Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kamusi hii inatumiwa darasani. - This dictionary is used in the classroom.

kamusi – dictionary (noun, class 9)
hii – this (demonstrative agreeing with class 9 nouns)
ina- – subject prefix i- (for class 9) + tense marker -na- (present / habitual)
-tumi- – verb root from tumia (to use)
-w- – passive marker (be used)
-a – final vowel (marks the normal indicative form)
darasani – in class / in the classroom (darasa “classroom” + -ni locative suffix = “in/at the classroom”)

So structurally it is “Dictionary this it-is-being-used in-classroom.”

Why is it hii and not something like hiyo or huu?

Swahili demonstratives agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

kamusi is a class 9 noun.
The class 9 form of “this” (near the speaker) is hii.
hiyo is “that (near you / a bit further)” for class 9.
huu is “this” but for a different noun class (class 3/11: e.g. mti huu “this tree”).

So:

kamusi hii = this dictionary
kamusi hiyo = that dictionary (a bit further away)

Why isn’t it hii kamusi instead of kamusi hii?

In Swahili, the normal order is:

Noun + demonstrative

So you usually say:

kamusi hii – this dictionary
mti huu – this tree
kitabu kile – that book over there

Putting the demonstrative before the noun (like hii kamusi) sounds unusual or emphatic/stylistic, and for learners it’s best to stick with the standard noun + demonstrative pattern.

Where is the English subject “it” in this sentence?

Swahili typically does not use separate subject pronouns like I, you, it in the way English does. Instead, the subject is built into the verb prefix.

ina- includes the subject prefix i-, which stands for a class 9 noun (like kamusi) and functions like “it.”
There is no separate word for “it”; the verb already shows who/what is doing (or undergoing) the action.

So inatumiwa already contains the idea of “it is being used.”

Why is it inatumiwa and not inatumia?

inatumia is active: it uses / is using.
inatumiwa is passive: it is used / is being used.

The -w- in inatumiwa is the passive marker:

tumia – to use
tumiwa – to be used

Because the meaning is “This dictionary is used in class” (not “This dictionary uses in class”), the passive form inatumiwa is correct.

How is inatumiwa built up from the infinitive kutumiwa?

Start from the infinitive:

ku-tumi-w-a – to be used
- ku- – infinitive marker
- tumi- – root (use)
- -w- – passive
- -a – final vowel

Conjugate in present tense, class 9 subject:

i- – subject prefix for class 9 (it for things like kamusi)
-na- – present/habitual tense
tumi- – root
-w- – passive
-a – final vowel

→ i-na-tumi-w-a → inatumiwa = it is (being) used

What exactly does the -na- in inatumiwa mean? Is it “is being used” or “is used (generally)”?

The -na- tense marker usually covers:

present progressive: happening now
- This dictionary *is being used in class (right now).*
present habitual/general: generally true, often happens
- This dictionary *is used in class (as a rule).*

Swahili does not sharply separate these two the way English does. Inatumiwa can mean both “is being used” and “is used (regularly)”; context clarifies which is intended.

What does the -ni at the end of darasani do? Why not just darasa?

The suffix -ni is a locative marker, often meaning “in, at, on” depending on the noun.

darasa – classroom, class
darasani – in the classroom / in class

So darasani is more like “in class”. If you just say darasa, it refers to the class as an object/thing, not its location.

Other examples:

nyumba → nyumbani – at home / in the house
kanisa → kanisani – in/at church

Could we say katika darasa instead of darasani? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Kamusi hii inatumiwa katika darasa.

Meaning-wise, it’s very close to darasani. Differences:

darasani – more idiomatic, compact, very common in everyday speech.
katika darasa – a bit more explicit/formal: literally in the classroom.

For most purposes, they are interchangeable, but darasani is the more natural-sounding choice in ordinary conversation.

Can darasani go at the beginning of the sentence, like Darasani kamusi hii inatumiwa?

Yes, Swahili word order is flexible, especially for adverbials of place and time. You can say:

Darasani, kamusi hii inatumiwa.

This is grammatically fine and sounds like you’re emphasizing the location (“In class, this dictionary is used.”). The most neutral order, though, is the original:

Kamusi hii inatumiwa darasani.

Is kamusi singular or plural here? The form looks the same.

kamusi belongs to noun class 9/10, where the singular and plural often look identical.

So:

singular: kamusi – a dictionary
plural: kamusi – dictionaries

You know whether it’s singular or plural from agreement:

Kamusi hii inatumiwa darasani.
- hii (this – singular)
- ina- (singular 9 subject prefix)
  → singular: this dictionary.
Kamusi hizi zinatumiwa darasani.
- hizi (these – plural for class 10)
- zina- (plural 10 subject prefix)
  → plural: these dictionaries.

How would I say “These dictionaries are used in class”?

You make both the demonstrative and the verb plural:

Kamusi hizi zinatumiwa darasani.

Breakdown:

kamusi – dictionaries (class 10 plural)
hizi – these (class 10 demonstrative)
zina- – subject prefix zi- (class 10) + -na- present
tumiwa – passive be used
darasani – in class

How can I add who is using the dictionary, like “by the students”?

To express the agent in a passive sentence, use na + noun:

Kamusi hii inatumiwa na wanafunzi darasani.
= This dictionary is used by the students in class.

Structure:

inatumiwa – is used
na wanafunzi – by (the) students
darasani – in class

You can place na wanafunzi before or after darasani, depending on what you want to emphasize:

Kamusi hii inatumiwa na wanafunzi darasani. (neutral)
Kamusi hii inatumiwa darasani na wanafunzi. (slight emphasis on the place first)