Welcome to Lesson 19 of the Swahili language course for English speakers. In this lesson, we will explore the Swahili demonstrative pronouns that correspond to the English word "this." Unlike English, which uses a single word "this" for all contexts, Swahili employs different forms of "this" depending on the noun class of the word it modifies. The most common forms you will encounter are hii (for things), huyu (for people), hili (for singular augmentatives), and hiki (for small things). For a complete index of all lessons in this course, please visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ Schema: Question: What does "this" mean in Swahili? Answer: "This" in Swahili is expressed through various demonstrative pronouns including hii, huyu, hili, hiki, and others, depending on the noun class of the word being modified. Each form agrees with the specific noun it describes.
In this lesson, we will use these demonstrative pronouns in natural, varied sentences that show their practical application in everyday Swahili. You will see how the choice of demonstrative depends entirely on the noun it modifies, making noun class recognition essential for proper Swahili communication.
Educational Schema: Course: Swahili for English Speakers Level: Beginner to Intermediate Lesson Number: 19 Topic: Demonstrative Pronouns (This) Learning Objective: Students will learn to use Swahili demonstrative pronouns correctly according to noun classes
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Swahili has multiple words for "this" based on noun classes -
The most common forms are hii, huyu, hili, and hiki -
Demonstratives must agree with the noun they modify -
Understanding noun classes is essential for using demonstratives correctly -
Context and practice will help you choose the right form naturally
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19.1 Huyu this mtoto child anacheza is-playing nje outside
19.2 Nimesoma I-have-read kitabu book hiki this mara times nyingi many
19.3 Hii this ni is nyumba house yangu my mpya new
19.4 Mti tree huu this umezaa has-borne matunda fruits mengi many
19.5 Nipe give-me mkate bread huu this tafadhali please
19.6 Shamba farm hili this ni is kubwa big sana very
19.7 Kiti chair hiki this kimevunjika has-broken
19.8 Je, question-marker gari car hili this ni is lako? yours
19.9 Mwalimu teacher huyu this anafundisha teaches vizuri well
19.10 Hii this chakula food ni is tamu delicious sana very
19.11 Jibu answer swali question hili this sasa now
19.12 Mtoto child huyu this ana has akili intelligence nyingi much
19.13 Kijiji village hiki this kina has watu people wema good
19.14 Nataka I-want kalamu pen hii this nyeusi black
19.15 Wimbo song huu this unanipendeza pleases-me sana very-much
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19.1 Huyu mtoto anacheza nje. This child is playing outside.
19.2 Nimesoma kitabu hiki mara nyingi. I have read this book many times.
19.3 Hii ni nyumba yangu mpya. This is my new house.
19.4 Mti huu umezaa matunda mengi. This tree has borne many fruits.
19.5 Nipe mkate huu tafadhali. Give me this bread please.
19.6 Shamba hili ni kubwa sana. This farm is very big.
19.7 Kiti hiki kimevunjika. This chair has broken.
19.8 Je, gari hili ni lako? Is this car yours?
19.9 Mwalimu huyu anafundisha vizuri. This teacher teaches well.
19.10 Hii chakula ni tamu sana. This food is very delicious.
19.11 Jibu swali hili sasa. Answer this question now.
19.12 Mtoto huyu ana akili nyingi. This child has much intelligence.
19.13 Kijiji hiki kina watu wema. This village has good people.
19.14 Nataka kalamu hii nyeusi. I want this black pen.
19.15 Wimbo huu unanipendeza sana. This song pleases me very much.
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19.1 Huyu mtoto anacheza nje.
19.2 Nimesoma kitabu hiki mara nyingi.
19.3 Hii ni nyumba yangu mpya.
19.4 Mti huu umezaa matunda mengi.
19.5 Nipe mkate huu tafadhali.
19.6 Shamba hili ni kubwa sana.
19.7 Kiti hiki kimevunjika.
19.8 Je, gari hili ni lako?
19.9 Mwalimu huyu anafundisha vizuri.
19.10 Hii chakula ni tamu sana.
19.11 Jibu swali hili sasa.
19.12 Mtoto huyu ana akili nyingi.
19.13 Kijiji hiki kina watu wema.
19.14 Nataka kalamu hii nyeusi.
19.15 Wimbo huu unanipendeza sana.
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The demonstrative pronoun "this" in Swahili changes form according to the noun class of the word it modifies. This is fundamentally different from English, where "this" remains constant regardless of what it describes. In Swahili, you must learn which form of "this" matches each noun class.
