Wakili anachunguza madai.

In Swahili, verbs often pack several pieces of information into a single word.

anachunguza can be broken down like this:

• a- = he/she
• -na- = present / ongoing action
• -chunguza = examine, investigate

So anachunguza means something like:

• he/she investigates
• he/she is investigating

This is very normal in Swahili. Subject information is usually built into the verb itself.

The a- is the subject prefix for a singular human or animate subject, meaning he/she.

Since wakili means lawyer and refers to a person, the verb agrees with it using a-:

• Wakili anachunguza ... = The lawyer is investigating ...

If the subject were plural, the verb would change:

• Mawakili wanachunguza madai. = The lawyers are investigating the claims.

Here, wana- is the plural human subject marker.

-na- is the tense/aspect marker often used for the present or an ongoing action.

So anachunguza can mean:

• is investigating
• investigates

The exact English translation depends on context, because Swahili and English do not divide present-time meanings in exactly the same way.

The dictionary form of the verb is kuchunguza = to investigate / to examine.

Swahili infinitives usually begin with ku-:

• kuchunguza = to investigate

When conjugated, the ku- drops and other markers are added:

• a-na-chunguza = he/she is investigating

So the main verb root here is -chunguza.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Swahili does not have articles like English a and the. So:

• Wakili anachunguza madai.

could be understood as:

• A lawyer is investigating the claims.
• The lawyer is investigating the claims.

Context tells you which one is intended.

Because Swahili does not need a separate word like English is in this kind of sentence.

English says:

• The lawyer is investigating the claims.

Swahili expresses that idea inside the verb:

• anachunguza

The -na- part already helps convey the present/ongoing meaning, so no separate is is needed.

Madai usually means claims, allegations, or sometimes demands, depending on context.

So in this sentence, it could mean things like:

• legal claims
• allegations
• assertions being investigated

The exact nuance depends on the situation.

Madai is plural in form.

The related singular is often dai, meaning claim. So:

• dai = claim
• madai = claims

That said, madai is very commonly used, and in real usage learners will often encounter the plural more often than the singular.

Because madai is the object, not the subject.

In this sentence:

• Wakili = subject
• anachunguza = verb
• madai = object

In Swahili, the verb agrees with the subject, not normally with the following object.

So the verb uses a- because wakili is a singular person.

Yes, in this sentence the basic word order is the same as English:

• Wakili = subject
• anachunguza = verb
• madai = object

So it follows Subject–Verb–Object:

• Wakili anachunguza madai.

This makes the sentence structure quite approachable for English speakers.

Yes. The plural is usually mawakili.

Then the verb must also change to match the plural human subject:

• Mawakili wanachunguza madai. = The lawyers are investigating the claims.

Compare:

• Wakili anachunguza madai. = The lawyer is investigating the claims.
• Mawakili wanachunguza madai. = The lawyers are investigating the claims.

So both the noun and the verb agreement can change.

Because Swahili finite verbs normally need the proper agreement and tense markers.

Just chunguza by itself is more like the verb stem or an imperative-related form in other contexts, not a complete normal statement here.

To make a full sentence meaning the lawyer is investigating, Swahili needs the subject and tense information:

• a- = he/she
• -na- = present/ongoing
• -chunguza = investigate

So anachunguza is the correct full verb form.

A helpful rough guide is:

• wa-KEE-lee
• a-na-choon-GOO-za
• ma-DAI

A few pronunciation notes:

• w sounds like English w
• ch sounds like ch in church
• g in chunguza is a hard g, as in go
• Swahili vowels are usually pure and consistent:
  • a as in father
  • i as in machine
  • u as in rule

Swahili stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable of a word.

Yes. Kuchunguza can cover meanings like:

• investigate
• examine
• inspect
• look into

So depending on context, anachunguza might be translated as:

• is investigating
• is examining
• looks into

In a legal context, investigating is often a very natural translation.

No, not usually.

The subject is already shown by the verb prefix a-, so a separate pronoun is unnecessary in most cases.

• Wakili anachunguza madai. is perfectly complete.

You would only add a pronoun like yeye if you wanted extra emphasis or contrast.