Course Navigation: This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s Chewa/Nyanja course for English speakers. For the complete course index, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Welcome to Lesson 27 of the Chewa (Nyanja) language course. In this lesson, we explore chiyani, the interrogative pronoun meaning “what” in Chewa. This is one of the most essential question words in any language, and mastering it will dramatically expand your ability to engage in meaningful conversations.
Chewa (also known as Chichewa or Nyanja) is a Bantu language spoken by approximately 12 million people across Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. It serves as the national language of Malawi and is widely used as a lingua franca throughout southeastern Africa.
Frequently Asked Question: What does “chiyani” mean in Chewa?
The word chiyani (sometimes spelled “chiani”) is the Chewa interrogative pronoun meaning “what.” It is used to ask about things, actions, reasons, and circumstances. Unlike English, where “what” can serve multiple grammatical functions, Chewa has specific question words for different contexts, though chiyani remains the primary word for asking “what.”
In this lesson, you will encounter chiyani in various sentence structures, from simple questions about objects to more complex inquiries about actions and circumstances. The 30 examples provided will demonstrate how this essential question word functions in everyday Chewa conversation.
Key Takeaways: -
Chiyani is the primary Chewa word for “what” -
It typically appears at the end of questions in Chewa (unlike English where “what” begins the question) -
Related expressions include chifukwa chiyani (why - literally “because of what”) -
Question formation in Chewa follows different word order patterns than English -
Mastering question words is essential for developing conversational fluency
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Chiyani [tʃi.ˈja.ni] - The “ch” is pronounced as in English “church.” The stress falls on the second syllable “ya.” All vowels are pure (not diphthongs).
Key Chewa Pronunciation Patterns:
Ch [tʃ] - Always pronounced as in “church,” never as “k” sound
Y [j] - Pronounced as English “y” in “yes”
A [a] - Pure vowel, as in “father”
I [i] - Pure vowel, as in “machine”
E [ɛ] - As in “bed”
O [ɔ] - As in “caught”
U [u] - As in “moon”
Vowel Sequences: In Chewa, each vowel is pronounced separately. “Ai” is two syllables [a.i], not a diphthong.
Stress: Generally falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable in Chewa words.
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The following 15 examples demonstrate chiyani in various contexts. Each Chewa word appears in bold, followed immediately by its English gloss. Grammatical markers appear in CAPITALS.
27.1 Mukufuna you-want chiyani? what
27.2 Ichi this ndi is chiyani? what
27.3 Mukuchita you-are-doing chiyani? what
27.4 Dzina name lanu your ndi is chiyani? what
27.5 Mukudya you-are-eating chiyani? what
27.6 Mwana child akufuna he-wants chiyani? what
27.7 Chimenechi this-thing ndi is chiyani? what
27.8 Mukunena you-are-saying chiyani? what
27.9 Mukuwerengera you-are-reading chiyani? what
27.10 Amayi mother akuphika she-is-cooking chiyani? what
27.11 Ukuganiza you-are-thinking chiyani? what
27.12 Muli you-are ndi with chiyani what m’manja? in-hands
27.13 Chifukwa because-of chiyani what mwabwera? you-have-come
27.14 Tikuyang’ana we-are-looking-for chiyani what lero? today
27.15 Ndikuuzeni tell-me chiyani what chachitika. has-happened
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The same 15 examples presented as complete Chewa sentences with natural English translations.
27.1 Mukufuna chiyani? “What do you want?”
27.2 Ichi ndi chiyani? “What is this?”
27.3 Mukuchita chiyani? “What are you doing?”
27.4 Dzina lanu ndi chiyani? “What is your name?”
27.5 Mukudya chiyani? “What are you eating?”
27.6 Mwana akufuna chiyani? “What does the child want?”
27.7 Chimenechi ndi chiyani? “What is this thing?”
27.8 Mukunena chiyani? “What are you saying?”
27.9 Mukuwerengera chiyani? “What are you reading?”
27.10 Amayi akuphika chiyani? “What is mother cooking?”
27.11 Ukuganiza chiyani? “What are you thinking?”
27.12 Muli ndi chiyani m’manja? “What do you have in your hands?”
27.13 Chifukwa chiyani mwabwera? “Why have you come?” (Literally: “Because of what have you come?”)
27.14 Tikuyang’ana chiyani lero? “What are we looking for today?”
27.15 Ndikuuzeni chiyani chachitika. “Tell me what has happened.”
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27.1 Mukufuna chiyani?
