Mshtakiwa ana wakili.

Ana means has in this sentence.

More literally, it is built from:

• a- = he/she for a singular human subject
• -na = a form connected with with / have

So Mshtakiwa ana wakili is literally something like The defendant is with a lawyer, but in natural English that becomes The defendant has a lawyer.

Mshtakiwa means the accused person, the defendant, or the person on trial/being charged, depending on context.

It is a singular noun referring to one person. In legal English, defendant is often the best translation.

Because mshtakiwa is a singular human noun, and Swahili verbs must agree with the subject.

So:

• mshtakiwa = singular human subject
• singular human subject prefix on the verb = a-

That is why you get:

• Mshtakiwa ana ... = The defendant has ...

If it were plural, the agreement would change:

• Washtakiwa wana wakili = The defendants have a lawyer / lawyers

It can mean either he has or she has.

In standard Swahili, a- does not show gender. So this sentence does not tell you whether the defendant is male or female.

The same sentence could refer to:

• a male defendant
• a female defendant

Context tells you which one is meant.

Swahili normally does not use articles like English a, an, and the.

So Mshtakiwa ana wakili can be understood as:

• The defendant has a lawyer
• A defendant has a lawyer

Which one sounds best depends on context. In most real situations, context makes it clear.

Here wakili is singular: a lawyer.

A native English speaker may wonder if it looks plural because it starts with wa-, but in this word that is just part of the noun itself, not necessarily the normal plural prefix you may know from other nouns.

So in this sentence:

• wakili = lawyer / attorney
• ana wakili = has a lawyer

Wakili often means lawyer, attorney, or advocate.

Depending on context, it can also mean representative or agent. But in a sentence with mshtakiwa (a legal context), lawyer or attorney is the most natural meaning.

Yes, this sentence uses a very English-like word order:

• Mshtakiwa = subject
• ana = verb
• wakili = object/complement

So it follows:

• Subject + Verb + Object

That makes this sentence quite straightforward for English speakers.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Mshtakiwa → m-sh-ta-KEE-wa
• ana → A-na
• wakili → wa-KEE-li

A few helpful points:

• Swahili vowels are usually very regular:
  • a as in father
  • i as in machine
• Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable:
  • msh-ta-KI-wa
  • wa-KI-li

The beginning msh- in mshtakiwa can feel difficult for English speakers, so it may help to say it slowly at first: m + sh + ta + ki + wa.

Yes, in a more literal sense.

Swahili often expresses possession in a way that is close to be with. So:

• ana wakili literally suggests he/she is with a lawyer
• natural English translation: he/she has a lawyer

In most cases, has is the best translation here.

The plural subject would be:

• Washtakiwa wana wakili

This means:

• The defendants have a lawyer
• or, depending on context, The defendants have lawyers

Notice the changes:

• mshtakiwa → washtakiwa
• ana → wana

That is the normal agreement change from singular human to plural human.

Yes. That is just a difference in English word choice.

Possible natural translations include:

• The defendant has a lawyer.
• The defendant has an attorney.
• The accused has a lawyer.

The Swahili sentence itself is simple and does not force one exact English wording. Context and style determine the best translation.