Usifichue nenosiri.

Usifichue is made of:

• usi- = don’t when speaking to one person
• fichua = reveal / disclose / expose
• the final -a changes to -e in this kind of negative command

So usifichue means don’t reveal or don’t disclose.

Because Swahili negative commands use the subjunctive ending -e.

So:

• Fichua nenosiri. = Reveal the password.
• Usifichue nenosiri. = Don’t reveal the password.

This is a very common pattern in Swahili:

• soma → usisome = don’t read
• fanya → usifanye = don’t do
• fichua → usifichue = don’t reveal

So the -e is not random; it is part of the grammar of negative commands.

It is addressed to one person.

• Usifichue nenosiri. = Don’t reveal the password. (to one person)

If you are speaking to more than one person, you would say:

• Msifichue nenosiri. = Don’t reveal the password. (to several people)

So the difference is:

• usi- = don’t you singular
• msi- = don’t you plural

Because in Swahili, the verb usually already shows the subject.

Here, usi- already tells you that the command is directed to you (singular). So a separate pronoun like wewe is usually unnecessary.

That means:

• Usifichue nenosiri. is natural and complete.

You could add wewe for emphasis, but it is not normally needed.

Literally, nenosiri is built from:

• neno = word
• siri = secret

So the literal idea is secret word, which is why it means password.

This kind of compound word is common and useful to notice, because it can help you remember vocabulary.

This is an important difference:

• ficha = hide / conceal / keep secret
• fichua = reveal / expose / disclose

They are close in form, but their meanings are almost opposite.

So:

• Usifichue nenosiri. = Don’t reveal the password.
• Usifiche nenosiri. = Don’t hide the password.

Those are very different meanings, so it is good to keep ficha and fichua separate in your mind.

The normal order is:

• verb + object

So:

• Usifichue nenosiri.

This is the most natural order for a basic command like this.

Swahili can sometimes move words around for emphasis, but as a learner, verb first, then object is the safest and most natural pattern to use in sentences like this.

A helpful breakdown is:

• u-si-fi-chu-e
• ne-no-si-ri

Approximate pronunciation:

• oo-see-fee-CHOO-eh neh-noh-SEE-ree

A few useful pronunciation points:

• ch sounds like ch in chair
• each vowel is usually pronounced clearly
• in fichue, the u and e are both sounded, rather than being reduced to one English-style vowel

Swahili pronunciation is usually quite regular, so once you know the sounds, words are often pronounced much as they are written.