Mimi nitalipa kwa hundi kama sina pesa taslimu.

In Swahili, the subject is usually already built into the verb. In nitalipa:

• ni- = I
• -ta- = future marker
• -lipa = pay

So nitalipa by itself already means I will pay.

Mimi is added for emphasis, contrast, or clarity. It is a bit like saying:

• I will pay by check...
• As for me, I will pay by check...

So the sentence would still work without Mimi:

• Nitalipa kwa hundi kama sina pesa taslimu.

Nitalipa can be broken down like this:

• ni- = first person singular subject prefix, I
• -ta- = future tense marker, will
• -lipa = verb root, pay

So:

• ni + ta + lipa → nitalipa
• meaning: I will pay

This is a very common Swahili verb pattern:

• nitasoma = I will read/study
• nitakwenda = I will go
• nitakula = I will eat

Here, kwa means something like by, with, or using.

So:

• kwa hundi = by check / with a check

In Swahili, kwa is very common and has several uses depending on context. In this sentence, it introduces the means or method of payment.

Other similar examples:

• kwa pesa taslimu = in cash
• kwa kisu = with a knife
• kwa basi = by bus

Hundi means check/cheque in the sense of a written payment instrument.

So:

• kwa hundi = by check

Depending on region and everyday speech, learners may also come across other borrowed forms, but hundi is a valid Swahili word and is often used in more formal or standard contexts.

Kama means if in this sentence.

So the structure is:

• nitalipa kwa hundi = I will pay by check
• kama sina pesa taslimu = if I do not have cash

Together:

• I will pay by check if I do not have cash.

Kama is a very common way to make conditional sentences in Swahili.

Example:

• Kama unakuja, nitafurahi.
• If you are coming, I will be happy.

Sina is the negative form of nina.

• nina = I have
• sina = I do not have

You can think of it like this:

• si- = negative for I
• -na = have / be with

So:

• sina pesa = I do not have money

This is part of a very common possession pattern in Swahili:

• nina = I have
• una = you have
• ana = he/she has

Negative:

• sina = I do not have
• huna = you do not have
• hana = he/she does not have

This is a very good question. In English, we might expect:

• I will pay by check if I do not have cash or even
• if I won’t have cash

In Swahili, after kama, it is very common to use a present form like sina to express a condition that applies now or in the future, depending on context.

So:

• kama sina pesa taslimu naturally means if I don’t have cash

If you said:

• kama sitakuwa na pesa taslimu

that would mean something more explicitly like:

• if I will not have cash

That form is grammatical, but in many everyday cases the simpler kama sina... sounds more natural.

Pesa taslimu means cash.

Literally:

• pesa = money
• taslimu = cash / cash-based / ready money

Together, pesa taslimu means money in physical cash form, not by check, card, or other method.

So:

• sina pesa taslimu = I don’t have cash

Many Swahili adjectives agree with the noun class of the noun they describe, but not every descriptive word behaves in the same way.

In pesa taslimu, taslimu is often treated as a fixed expression meaning cash money or simply cash. So learners should understand it as a standard phrase rather than trying to force it into the most regular adjective pattern.

In practice, it is best to learn:

• pesa taslimu = cash

as one chunk of vocabulary.

Yes. Swahili word order is fairly flexible, especially with clauses like this.

You can say:

• Mimi nitalipa kwa hundi kama sina pesa taslimu.
• Kama sina pesa taslimu, mimi nitalipa kwa hundi.
• Kama sina pesa taslimu, nitalipa kwa hundi.

These all mean essentially the same thing. The difference is mostly in emphasis and flow.

For example, starting with kama sina pesa taslimu emphasizes the condition first:

• If I don’t have cash, I will pay by check.

Yes, absolutely.

Because nitalipa already includes I, the sentence can simply be:

• Nitalipa kwa hundi kama sina pesa taslimu.

This is completely correct and often more natural unless you want special emphasis on I.

Yes, it is understandable and grammatical.

It clearly means:

• I will pay by check if I don’t have cash.

A speaker might choose slightly different words depending on region or situation, but the structure is good and the meaning is clear.

A very natural alternative with the same meaning would be:

• Kama sina pesa taslimu, nitalipa kwa hundi.

That version simply puts the if clause first, which is also very common.