The Main Forms of "This":
M-WA Class (people): -
Singular: huyu (this person) -
Example: huyu mtoto (this child), huyu mwalimu (this teacher)
M-MI Class (trees, plants, some body parts): -
Singular: huu -
Example: huu mti (this tree), huu mkono (this hand/arm)
JI-MA Class (augmentatives, some fruits): -
Singular: hili -
Example: hili shamba (this farm), hili gari (this car)
KI-VI Class (small things, languages): -
Singular: hiki -
Example: hiki kitabu (this book), hiki kiti (this chair)
N Class (many animals, foreign words): -
Singular: hii -
Example: hii nyumba (this house), hii kalamu (this pen)
U Class (abstract nouns): -
Singular: huu -
Example: huu wimbo (this song), huu ukuta (this wall)
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Using the wrong demonstrative form: English speakers often want to use one form of "this" for everything. Remember that "hii nyumba" (this house) requires "hii" while "hiki kitabu" (this book) requires "hiki." -
Placing the demonstrative incorrectly: In Swahili, the demonstrative can come before or after the noun, but when it comes after, the word order is: noun + demonstrative + adjective. Example: "kitabu hiki kizuri" (this good book). -
Forgetting noun class agreement: Each noun belongs to a specific class, and the demonstrative must match. You cannot say "hii kitabu" - it must be "hiki kitabu." -
Confusing "this" with "that": Swahili has separate forms for "that" (like "yule" for people, "ile" for things). Don't mix them up.
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Identify the noun you want to modify with "this" -
Determine its noun class by looking at its prefix or by memorization -
Select the matching demonstrative from the list above -
Place it appropriately in the sentence (usually before the noun)
In English, we simply say "this book," "this person," "this house" - the word "this" never changes. In Swahili, these become "hiki kitabu," "huyu mtu," "hii nyumba" - three different forms of "this." This is similar to how French has different forms of "the" (le, la, les) or Spanish has gender agreement, but Swahili's system is more extensive with its multiple noun classes.
The demonstrative "this" in Swahili inflects according to noun class: -
M-WA (people): huyu/hawa (sing/plural) -
M-MI (trees): huu/hii (sing/plural) -
JI-MA (augmentatives): hili/haya (sing/plural) -
KI-VI (small things): hiki/hivi (sing/plural) -
N (animals/foreign): hii/hizi (sing/plural) -
U (abstract): huu (usually no plural)
Note that these demonstratives can function as both adjectives (modifying nouns) and pronouns (standing alone).
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Understanding demonstratives in Swahili provides insight into how Swahili speakers conceptualize and categorize their world. The noun class system, which determines which form of "this" to use, reflects cultural perspectives on size, importance, and relationships between objects and concepts.
In Swahili-speaking cultures, the demonstrative system also plays a role in politeness and social distance. When referring to people, using "huyu" (this person) when the person is present can sometimes be considered less polite than using their name or title. In formal situations, speakers might avoid demonstratives with people altogether, preferring respectful titles like "mwalimu" (teacher) or "mama" (mother/madam).
The distinction between near demonstratives (this) and far demonstratives (that) in Swahili can also carry social meaning. Using "this" forms can create intimacy or immediacy, while "that" forms can create respectful distance. This is particularly important in storytelling, where demonstratives help create narrative perspective and emotional distance.
For English speakers learning Swahili, mastering the demonstrative system is a gateway to thinking like a Swahili speaker. It requires abandoning the English habit of treating all nouns equally and instead recognizing the inherent categories that Swahili culture assigns to different types of things. This grammatical feature reflects a worldview where the relationship between words and things is more explicitly marked than in English.
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From "Kusadikika" by Shaaban Robert (1951):
"Siku hizi ni siku za majaribio. Mtu huyu anayejaribu mengi katika maisha yake atafaulu. Kitabu hiki kinafundisha mambo mengi ya maisha. Soma ukurasa huu wa kwanza uone maajabu."