27.2 Ichi ndi chiyani?
27.3 Mukuchita chiyani?
27.4 Dzina lanu ndi chiyani?
27.5 Mukudya chiyani?
27.6 Mwana akufuna chiyani?
27.7 Chimenechi ndi chiyani?
27.8 Mukunena chiyani?
27.9 Mukuwerengera chiyani?
27.10 Amayi akuphika chiyani?
27.11 Ukuganiza chiyani?
27.12 Muli ndi chiyani m’manja?
27.13 Chifukwa chiyani mwabwera?
27.14 Tikuyang’ana chiyani lero?
27.15 Ndikuuzeni chiyani chachitika.
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Grammar Rules for “Chiyani” in Chewa:
1. Word Order in Questions
Unlike English, where “what” typically begins a question, Chewa places chiyani at the end of the question. This is a fundamental structural difference that English speakers must internalize.
English: “What are you doing?” Chewa: “Mukuchita chiyani?” (Literally: “You-are-doing what?”)
2. Verb Structure and Subject Markers
Chewa verbs carry extensive information through prefixes. The subject is indicated by a prefix attached to the verb root:
Ndi- = I (1st person singular) U- = You (2nd person singular, informal) Mu- = You (2nd person singular/plural, formal) A- = He/She (3rd person singular) Ti- = We (1st person plural) A- = They (3rd person plural)
3. Tense Markers
The -ku- infix indicates present continuous tense: Mu-ku-chita = You are doing (mu = you, ku = present continuous, chita = do)
4. The Copula “Ndi”
The word ndi serves as the copula (linking verb “is/am/are”): Ichi ndi chiyani? = “This is what?” (What is this?) Dzina lanu ndi chiyani? = “Your name is what?” (What is your name?)
5. Compound Question Words
Chifukwa chiyani = “Why” (literally “because of what”) This compound demonstrates how chiyani combines with other words to create more specific question words.
6. Noun Classes
Chewa has a noun class system (like grammatical gender in European languages, but more extensive). The demonstrative ichi (this) belongs to Class 7, matching nouns in that class. Chimenechi is an emphatic form meaning “this thing specifically.”
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make: -
Placing chiyani at the beginning of questions (incorrect word order) -
Forgetting to include the subject marker on verbs -
Confusing formal (mu-) and informal (u-) address -
Not recognizing that “chifukwa chiyani” means “why” rather than literally “because of what”
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The Importance of Questions in Chewa Culture
In Chewa-speaking communities, asking questions is an essential part of social interaction. Extended greetings that include questions about family, health, and daily activities are customary and expected. A conversation that moves too quickly to business without proper greetings is considered rude.
Formal vs. Informal Address
The distinction between mu- (formal/plural) and u- (informal/singular) is culturally significant. When addressing elders, people of higher social status, or strangers, the formal mu- prefix is always used. Using the informal u- inappropriately can be seen as disrespectful.
Regional Variations
The language is called Chichewa in Malawi and Chinyanja in Zambia, though the two are mutually intelligible. Minor vocabulary differences exist between regions, but chiyani is universally understood across all Chewa-speaking areas.
Question Words in Context
Learning question words is particularly emphasized in Chewa language instruction because they serve as crucial conversational tools. As noted in Peace Corps Malawi training materials, question words help learners: -
Keep conversations going even with limited vocabulary -
Get clarification when they don’t understand -
Show interest and engagement with conversation partners
Related Question Words:
Ndani? = Who? Kuti? = Where? Liti? = When? Bwanji? = How? Angati? = How many? Ndalama zingati? = How much (money)? Chifukwa chiyani? = Why?
Idiomatic Expressions:
“Muli bwanji?” - “How are you?” (The most common greeting) “Zikomo” - “Thank you” (Often used in response to questions) “Sindikumvetsa” - “I don’t understand” (Useful when learning)
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Contemporary Usage Example: Traditional Wisdom
The following passage demonstrates chiyani in the context of a traditional proverb discussion, reflecting authentic Chewa expression.
Part F-A: Interlinear Analysis
Mwana child asadziwe who-does-not-know chiyani what chili is m’thumba in-bag la of bambo father ake, his adzafunsa he-will-ask kuti: that “Bambo, father muli you-have ndi with chiyani what m’thumba in-bag mwanu?” your Bambo father adzayankha he-will-answer kuti: that “Mwana child wanga, my m’thumba in-bag muli there-is ndi with chinthu thing chimene which chidzakuthandiza will-help-you m’tsogolo.” in-future
Part F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Mwana asadziwe chiyani chili m’thumba la bambo ake, adzafunsa kuti: “Bambo, muli ndi chiyani m’thumba mwanu?” Bambo adzayankha kuti: “Mwana wanga, m’thumba muli ndi chinthu chimene chidzakuthandiza m’tsogolo.”
“A child who does not know what is in his father’s bag will ask: ‘Father, what do you have in your bag?’ The father will answer: ‘My child, in the bag there is something that will help you in the future.’”
