Nitachelewa kidogo; samahani kwa kuchelewa.

Nitachelewa can be broken into these parts:

• ni- = I
• -ta- = future marker, will
• -chelewa = be late / delay

So nitachelewa literally means I will be late.

In Swahili, the subject is usually built into the verb itself. The ni- at the beginning already means I, so you do not need a separate pronoun.

That is why:

• nitachelewa = I will be late

and not something like mimi nitachelewa unless you want extra emphasis. Mimi nitachelewa would sound more like I will be late with emphasis on I.

Kidogo means a little, a bit, or slightly.

So:

• Nitachelewa kidogo = I’ll be a little late / I’ll be slightly late

In everyday speech, kidogo is very common for softening statements, just like a bit in English.

In Swahili, words like kidogo often come after the verb or phrase they modify.

So the natural order is:

• Nitachelewa kidogo

Literally, this is something like I-will-be-late a-little.

This word order is normal in Swahili, even if English structures the phrase a little differently.

Samahani is a very common polite word that can mean:

• sorry
• excuse me
• pardon me
• forgive me

In this sentence, it means sorry.

So:

• samahani kwa kuchelewa = sorry for being late

It is a very useful all-purpose politeness word in Swahili.

Kwa often means for, because of, by, or with, depending on context.

Kuchelewa is the infinitive form of the verb, meaning to be late or being late.

So:

• kwa kuchelewa = for being late / for lateness

This is a common Swahili pattern:

• kwa
  • infinitive/noun-like verb

Examples:

• Asante kwa kusaidia = Thank you for helping
• Samahani kwa kuchelewa = Sorry for being late

Because the two parts are doing different jobs:

• Nitachelewa = I will be late
• kuchelewa = being late / to be late

So the first is a fully conjugated verb with subject and tense, while the second is the infinitive/verbal noun form used after kwa.

English does something similar:

• I’ll be late; sorry for being late.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Nitachelewa kidogo = I will be a little late
• Nachelewa kidogo = I am a little late / I’m running a bit late

So:

• use nitachelewa if you are talking about the near future
• use nachelewa if the lateness is already happening now

Both are natural, depending on the situation.

Not especially. It just separates two closely connected ideas:

• Nitachelewa kidogo
• samahani kwa kuchelewa

In normal writing, you might also see:

• Nitachelewa kidogo, samahani kwa kuchelewa.
• Nitachelewa kidogo. Samahani kwa kuchelewa.

All are understandable. The semicolon simply makes the pause a little clearer in writing.

Yes, it is very natural and polite.

Other possible expressions include:

• Naomba samahani kwa kuchelewa = I apologize for being late
• Pole kwa kuchelewa = sometimes heard, but samahani kwa kuchelewa is more standard for I’m sorry for being late

If you are learning standard, widely useful Swahili, samahani kwa kuchelewa is an excellent phrase to remember.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• Ni-ta-che-LE-wa ki-DO-go; sa-ma-HA-ni kwa ku-che-LE-wa

Helpful notes:

• Swahili vowels are usually consistent:
  • a as in father
  • e as in bed but often a bit cleaner
  • i as in machine
  • o as in told without a heavy glide
  • u as in rule
• ch sounds like ch in church
• g in kidogo is a hard g, like in go

Swahili pronunciation is generally quite regular once you learn the vowel sounds.

Yes. Samahani often works by itself.

For example:

• Samahani. = Sorry.
• Samahani, naomba kupita. = Excuse me, may I pass?
• Samahani? = Pardon? / Sorry?

In your sentence, adding kwa kuchelewa makes the reason explicit: sorry for being late.

Yes, it sounds natural and polite, especially in a text message or short spoken apology.

A native speaker might also say things like:

• Nitachelewa kidogo, samahani.
• Samahani, nitachelewa kidogo.
• Nitachelewa kidogo tu, samahani.

All of these are natural. Your sentence is clear, correct, and useful.