Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kama nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana. - If I had not met you, I would have very few friends.

Because of the context and the second clause (ningekuwa na…), we understand it as “if I had not met (you)” rather than a simple future-like “I would not meet”.

In dictionaries I see kukutana (“to meet”). Why is it nisingekutana here without the initial ku-?

Swahili dictionaries usually list verbs in the infinitive form with ku-, e.g.:

kukutana = to meet
kula = to eat
kucheza = to play

When you conjugate the verb, the ku- of the infinitive normally drops and is replaced by subject/tense/negative markers:

ninakutana = I am meeting
tutakutana = we will meet
nisingekutana = I would not meet / if I hadn’t met

So kukutana (dictionary form) → stem -kutana inside the conjugated form nisingekutana.

What exactly does the -nge- tense do in nisingekutana and ningekuwa?

The marker -nge- is the conditional / hypothetical tense in Swahili. It often corresponds to English “would / would have” in “unreal” or imagined situations.

ningekutana = I would meet / I would have met
nisingekutana = I would not meet / if I hadn’t met
ningekuwa = I would be / I would have been

In your sentence:

kama nisingekutana na wewe → “if I had not met you”
ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana → “I would have very few friends”

Both verbs carry -nge- to show a hypothetical (contrary-to-fact) situation: in reality you did meet the person, and you do not have so few friends.

Why does the sentence start with kama when -nge- already shows a conditional? Is kama necessary?

Kama literally means “if”.

In conditionals with -nge-, Swahili can do either of the following:

With kama:
- Kama nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana.
Without kama:
- Nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana.

Both are correct. -nge- already tells you it’s a conditional, so kama is not grammatically required, but:

Using kama often feels a bit clearer and slightly more explicit or narrative (“If I hadn’t met you…”).
Dropping kama sounds very natural too, especially in spoken Swahili.

So kama is optional here; it doesn’t change the basic meaning.

Can I change the word order, for example: Ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana kama nisingekutana na wewe?

Yes, you can. Both orders are fine:

Kama nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana.
Ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana kama nisingekutana na wewe.

The meaning is the same. Just like in English:

“If I hadn’t met you, I would have very few friends.”
“I would have very few friends if I hadn’t met you.”

In writing, Swahili often uses a comma when the kama-clause comes first, but not usually when it comes second, just like in English.

Why is it na wewe after nisingekutana? Could I say just nisingekutana wewe?

With the verb kutana (“to meet”), the person you meet is usually introduced by the preposition na = “with”.

kukutana na mtu = to meet (with) someone
nilikutana na rafiki yangu = I met my friend

So:

nisingekutana na wewe = “if I had not met with you / if I hadn’t met you”

You cannot say *nisingekutana wewe; that is ungrammatical.
You must have na (or another construction, like using an object prefix with a different verb).

You can also contract na wewe to nawe (see the next question).

Could I say nawe instead of na wewe? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can:

Kama nisingekutana na wewe…
Kama nisingekutana nawe…

Nawe is simply the contracted form of na + wewe. It’s common and correct.

Nuance:

na wewe is slightly more neutral / everyday.
nawe can sound a bit more compact, sometimes a little more formal or poetic, but it’s also used in normal speech.

Meaning-wise, they are the same here: “with you”.

Why is it ningekuwa na marafiki, not something like ningekuwa marafiki?

In Swahili, the verb kuwa = “to be”. To express “to have”, you typically use kuwa na = “to be with”.

Nina rafiki = I have a friend (literally: I am with a friend)
Alikuwa na pesa = He/she had money (was with money)
Ningekuwa na marafiki wachache = I would have few friends

So:

ningekuwa na marafiki = “I would be with friends” → “I would have friends”
*ningekuwa marafiki would mean “I would be friends” (turn into friends), which doesn’t make sense here.

You need na after kuwa to express possession.

Why is it marafiki wachache, not wachache marafiki?

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

rafiki mzuri = a good friend
marafiki wengi = many friends
marafiki wachache = few friends

So the correct order is:

noun + adjective → marafiki wachache

Putting the adjective first: *wachache marafiki is not grammatical in standard Swahili.

Why do we use wachache and not just chache or kidogo?

Three separate points:

Agreement with the noun class
- marafiki (friends) is a human plural noun, and in practice it takes wa- agreement (like class 2).
- The adjective for “few” then becomes wachache (wa- + -chache), not just chache.
- So:
  - marafiki wachache = few friends
  - watoto wachache = few children
Why not chache on its own?
- Standalone chache would be missing the class prefix.
- For class-2-type nouns like marafiki, the correct form is wachache.
Difference between wachache and kidogo
- wachache = few in number, focusing on count.
- kidogo = a little / small amount, used more with mass nouns or uncountable things (time, water, money), though it can be used with countable things informally too.
- Here we’re talking about how many friends → wachache is the natural choice:
  - marafiki wachache sana = very few friends
  - pesa kidogo = a little money

What does sana add in marafiki wachache sana, and where does it go in the sentence?

Sana means “very / a lot / extremely”, depending on context. With adjectives like wachache, it works like English “very”:

wachache sana = very few
wengi sana = very many
nzuri sana = very good

Position:

sana usually comes after the adjective or verb it modifies:
- wachache sana (not *sana wachache)
- anapenda sana = he/she likes it very much

So marafiki wachache sana = “friends [who are] very few” → “very few friends.”

Is this talking about a real situation or an unreal / hypothetical one? How does Swahili show that?

This is an unreal / hypothetical past situation, like English:

“If I had not met you, I would have very few friends.”

We know it’s unreal / contrary to fact because:

The verbs use -nge-:
- nisingekutana
- ningekuwa
Contextually, the speaker did meet the person, so the condition (“if I hadn’t met you”) is imaginary.

Swahili uses -nge- (and sometimes -ngali- in more formal styles) to mark these “imagined past” conditions, similar to English “if I had… I would have…”.

Are there other ways to say the same idea in Swahili?

Yes, several variants are possible while keeping the same meaning. For example:

Using nawe instead of na wewe:
- Kama nisingekutana nawe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana.
Dropping kama:
- Nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache sana.
Using ningalikuwa (more formal / literary in some varieties):
- Kama nisingekutana na wewe, ningalikuwa na marafiki wachache sana.
Slight lexical variation:
- Kama nisingekutana na wewe, ningekuwa na marafiki wachache tu.
  (“just a few friends” instead of “very few friends”)

All of these keep the same basic idea: “If I hadn’t met you, I would have very few friends.”