Si kwamba hakuna chakula nyumbani, bali mabaki ya jana yanatosha kwa chakula cha mchana.

Si kwamba means something like It’s not that... or It’s not that the situation is X...

It introduces a correction or clarification:

• Si kwamba hakuna chakula nyumbani... = It’s not that there’s no food at home...

A very literal breakdown is:

• si = not / it is not
• kwamba = that

Together, they make a common expression used when you want to reject one explanation and replace it with the real one.

You may also hear sio kwamba in everyday speech. It means the same thing.

Hakuna means there is not / there are not.

So:

• hakuna chakula = there is no food

This is the normal Swahili way to express non-existence or absence, rather than using a direct equivalent of English not have in this kind of sentence.

Compare:

• kuna chakula = there is food
• hakuna chakula = there is no food

A useful point for learners: hakuna does not change based on whether the following noun is singular or plural. It works the same way with many nouns.

Nyumbani is a locative form meaning at home, in the house, or at the household.

It comes from:

• nyumba = house/home
• -ni = a locative ending

So Swahili often expresses location by adding -ni to a noun:

• nyumbani = at home
• shuleni = at school
• dukani = at the shop/store

So hakuna chakula nyumbani is naturally there is no food at home.

Bali means but rather or instead.

It is especially used when:

1. the first part is negative, and
2. the second part gives the correct or real alternative.

So here:

• Si kwamba hakuna chakula nyumbani, bali... = It’s not that there’s no food at home, but rather...

This fits bali perfectly.

By contrast, lakini is the more general word for but. It can work in many contrasts, but bali is stronger and more precise here because the speaker is rejecting one explanation and replacing it with another.

Mabaki means leftovers, remains, or what is left over.

Then:

• ya jana = of yesterday / from yesterday

So:

• mabaki ya jana = yesterday’s leftovers

The word ya is a linking word often called the associative marker. It works like of in English, but it must agree with the noun class of the noun before it.

Here:

• mabaki is in noun class 6
• so the correct linker is ya

That is why it is mabaki ya jana, not some other form.

Because the subject is mabaki, and mabaki belongs to noun class 6.

In Swahili, verbs must agree with the noun class of their subject. For class 6 nouns, the subject prefix is ya-.

So:

• ya- = class 6 subject agreement
• -natosha = is enough / are enough

Together:

• yanatosha = they are enough

Since mabaki is the subject, the verb must match it:

• mabaki ya jana yanatosha = yesterday’s leftovers are enough

This is one of the most important grammar habits in Swahili: always check which noun is controlling the verb agreement.

The verb -tosha means to be enough or to suffice.

Examples:

• Maji yanatosha = The water is enough
• Pesa hazitoshi = The money is not enough
• Mabaki yanatosha = The leftovers are enough

In this sentence, it expresses sufficiency:

• the leftovers are enough
• so there is no need for something else

It means for lunch.

A more literal breakdown is:

• kwa = for
• chakula = food / meal
• cha mchana = of midday / of the afternoon

So:

• chakula cha mchana = midday meal, which is the normal way to say lunch

And:

• kwa chakula cha mchana = for lunch

So the whole part:

• yanatosha kwa chakula cha mchana = are enough for lunch

Cha is another associative marker, like of, and it must agree with chakula.

So:

• chakula = food / meal
• cha mchana = of midday

Together:

• chakula cha mchana = lunch

The reason it is cha is that chakula belongs to a noun class that takes cha as this linker.

You will see the same pattern in many expressions:

• chakula cha jioni = dinner / evening meal
• kikombe cha chai = a cup of tea
• kitabu cha mtoto = the child’s book

Yes. It is a very useful pattern for correcting an assumption or giving the real reason for something.

The structure is:

• Si kwamba X, bali Y
• It’s not that X, but rather Y

In this sentence:

• X = there is no food at home
• Y = yesterday’s leftovers are enough for lunch

So the speaker is saying:

• the problem is not lack of food
• the real point is that leftovers are already sufficient

This pattern is common in both spoken and written Swahili and is worth learning as a chunk.