Kiasi kilichobaki ni kidogo.

Kiasi means amount, quantity, or sometimes measure.

In Kiasi kilichobaki ni kidogo, it refers to the amount that is left.

So a very literal reading starts as:

• kiasi = amount / quantity

Kilichobaki means that which remained or that which is left.

It comes from the verb -baki, which means to remain, to be left over, or to stay behind.

So:

• -baki = remain / be left
• kilichobaki = the thing/amount which remained

In natural English, this is often translated as:

• remaining
• that is left
• left over

So kiasi kilichobaki = the amount that remains / the remaining amount

In Swahili, relative verbs are often written as one word.

Kilichobaki is built from several parts:

• ki- = noun class agreement for kiasi
• -li- = past tense marker
• -cho- = relative marker for that noun class
• -baki = remain

So:

• ki-li-cho-baki

Together, this gives the idea which remained.

This is normal Swahili grammar: the relative meaning which/that is built into the verb itself, rather than being a separate word like in English.

Because kiasi belongs to the ki-/vi- noun class in Swahili.

Words that describe or refer back to kiasi often have to agree with that noun class. That is why the relative verb starts with ki-.

So the sentence shows noun-class agreement:

• kiasi = class with ki-
• kilichobaki = agrees with kiasi
• kidogo = also agrees with kiasi

This kind of agreement is very important in Swahili.

The -li- is a past tense marker, so kilichobaki literally means something like which remained.

But in English, the most natural translation is often which remains or remaining, depending on context.

So Swahili may use a form that looks more past-like, while English prefers a present-style expression for the final meaning.

A very literal translation would be:

• The amount which remained is small.

A more natural English version is:

• The amount left is small.
• There is only a small amount left.

Ni is the copula, meaning is/are in sentences like this.

So:

• Kiasi kilichobaki = the amount that remains
• ni kidogo = is small / is little

Without ni, the sentence would not sound right in standard Swahili for this meaning.

Because kidogo agrees with kiasi, which is in the ki-/vi- noun class.

The adjective stem is -dogo, meaning small or little. Its form changes depending on the noun class.

Here:

• kiasi → class agreement with ki-
• -dogo → becomes kidogo

So:

• kiasi ni kidogo = the amount is small

This is another example of noun-class agreement.

It can mean both, depending on context.

In this sentence, kidogo means something like:

• small
• little
• not much

So Kiasi kilichobaki ni kidogo can be understood naturally as:

• The remaining amount is small.
• There is only a little left.

With amounts, kidogo often feels closer to a little or not much.

Almost, but not exactly.

The Swahili structure is:

• Kiasi = amount
• kilichobaki = which remained / that is left
• ni = is
• kidogo = small / little

So the literal order is:

• Amount that-remained is small

This is quite close to English the amount that remained is small, but Swahili builds the relative clause differently inside kilichobaki.

Yes, that is a very natural English translation.

Even though the Swahili sentence is structured more like:

• The amount left is small

in everyday English, we would often say:

• There is little left.
• Only a little remains.

So those are good natural translations, even if they are less literal.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Kiasi = kee-AH-see
• kilichobaki = kee-lee-choh-bah-kee
• ni = nee
• kidogo = kee-DOH-goh

Swahili pronunciation is usually very regular:

• a as in father
• i as in machine
• o as in go (without a strong glide)

The stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable of each word:

• ki-A-si
• ki-li-cho-BA-ki
• ki-DO-go

It can be fairly general. Kiasi often refers to:

• an amount
• a quantity
• an extent
• a measure

In this sentence, it most naturally means amount or quantity.

So it could be used for things like:

• money
• food
• water
• time, in some contexts
• any measurable remainder

What matters is that something is left, and the amount is small.