Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tunapokimbia uwanjani, tunahitaji kunywa maji baada ya mazoezi. - When we run on the field, we need to drink water after the exercise.

Tunakimbia = “we are running / we run” (simple statement in the present).
Tunapokimbia = “when we run / whenever we run / as we run” (it introduces a time clause).

So tunapokimbia uwanjani, tunahitaji… is “When we run on the field, we need…”, not just “We are running on the field, we need…”. The -po- brings the idea of “when / as.”

Could I say tukikimbia uwanjani instead of tunapokimbia uwanjani? Do they mean the same thing?

They are close in meaning but not exactly the same:

Tunapokimbia uwanjani…
- More neutral / general: “When(ever) we run on the field…”
- Often describes a regular or typical situation.
Tukikimbia uwanjani…
- Uses -ki-, which often has a slight “if / when (in that situation)” or conditional feel.
- Can sound a bit more like “if/whenever we run on the field…”, especially in hypothetical or rule-like statements.

In everyday speech, you will hear both, and in many contexts the difference is small. Here, tunapokimbia is perfectly natural and perhaps a bit more clearly temporal (“when/as”).

Where is the word “in” in uwanjani? Why isn’t there a separate word like “in” or “on”?

Swahili often shows location by adding -ni to a noun instead of using a separate preposition like “in/on/at.”

uwanja = field / pitch / ground
uwanjani = “in the field / on the field / at the field”

So the -ni at the end of uwanjani is doing the job of English “in/on/at.” You don’t need a separate word for “in.”

Is there any difference between uwanjani, kwenye uwanja, and katika uwanja?

They are all possible and all can mean “in/on the field.”

uwanjani
- Uses the -ni locative ending.
- Very natural and often slightly shorter and more idiomatic.
kwenye uwanja
- Uses kwenye = “in/at/on”.
- Also very common, often a bit more explicit for learners.
katika uwanja
- Uses katika = “in/inside (within)”.
- Can sound a bit more formal or written in many contexts.

In this sentence, uwanjani is perfectly natural and common.

Why don’t we say sisi tunapokimbia uwanjani? Is sisi required for “we”?

Sisi (we) is not required because the subject is already marked inside the verb.

tu- in tunapokimbia and tunahitaji already means “we.”

You can add sisi for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Sisi tunapokimbia uwanjani, wao wanacheza mpira.
- When *we run on the field, they play football.*

But in neutral sentences like yours, sisi is usually left out.

What kind of verb form is kunywa in tunahitaji kunywa maji? Is it like “to drink” or “drinking”?

Kunywa is the infinitive form of the verb nywa (“to drink”). The ku- at the beginning often corresponds to English “to” or “-ing” depending on context:

tunahitaji kunywa maji
- we need *to drink water*
kunywa maji ni muhimu
- drinking water is important

So here, kunywa is best understood as “to drink.”

Could I just say tunahitaji maji to mean “we need water”? Why add kunywa?

Yes, you can say tunahitaji maji = “we need water.”

However:

tunahitaji maji focuses on needing water itself (e.g. you don’t have any water).
tunahitaji kunywa maji focuses on the action: that you need to drink water (for health, after exercise, etc.).

In this sentence about running and exercise, tunahitaji kunywa maji is more precise because it stresses the drinking.

Is maji plural? It looks like a plural with ma-, but in English “water” is uncountable.

In Swahili, maji belongs to a “ma-” noun class and behaves grammatically like a plural, but semantically it is usually uncountable, like English “water.”

You don’t normally talk about “one maji, two maji.”
You talk about amounts:
- glasi ya maji – a glass of water
- ndoo ya maji – a bucket of water
- maji mengi – a lot of water

So maji is grammatically plural, but used like an uncountable mass noun in English.

What does baada ya mazoezi literally mean?

Baada ya mazoezi literally means “after the exercise(s)” or “after exercise.”

baada = after
ya = “of” (a linking word, like “of”)
mazoezi = exercise / exercises / training

So word-for-word: “after of exercise(s)”, which is how Swahili normally expresses “after [something].” The whole chunk baada ya works like the English preposition “after.”

Why is it baada ya mazoezi and not something like baada za mazoezi or baada la mazoezi?

In practice, baada is almost always followed by ya:

baada ya kazi – after work
baada ya chakula – after the meal
baada ya mazoezi – after exercise

So baada ya is best learned as a fixed chunk meaning “after.”

Technically, ya is the correct “of” form that agrees with baada (its noun class), so you don’t change it to za or la here. For learners, think simply: “after” = baada ya + [thing].

Can mazoezi mean both “exercise” and “exercises”?

Yes. Mazoezi is grammatically plural but in actual use it can cover both ideas:

General, uncountable sense:
- Nafanya mazoezi kila siku.
  - I do exercise / I work out every day.
More countable sense:
- Mazoezi haya matatu ni muhimu.
  - These three exercises are important.

In your sentence, baada ya mazoezi is understood as “after (our) exercise / workout / training.”

Can I move baada ya mazoezi to another place in the sentence, or must it stay at the end?

You can move it, as long as the meaning stays clear. All of these are possible:

Tunapokimbia uwanjani, tunahitaji kunywa maji baada ya mazoezi.
Tunapokimbia uwanjani, baada ya mazoezi tunahitaji kunywa maji.
Baada ya mazoezi, tunapokimbia uwanjani tunahitaji kunywa maji. (now a bit harder to process)

The original version is natural and clear, so it’s usually the best choice: time clause (tunapokimbia uwanjani) first, then the main statement with baada ya mazoezi at the end.