especially when you add kwa amani (in peace).