Part F-C: Chewa Text Only
Mwana asadziwe chiyani chili m’thumba la bambo ake, adzafunsa kuti: “Bambo, muli ndi chiyani m’thumba mwanu?” Bambo adzayankha kuti: “Mwana wanga, m’thumba muli ndi chinthu chimene chidzakuthandiza m’tsogolo.”
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This passage illustrates several important grammatical features:
Negative Relative Clause: “asadziwe” (who does not know) - The prefix “a-” indicates third person, “-sa-” is the negative marker, and “-dziwe” is the subjunctive form of “kudziwa” (to know).
Future Tense: “adzafunsa” (he will ask) - The “-dza-” infix indicates future tense.
Possessive Constructions: “bambo ake” (his father) - The possessive follows the noun in Chewa.
Relative Clause: “chimene chidzakuthandiza” (which will help you) - Relative clauses are formed with “chimene” for Class 7 nouns.
Cultural Significance: This passage reflects the Chewa value of seeking knowledge through questions and the belief that elders hold wisdom to be passed down to future generations.
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The following 15 examples present a coherent dialogue set at a Malawian market, demonstrating practical uses of chiyani and related question words in everyday commerce and social interaction.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
27.16 Moni hello bambo, sir muli you-are bwanji? how “Hello sir, how are you?”
27.17 Ndili I-am bwino, well zikomo. thank-you Mukufuna you-want chiyani what lero? today “I am well, thank you. What do you want today?”
27.18 Ndikufuna I-want kugula to-buy zakudya. food Muli you-have ndi with chiyani? what “I want to buy food. What do you have?”
27.19 Tili we-have ndi with tomato, tomatoes anyezi, onions ndi and mbatata. potatoes “We have tomatoes, onions, and potatoes.”
27.20 Tomato tomatoes ndi is ndalama money zingati? how-much “How much are the tomatoes?”
27.21 Tomato tomatoes ndi is makwacha kwacha mazana hundreds asanu. five “The tomatoes are five hundred kwacha.”
27.22 Chimenechi this-thing ndi is chiyani? what Sindikuchidziwa. I-don’t-know-it “What is this thing? I don’t know it.”
27.23 Chimenechi this-thing ndi is chinangwa. cassava Ndikokoma it-is-delicious kwambiri. very-much “This is cassava. It is very delicious.”
27.24 Mukuphika you-cook chinangwa cassava bwanji? how “How do you cook cassava?”
27.25 Mumaphika you-cook ndi with madzi water mpaka until kukhwima. to-be-soft “You cook it with water until it becomes soft.”
27.26 Mwana child wanga my akufuna he-wants chiyani? what Bweratu come-here mwana! child “What does my child want? Come here, child!”
27.27 Amayi, mother ndikufuna I-want chiyani what-thing chokoma. delicious “Mother, I want something delicious.”
27.28 Chifukwa because-of chiyani what simumagulitsa you-don’t-sell nyama meat lero? today “Why aren’t you selling meat today?”
27.29 Nyama meat inatha finished m’mawa in-morning uno. this Bwerani come maŵa. tomorrow “The meat finished this morning. Come tomorrow.”
27.30 Zikomo thank-you kwambiri. very-much Tiwonana we-will-see-each-other maŵa! tomorrow “Thank you very much. See you tomorrow!”
