Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya. - If we had more time today, we would visit the new library.

You often use kama to start conditional clauses, but it is not strictly required when you are already using the conditional marker -nge-. Native speakers sometimes drop it (see another question on that below). Other words like ikiwa can also mean if, but kama is the most common and neutral one in everyday speech.

How is tungekuwa formed, and what does it tell me about the time and reality of the action?

tungekuwa breaks down as:

tu- = we (subject marker)
-nge- = conditional marker (unreal / hypothetical)
-kuwa = the verb to be (and also used in to have constructions)

So tungekuwa means we would be / we would have.

The -nge- form usually expresses an unreal or unlikely situation in the present or future. In this sentence, it implies: In reality, we don’t have more time today; this is just a hypothetical situation.

Why does tungekuwa na muda zaidi mean we would have more time? Where is the verb to have?

Swahili normally expresses have using kuwa na (literally to be with).

So:

kuwa = to be
kuwa na = to be with → to have

Then you put this into the conditional form:

tungekuwa na muda zaidi = we would be with more time → we would have more time

Swahili doesn’t have a separate basic verb that corresponds exactly to English to have; it uses kuwa na instead.

Why do both verbs use -nge-: tungekuwa and tungetembelea? Could I use -nge- in just one of them?

In standard Swahili unreal conditionals, both the if-clause and the result clause normally use -nge-:

Kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.
= If we had more time today, we would visit the new library.

Structure:

tungekuwa = tu- + -nge- + kuwa (we would be / we would have)
tungetembelea = tu- + -nge- + tembelea (we would visit)

Using -nge- in only one clause is generally avoided in careful/standard Swahili. In casual speech you might sometimes hear only the result clause with -nge-, but the fully correct pattern has it in both.

Can I leave out kama and just say Tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya?

Yes, that is acceptable and quite natural:

Tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.

Because -nge- already marks the verb as conditional, the sentence is still clearly an if… would… type of statement. Including kama is a bit more explicit, but the meaning stays the same. Many native speakers use both patterns.

Could I use ikiwa instead of kama here?

Yes. You can say:

Ikiwa tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.

ikiwa also means if, often with a slightly more formal or explicit tone than kama, but in everyday usage, the difference is small here. kama is more frequent in casual conversation; ikiwa appears more in formal writing, instructions, or careful speech.

How is this conditional with -nge- different from using -ki-, like tukipata muda?

Roughly:

-nge- = unreal / hypothetical condition (not true, not expected)
-ki- = real / open condition (possible, whenever, if/when)

Compare:

Kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.
→ If we had more time today (but we don’t), we would visit the new library.
Tukipata muda zaidi leo, tutatembelea maktaba mpya.
→ If/when we get more time today (and this is realistically possible), we will visit the new library.

So -nge- suggests the condition is unreal; -ki- suggests it’s a real possibility or a general condition.

Why is leo at the end of the first clause? Can I move it earlier in the sentence?

Placing time expressions at or near the end of the clause is very normal in Swahili:

Kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, …

You can move leo without changing the meaning, for example:

Kama leo tungekuwa na muda zaidi, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.
Leo kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi, tungetembelea maktaba mpya.

All of these are understandable. The original order is probably the most natural and neutral-sounding in everyday speech.

Why is the adjective mpya after maktaba instead of before it?

In Swahili, descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun they modify:

maktaba mpya = new library
(literally: library new)

This is the normal word order for noun + adjective.

Also, maktaba is a noun of class 9/10, and mpya is the correct class 9/10 form of the adjective -pya (new). For this noun class, mpya stays the same in both singular and plural:

maktaba mpya = new library / new libraries (context shows singular or plural)

Does this sentence mean we would visit or we would have visited the new library? How precise is tungetembelea in terms of time?

tungetembelea with -nge- generally corresponds to English would visit in an unreal situation.

Swahili’s -nge- form does not sharply distinguish between English would visit and would have visited; context fills that in. Here, because of leo (today), you can interpret it as:

If we had more time today, we would visit the new library (today).

If you really wanted to stress a past-unreal idea in English (would have visited), you would usually add more context or time words in Swahili rather than change the verb form.

How would I make this sentence negative: If we didn’t have more time, we wouldn’t visit the new library?

You negate the -nge- form by inserting si after the subject marker:

tungekuwa → tusingekuwa (we would not be / would not have)
tungetembelea → tusingetembelea (we would not visit)

So a negative version could be:

Kama tusingekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tusingetembelea maktaba mpya.
= If we didn’t have more time today, we wouldn’t visit the new library.

What is the difference between muda zaidi and muda mwingi?

Both relate to amount of time, but they’re used slightly differently:

muda zaidi = more time (comparative: more than we have now / than some reference)
muda mwingi = a lot of time / much time (large quantity in general)

In this sentence, muda zaidi is correct because you are comparing with the time you actually have today:
If we had more time (than we currently have) today…

Could I say tungeenda maktaba mpya instead of tungetembelea maktaba mpya?

You could say:

Kama tungekuwa na muda zaidi leo, tungeenda maktaba mpya.

This would mean If we had more time today, we would go to the new library.

tembelea specifically means to visit, often implying spending some time there, possibly looking around. kuenda (kwenda) means simply to go. Both are fine, but tungetembelea maktaba mpya highlights the idea of paying the library a visit, not just going in its direction.