Tumeishiwa na sukari, kwa hiyo tutakunywa chai bila sukari.

Tumeishiwa means we have run out of or we are out of something.

It can be broken down like this:

• tu- = we
• -me- = perfect marker, often like have
• -ishiwa = run out of / be left without

So tumeishiwa na sukari means we have run out of sugar.

A useful thing to remember is that this verb is commonly used with na + the thing that has run out:

• Nimeishiwa na pesa = I have run out of money
• Wameishiwa na maji = They have run out of water

No. Even though they look similar, tumeishiwa here is not from kuishi (to live).

It comes from kuisha, which means to end, to be finished, or to run out.
From that, Swahili forms kuishiwa, which means to run out of something or to have something get finished on you.

So:

• kuishi = to live
• kuisha = to end / be finished
• kuishiwa = to run out of

That is a very common point of confusion for learners.

In this pattern, na introduces the thing that is lacking or finished.

So:

• tumeishiwa na sukari = literally something like we have been finished on with sugar
• natural English: we have run out of sugar

This is just the normal Swahili structure with kuishiwa:

• Nimeishiwa na umeme = I’ve run out of electricity / The power is gone on me
• Ameishiwa na mafuta = He/She has run out of oil/fuel

So even though English uses of, Swahili usually uses na here.

They are related, but they are used differently.

• kuisha = to finish / to end / to be finished
• kuishiwa = to run out of something

Compare:

• Sukari imeisha = The sugar is finished
• Tumeishiwa na sukari = We have run out of sugar

The first sentence focuses on the sugar being finished.
The second focuses on us as the people who no longer have any sugar left.

That difference is very common in Swahili.

Tutakunywa means we will drink.

It breaks down like this:

• tu- = we
• -ta- = future marker (will)
• kunywa = drink

So:

• tutakunywa chai = we will drink tea

This is straightforward future tense.
The idea is:

• We’ve run out of sugar
• therefore we will drink tea without sugar

Kwa hiyo means therefore, so, because of that, or as a result.

It connects the two ideas:

• Tumeishiwa na sukari = We’ve run out of sugar
• kwa hiyo = so / therefore
• tutakunywa chai bila sukari = we’ll drink tea without sugar

It is a very common way to show result or consequence.

You can think of it as introducing the logical next step.

Bila sukari means without sugar.

Bila is a preposition meaning without.

Examples:

• chai bila sukari = tea without sugar
• kahawa bila maziwa = coffee without milk
• bila shida = without problems / no problem

So in the sentence:

• tutakunywa chai bila sukari = we will drink tea without sugar

This is a very useful everyday word.

Because the two parts express two different ideas:

1. tumeishiwa na sukari = we have run out of sugar
2. chai bila sukari = tea without sugar

Even though English might sometimes avoid repeating the noun, repeating it in Swahili is completely natural and clear.

The first sukari is the thing that is no longer available.
The second sukari is the thing that will not be added to the tea.

So the repetition is normal, not awkward.

Yes, and the meaning is very close, but the focus changes.

• Sukari imeisha = The sugar is finished / The sugar is gone
• Tumeishiwa na sukari = We have run out of sugar

The first one talks about the sugar.
The second talks about us and our situation.

In conversation, both are common.
If you want to emphasize we don’t have any left, tumeishiwa na sukari is especially natural.

Swahili word order is fairly flexible in some contexts, but tutakunywa chai bila sukari is the most natural neutral order.

It follows a simple pattern:

• verb: tutakunywa = we will drink
• object: chai = tea
• prepositional phrase: bila sukari = without sugar

So:

• Tutakunywa chai bila sukari = natural and standard

If you change the order, it may sound marked, poetic, or less natural depending on the context. For a learner, the safest choice is the original order.

Yes. In normal use, chai bila sukari is exactly what you would say for tea without sugar, and in many contexts that is the same as unsweetened tea.

Swahili often uses simple prepositional phrases like this instead of special adjective forms.

So if you are ordering or describing tea, chai bila sukari is a very natural phrase.