Part B: Natural Sentences
27.16 Moni bambo, muli bwanji? “Hello sir, how are you?”
27.17 Ndili bwino, zikomo. Mukufuna chiyani lero? “I am well, thank you. What do you want today?”
27.18 Ndikufuna kugula zakudya. Muli ndi chiyani? “I want to buy food. What do you have?”
27.19 Tili ndi tomato, anyezi, ndi mbatata. “We have tomatoes, onions, and potatoes.”
27.20 Tomato ndi ndalama zingati? “How much are the tomatoes?”
27.21 Tomato ndi makwacha mazana asanu. “The tomatoes are five hundred kwacha.”
27.22 Chimenechi ndi chiyani? Sindikuchidziwa. “What is this thing? I don’t know it.”
27.23 Chimenechi ndi chinangwa. Ndikokoma kwambiri. “This is cassava. It is very delicious.”
27.24 Mukuphika chinangwa bwanji? “How do you cook cassava?”
27.25 Mumaphika ndi madzi mpaka kukhwima. “You cook it with water until it becomes soft.”
27.26 Mwana wanga akufuna chiyani? Bweratu mwana! “What does my child want? Come here, child!”
27.27 Amayi, ndikufuna chiyani chokoma. “Mother, I want something delicious.”
27.28 Chifukwa chiyani simumagulitsa nyama lero? “Why aren’t you selling meat today?”
27.29 Nyama inatha m’mawa uno. Bwerani maŵa. “The meat finished this morning. Come tomorrow.”
27.30 Zikomo kwambiri. Tiwonana maŵa! “Thank you very much. See you tomorrow!”
Part C: Chewa Text Only
27.16 Moni bambo, muli bwanji?
27.17 Ndili bwino, zikomo. Mukufuna chiyani lero?
27.18 Ndikufuna kugula zakudya. Muli ndi chiyani?
27.19 Tili ndi tomato, anyezi, ndi mbatata.
27.20 Tomato ndi ndalama zingati?
27.21 Tomato ndi makwacha mazana asanu.
27.22 Chimenechi ndi chiyani? Sindikuchidziwa.
27.23 Chimenechi ndi chinangwa. Ndikokoma kwambiri.
27.24 Mukuphika chinangwa bwanji?
27.25 Mumaphika ndi madzi mpaka kukhwima.
27.26 Mwana wanga akufuna chiyani? Bweratu mwana!
27.27 Amayi, ndikufuna chiyani chokoma.
27.28 Chifukwa chiyani simumagulitsa nyama lero?
27.29 Nyama inatha m’mawa uno. Bwerani maŵa.
27.30 Zikomo kwambiri. Tiwonana maŵa!
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Habitual Tense: The -ma- infix indicates habitual or regular action: -
“Mumaphika” (you regularly cook) vs. “Mukuphika” (you are cooking now) -
“Simumagulitsa” (you don’t regularly sell)
Negative Formation: The prefix si- negates verbs: -
“Sindikuchidziwa” (I don’t know it) - si + ndi + ku + chi + dziwa
Object Markers: The -chi- infix in “Sindikuchidziwa” refers back to “chimenechi” (this thing), showing object agreement.
Imperative Forms: -
“Bweratu” - Come here! (emphatic, with -tu suffix) -
“Bwerani” - Come! (polite, with -ni suffix for formal address)
Numbers: -
“Mazana asanu” - Five hundred (hundreds five) -
Chewa counts using a base-ten system with modified agreement
Farewell Expressions: -
“Tiwonana” - We will see each other (literally: we-will-see-us) -
“Maŵa” - Tomorrow (note the ŵ, a distinct Chewa sound)
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Special Chewa Letters:
Ŵ [w] - A labialized “w” sound, written with a caron. In some transcription systems, this is written as “w” without distinction.
Apostrophe (’) - Indicates syllabic nasals or elision: -
M’manja = in the hands (mu + manja, with the “u” elided) -
M’mawa = in the morning -
M’thumba = in the bag
Consonant Clusters:
Chewa has several consonant clusters that don’t occur in English: -
Mb - as in “mbatata” (potatoes) -
Nd - as in “ndi” (is/and/with) -
Ng - as in “nanga” (well then) -
Nk - as in “nkhumba” (pig) -
Nj - as in “njala” (hunger)
Stress Patterns:
Stress in Chewa typically falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: -
chi-YA-ni -
mu-ku-CHI-ta -
chi-fu-KWA
Audio Resources:
For pronunciation practice, learners may consult: -
Peace Corps Malawi language materials (available through Live Lingua) -
YouTube channels featuring Chichewa lessons -
Language exchange platforms connecting with native speakers
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The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, employing the proven construed reading method that has helped countless autodidact learners achieve fluency in their target languages.
This Chewa (Nyanja) course follows the institute’s frequency-based methodology, teaching the most commonly used words first to maximize practical communication ability. Each lesson builds upon previous material while introducing new vocabulary and grammatical structures through extensive example sentences.
The construed text format—presenting target language words in bold with immediate English glosses—allows learners to absorb vocabulary and grammar simultaneously, mimicking the natural acquisition process while providing the scaffolding needed for adult learners.
Course Features: -
30 example sentences per lesson (15 main + 15 genre-specific) -
Detailed grammatical explanations for English speakers -
Cultural context to enhance understanding -
Authentic literary and conversational examples -
Progressive difficulty within each lesson
For more Latinum Institute courses and reviews, visit: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
A Note on Chewa Resources:
Chewa/Nyanja is classified as a “less commonly taught language” in Western educational contexts, making quality learning materials particularly valuable. This course draws on Peace Corps training materials, academic linguistic research, and native speaker verification to ensure accuracy and authenticity.
Learners are encouraged to supplement this course with conversation practice with native speakers whenever possible, as the tonal and rhythmic aspects of Chewa are best learned through immersion and repetition.
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Lesson 27 Complete
Nexal Code: CHEW-027-CHIYANI-INT-PRON
Tags: #Chewa #Nyanja #Chichewa #BantuLanguages #AfricanLanguages #QuestionWords #InterrogativePronouns #LatinumInstitute #LanguageLearning #Malawi #Zambia
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