Siku days hizi these ni are siku days za of majaribio trials. Mtu person huyu this anayejaribu who-tries mengi many-things katika in maisha life yake his atafaulu will-succeed. Kitabu book hiki this kinafundisha teaches mambo matters mengi many ya of maisha life. Soma read ukurasa page huu this wa of kwanza first uone you-may-see maajabu wonders.
"Siku hizi ni siku za majaribio. Mtu huyu anayejaribu mengi katika maisha yake atafaulu. Kitabu hiki kinafundisha mambo mengi ya maisha. Soma ukurasa huu wa kwanza uone maajabu."
"These days are days of trials. This person who tries many things in his life will succeed. This book teaches many matters of life. Read this first page and you may see wonders."
This excerpt from Shaaban Robert, often called the "Shakespeare of Swahili," demonstrates the elegant use of multiple demonstrative forms within a single passage. Notice how "hizi" (these) agrees with "siku" (days - N class), "huyu" (this) agrees with "mtu" (person - M-WA class), "hiki" (this) agrees with "kitabu" (book - KI-VI class), and "huu" (this) agrees with "ukurasa" (page - U/M class).
The passage showcases four different forms of "this": -
hizi - plural N class demonstrative modifying "siku" (days) -
huyu - singular M-WA class demonstrative modifying "mtu" (person) -
hiki - singular KI-VI class demonstrative modifying "kitabu" (book) -
huu - singular U/M class demonstrative modifying "ukurasa" (page)
This literary example perfectly illustrates why Swahili learners must master the noun class system to use demonstratives correctly. Shaaban Robert's prose flows naturally between these different forms, showing how integral they are to eloquent Swahili expression.
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19.16 Mama mother huyu this anauza is-selling matunda fruits mazuri good sokoni at-market
19.17 Bei price ya of ndizi bananas hizi these ni is kiasi how-much gani? what
19.18 Nataka I-want kununua to-buy nyanya tomatoes hizi these nyekundu red
19.19 Mkate bread huu this umeoka was-baked leo today asubuhi? morning
19.20 Nipe give-me kilo kilogram mbili two za of muhogo cassava huu this
19.21 Samaki fish huyu this ni is fresh fresh kabisa completely
19.22 Hii this ni is bei price ya of mwisho final ya of bidhaa goods hii? this
19.23 Mfuko bag huu this utabeba will-carry vitu things vyote all nilivyonunua that-I-bought
19.24 Duka shop hili this linauza sells vitu things vya of bei price nafuu cheap
19.25 Pesa money hizi these zitakutosha will-be-enough-for-you kununua to-buy mahindi corn haya these
19.26 Mteja customer huyu this ananunua is-buying kila every siku day
19.27 Soko market hili this linafungwa closes saa hour kumi ten na and mbili two
19.28 Kikapu basket hiki this kimejaa is-full vitu things vingi many
19.29 Naomba I-request punguza reduce bei price ya of viazi potatoes hivi these
19.30 Biashara business hii this inakwenda is-going vizuri well siku days hizi these
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19.16 Mama huyu anauza matunda mazuri sokoni. This woman is selling good fruits at the market.
19.17 Bei ya ndizi hizi ni kiasi gani? What is the price of these bananas?
19.18 Nataka kununua nyanya hizi nyekundu. I want to buy these red tomatoes.
19.19 Mkate huu umeoka leo asubuhi? Was this bread baked this morning?
19.20 Nipe kilo mbili za muhogo huu. Give me two kilograms of this cassava.
19.21 Samaki huyu ni fresh kabisa. This fish is completely fresh.
19.22 Hii ni bei ya mwisho ya bidhaa hii? Is this the final price for this merchandise?
19.23 Mfuko huu utabeba vitu vyote nilivyonunua. This bag will carry all the things I bought.
19.24 Duka hili linauza vitu vya bei nafuu. This shop sells things at cheap prices.
19.25 Pesa hizi zitakutosha kununua mahindi haya. This money will be enough for you to buy this corn.
19.26 Mteja huyu ananunua kila siku. This customer buys every day.
19.27 Soko hili linafungwa saa kumi na mbili. This market closes at six o'clock.
19.28 Kikapu hiki kimejaa vitu vingi. This basket is full of many things.
19.29 Naomba punguza bei ya viazi hivi. Please reduce the price of these potatoes.
19.30 Biashara hii inakwenda vizuri siku hizi. This business is going well these days.
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19.16 Mama huyu anauza matunda mazuri sokoni.
