Mume wa shangazi anapenda mishikaki, lakini yeye hapendi vyakula vya kukaanga sana.

Literally, mume wa shangazi means the husband of aunt.

The word wa is a linking word often translated as of. In Swahili grammar, this connector changes form to match the noun class of the first noun.

So here:

mume = husband
wa = of
shangazi = aunt

Together: mume wa shangazi = aunt’s husband / the husband of the aunt.

Not always exactly.

In many learner translations, shangazi is simply given as aunt, and that is usually enough to understand the sentence. But in more traditional family terminology, shangazi often refers specifically to a father’s sister.

So:

• for basic learning: shangazi = aunt
• for more cultural detail: it can be more specific than English aunt

Anapenda can be broken down like this:

a- = he/she
-na- = present tense
-penda = like, love

So anapenda means he/she likes or sometimes he/she loves, depending on context.

In this sentence, it means he likes.

In Swahili, the negative present tense is formed differently from the positive present tense.

Compare:

anapenda = he/she likes
hapendi = he/she does not like

Breakdown of hapendi:

ha- = negative he/she
pend- = like
-i = negative final vowel

So in the negative present:

• the -na- present marker disappears
• the final -a changes to -i

That is why hapendi is correct, not haanapenda.

Mishikaki is plural.

The singular is mshikaki.

This word usually refers to skewers or kebabs, especially pieces of meat grilled on a stick.

So:

• mshikaki = one skewer / kebab
• mishikaki = skewers / kebabs

Yeye is used for emphasis or contrast.

The sentence says:

Mume wa shangazi anapenda mishikaki, lakini yeye hapendi...

That yeye makes the contrast stronger, like:

...but he does not like...

It is not strictly necessary. You could also say:

Mume wa shangazi anapenda mishikaki, lakini hapendi vyakula vya kukaanga sana.

That would still be correct and natural. Adding yeye just gives a little extra emphasis.

It can mean either he or she.

Swahili third-person pronouns are usually not marked for gender. So:

• yeye = he / she
• a- = he / she
• ha- = he / she in the negative

You know whether to translate it as he or she from context. In this sentence, it refers to mume, so the natural English translation is he.

Word for word, it is roughly:

vyakula = foods
vya = of / for
kukaanga = to fry

So literally it is something like foods of frying or foods for frying.

In natural English, the phrase is understood as fried foods or foods cooked by frying.

A useful point: Swahili often uses an infinitive like kukaanga after this kind of connector to describe a type of food or method of preparation.

This is because of noun class agreement, which is a big part of Swahili grammar.

The connector meaning of changes depending on the noun before it.

Here:

• mume belongs to a noun class that takes wa
• vyakula belongs to a noun class that takes vya

So:

• mume wa shangazi = husband of the aunt
• vyakula vya kukaanga = foods of frying / fried foods

This is the same pattern you see in many other phrases:

• kitabu cha mwanafunzi = the student’s book
• nyumba ya mwalimu = the teacher’s house

The connector changes form, but the basic idea is similar.

Sana usually means very, a lot, or very much, depending on context.

Here it goes with hapendi and the whole idea of fried foods, so:

hapendi vyakula vya kukaanga sana = he doesn’t like fried foods very much

In Swahili, sana often comes after the word or phrase it strengthens. So its position at the end is normal.