Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni. - We should pay attention to safety at the market.

tu- = we (subject prefix, 1st person plural)
-na- = present tense marker
-paswa = a verb root meaning “to be required / to be supposed to / to be obliged”

So tunapaswa literally means “we (are) required / we (are) supposed (to)”, which in normal English is translated as “we should” or sometimes “we must” depending on context.

What is the difference between tunapaswa kuzingatia and tunazingatia?

Tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.
= We should pay attention to / consider safety in the market.
This talks about obligation or recommendation. It doesn’t say you are doing it; it says you ought to do it.
Tunazingatia usalama sokoni.
= We are paying attention to / considering safety in the market.
This is about what is happening now or generally, not about obligation.

So:

tunapaswa kuzingatia → focus on what we ought to do
tunazingatia → focus on what we are doing

What does kuzingatia mean, and why does it start with ku-?

Kuzingatia is the infinitive form (the “to …” form) of the verb:

-zingatia = to consider / to pay attention to / to take into account / to observe (a rule, safety, etc.)
ku- = the infinitive prefix (equivalent to English “to” before a verb)

So:

zingatia → consider! / pay attention! (command form, depending on subject)
kuzingatia → to consider / to pay attention (to) (dictionary form)

In tunapaswa kuzingatia, the structure is:

tunapaswa = we should
kuzingatia = to pay attention to / to consider

So literally: “We should to pay attention to …”, but in natural English: “We should pay attention to …”

What does usalama mean, and what kind of noun is it?

Usalama means “safety” or “security.”

Grammatically, usalama is a noun in the U- class (often called class 14), which often contains abstract nouns:

usalama = safety
uhuru = freedom
uzuri = beauty / goodness
umoja = unity

These nouns:

Usually don’t have a plural form in normal use.
Often represent states, qualities, or abstract concepts.

So usalama here is best understood as the general concept of “safety” rather than a countable thing.

Why is it sokoni and not just soko?

Soko means “market.”

Adding -ni to nouns often makes a locative form—it indicates place: “in/at/on (the noun).”

soko = market
sokoni = at the market / in the market

So:

usalama sokoni = safety at the market / safety in the market

The -ni ending is very common for places:

nyumba → nyumbani = at home
shule → shuleni = at school
kanisa → kanisani = at church

Where is the subject “we” in this sentence? Why isn’t there a separate word for “we”?

In Swahili, the subject is usually expressed by a prefix attached to the verb, not a separate word.

In tunapaswa:

tu- = we (subject prefix)
-na- = present tense marker
-paswa = “to be required / supposed to”

So “we” is built inside the verb as tu-. That’s why you don’t need a separate word for “we.”

If you wanted to emphasize “we” in contrast with others, you could add sisi:

Sisi tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.
= We (as opposed to others) should pay attention to safety in the market.

But grammatically, tunapaswa alone already contains “we.”

What tense is tunapaswa? Does the -na- here really mean “right now”?

Tunapaswa uses the -na- tense marker, which is often called the present or present continuous in basic descriptions.

However, with verbs like -paswa (“to be required/supposed to”), -na- often expresses a general or current obligation, not just “right this moment.”

More precisely:

tunapaswa = “we are (currently / generally) supposed to / we should.”

Other tenses:

tulipaswa (tu-li-paswa) = we were supposed to / we should have (past obligation)
tutapaswa (tu-ta-paswa) = we will be supposed to / we will have to (future obligation)

So -na- here gives the idea that right now or generally we have this obligation.

Could I say Lazima tuzingatie usalama sokoni instead? What’s the difference from tunapaswa kuzingatia?

Yes, you can say that, and it’s natural:

Lazima tuzingatie usalama sokoni.
= We must pay attention to / consider safety in the market.

Differences in nuance:

tunapaswa kuzingatia
→ “we should / we ought to”, often slightly softer, like a strong recommendation or moral obligation.
lazima tuzingatie
→ “we must / we have to”, stronger, more like a necessity or strict requirement.

Grammatically:

lazima behaves like an independent word meaning “must”, followed by a verb in the subjunctive (tu-zingatie).
tunapaswa already contains the subject and tense and is followed by the infinitive kuzingatia.

Both are correct; which one you choose depends on how strong you want the obligation to sound.

Why don’t we use a separate preposition like “in” or “at” before sokoni?

In Swahili, the locative meaning (“in/at/on”) is often expressed by changing the noun form, not by adding a separate preposition.

For soko:

soko = market
sokoni = at the market / in the market

The -ni ending acts like a built-in preposition. So you don’t say:

✗ katika sokoni to mean “in the market” (this is usually redundant or awkward in simple sentences)

Instead, just:

usalama sokoni = safety in the market

You can use katika with the plain noun in some contexts, but for common places, the -ni form is the default and most natural.

Could I move sokoni earlier in the sentence, like Tunapaswa sokoni kuzingatia usalama?

That word order is not natural in Swahili.

The most natural, neutral order is:

Tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.

General pattern:

[Verb phrase] + [Object] + [Location/time]

So:

tunapaswa kuzingatia (verb phrase)
usalama (object)
sokoni (location)

Putting sokoni before kuingatia usalama would sound odd and potentially confusing. In everyday Swahili, you would keep sokoni after usalama here.

How would the meaning change if I said Tunazingatia usalama sokoni without paswa?

Tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.
= We should pay attention to safety in the market. (obligation / recommendation)
Tunazingatia usalama sokoni.
= We pay attention to / are paying attention to safety in the market. (description of what we do)

So by removing paswa:

You lose the idea of “should/ought to”.
You’re now stating a fact (whether it’s a current action or a general habit).

How do you pronounce and syllabify tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni?

Syllable breakdown:

tu-na-pa-swa
ku-zi-nga-ti-a
u-sa-la-ma
so-ko-ni

Pronunciation tips:

Swahili vowels are pure and short:
- a as in father
- e as in bet
- i as in machine
- o as in more (but shorter)
- u as in put (or oo in foot)
ng in -zingatia is like ng in English “sing”, not like “finger.”
Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable:
- tunaPÁswa
- kuzingáTia
- usaLÁma
- sokoNí

So you get something like:

tu-na-PÁ-swa ku-zi-nga-TÍ-a u-sa-LÁ-ma so-ko-NÍ

Spoken more smoothly: tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.

Is there any difference between “consider safety” and “be careful” here? Could I say kuwa waangalifu instead of kuingatia usalama?

The meaning overlaps, but the focus is slightly different:

kuingatia usalama
= to consider / pay attention to safety
Emphasis: the concept of safety, rules, precautions.
kuwa waangalifu
= to be careful / to be cautious
Emphasis: your personal behavior.

A sentence with waangalifu:

Tunapaswa kuwa waangalifu sokoni.
= We should be careful in the market.

Your original sentence:

Tunapaswa kuzingatia usalama sokoni.
Suggests taking safety seriously, following safety guidelines, not ignoring risks in the market environment.

Both are natural; which you choose depends on whether you want to highlight safety as a system/rules (usalama) or our own carefulness (kuwa waangalifu).