19.17 Bei ya ndizi hizi ni kiasi gani?
19.18 Nataka kununua nyanya hizi nyekundu.
19.19 Mkate huu umeoka leo asubuhi?
19.20 Nipe kilo mbili za muhogo huu.
19.21 Samaki huyu ni fresh kabisa.
19.22 Hii ni bei ya mwisho ya bidhaa hii?
19.23 Mfuko huu utabeba vitu vyote nilivyonunua.
19.24 Duka hili linauza vitu vya bei nafuu.
19.25 Pesa hizi zitakutosha kununua mahindi haya.
19.26 Mteja huyu ananunua kila siku.
19.27 Soko hili linafungwa saa kumi na mbili.
19.28 Kikapu hiki kimejaa vitu vingi.
19.29 Naomba punguza bei ya viazi hivi.
19.30 Biashara hii inakwenda vizuri siku hizi.
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In market dialogue contexts, demonstratives play a crucial role in identifying specific items being discussed or purchased. The examples in this section showcase how "this/these" helps both vendors and customers clearly indicate which items they're referring to.
Demonstrative Usage in Market Contexts: -
Identifying specific products: When pointing to items, Swahili speakers use demonstratives to clarify exactly which item they mean. "Nyanya hizi" (these tomatoes) distinguishes specific tomatoes from others available. -
Plural forms: Notice how plural demonstratives appear frequently in market settings: -
hizi (these) - for N class plurals like "ndizi" (bananas) -
hivi (these) - for KI-VI class plurals like "viazi" (potatoes) -
haya (these) - for JI-MA class plurals like "mahindi" (corn) -
Questions with demonstratives: Market dialogues often include questions using demonstratives, like "Mkate huu umeoka leo?" (Was this bread baked today?). The demonstrative helps specify which bread is being asked about. -
Business terminology: Notice how abstract business concepts also take demonstratives: "biashara hii" (this business), "bei hii" (this price). These follow the same noun class rules.
Common Market Vocabulary with Demonstratives: -
Duka hili (this shop) - JI-MA class -
Soko hili (this market) - JI-MA class -
Bidhaa hii (this merchandise) - N class -
Mfuko huu (this bag) - M-MI class -
Kikapu hiki (this basket) - KI-VI class
The market context demonstrates how essential proper demonstrative usage is for clear communication in daily Swahili interactions. Without the correct demonstrative forms, confusion about which items are being discussed would be common.
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The Latinum Institute has been creating innovative online language learning materials since 2006, pioneering methods that make ancient and modern languages accessible to autodidacts worldwide. These Swahili lessons follow the Institute's proven approach of interlinear texts, comprehensive grammatical explanations, and cultural contextualization.
This course draws on methodological insights developed at latinum.substack.com and latinum.org.uk, where learners have successfully mastered languages ranging from Latin and Ancient Greek to modern languages like Swahili. The interlinear method, with its word-by-word glossing in Section A, allows beginners to immediately engage with authentic texts while building vocabulary and grammatical understanding simultaneously.
Each lesson in this series provides: -
Granular interlinear translations that reveal language structure -
Natural target language sentences with idiomatic translations -
Clear grammatical explanations designed for English speakers -
Cultural context that brings the language to life -
Authentic literary excerpts with detailed analysis -
Genre-specific sections that demonstrate practical usage
The lessons are particularly valuable for autodidacts because they require no prior knowledge of linguistic terminology or formal grammar. Everything is explained in clear, accessible English with plenty of examples. The consistent structure across all lessons allows learners to develop a rhythm and know exactly what to expect, reducing cognitive load and maximizing learning efficiency.
The Latinum Institute's approach has been validated by thousands of successful learners. For testimonials and reviews of the Institute's materials and methods, see: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
This systematic approach to language learning, refined over nearly two decades, provides autodidacts with all the tools needed to achieve genuine proficiency in Swahili, moving from basic comprehension to authentic communication and literary appreciation.
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