Noun classes and why they are so important
There are 8 noun classes in Swahili, but if you know and understand the 5 detailed below, you will
be well on your way to speaking grammatically correct Swahili.
N
chumvi, chai, njia
mvua, bei, nguo
baba, mbuzi
(JI)/MA
duka, yai, shamba
jambo, jicho, jina
waziri, haramia
M/WA
msichana, mvulana
mtalii, mzungu
mbunge, mwana
KI/VI
kitu, kitanda, kisu
chumba, choo, chuo
kifaru, kinyozi
M/MI
mlango, mkono, mguu
mchungwa, mti, mto
mji, moyo, mkate
Recall that:
 The labels for these classes (with the exception of N) constitute their noun prefixes
 The M/WA, KI/VI and M/MI noun prefixes operate fairly straightforwardly, although each
modifies in some way in front of stems beginning with vowels
 N class nouns need not begin with 'n', but have either a 'nasal' prefix or no prefix
 (JI)/MA class nouns mostly form a plural simply by adding MA, but the singular nouns may
have ji-, j- or (more often) no prefix (like N, this depends on the beginning of the stem)
 Three classes other than M/WA contain words denoting living beings. Above, such words
are highlighted in bold and they must use the prefixes associated with M/WA, except in
pluralising, e.g. kifaru → vifaru, waziri → mawaziri, baba → baba
 Since the M/MI class contains no words for living creatures, there is little potential for
confusion between it and M/WA, despite their common singular noun prefix
Using noun prefixes
All classes use the noun prefixes in the ways you have already seen for M/WA and KI/VI, namely in
counting and using Bantu adjectives.
Unfortunately, the varying prefixes in N and the (JI)/MA singular complicate the use of such
adjectives with these nouns, but you should be understood without knowing these. (Nevertheless, I
have sheets available (lifted from Teach Yourself Swahili) to explain the necessary rules.)
Counting, however, is simple in all these classes (remember numbers are already in the N class) and
adjectives may be used comfortably with M/MI and the (JI)/MA plural:
M/MI
mkono mrefu mmoja – one long arm
miguu mifupi miwili – two short legs
miaka ishirini na minane – 28 years
N.B. m- follows the same rules as in M/WA singulars in front of vowels:
mto mwembamba – a narrow river
mkate mwingine – another loaf of bread
mi- infront of i and e is modified as follows:
mi + i → mi
mi + e → my
miti mingi – lots of trees
miji mingine – other towns
milango myeusi – black doors
(JI)/MA
jicho moja – one eye (no prefixes here)
macho mawili – two eyes
mayai kumi na moja – 11 eggs
mayai ishirini na matano – 25 eggs
mambo mazuri – good matters/issues/affairs/things/stuff
mashamba makubwa – big farming plots
N.B. ma- follows the same rules in front of vowels as wamaduka mengi – many shops
mambo mengine – other stuff
macho meupe – white eyes
Beyond the noun prefix
We have already exhausted the uses of the Swahili noun prefix!
In order to say anything else about a Swahili noun, another prefix (or concord) is required. With
the exception of the M/WA class, this concord is the prefix used for verbs, so it is often called the
verb prefix.
These concords are used for all the following:
 subject and object markers in verbs (except M/WA); possessives (my, mine, your, yours,
etc.); demonstratives (this, these, that, those); positions/locations; 'which (of a group)'; 'all';
'any'; alternative adjectival structures; and relative structures (the thing that/which I want,
we saw, it hit, etc.)
The following table lists the noun prefixes and concords for the five classes above. If you wish to
speak proper Swahili, it is essential you learn these and make a note (mental or otherwise) of the
classes of nouns you learn, so that you can speak about them correctly.
Class name
M/WA
N
KI/VI
M/MI
(JI)/MA
Noun prefixes
Singular
Plural
mwa[Nasal - varies]
[Nasal -varies]
kivimmiji-, j- or none
ma-
Concords
Singular
Plural
yuwaizikiviuiliya-
N.B. The M/WA verb prefixes ni-, u-, a-, tu-, m- and wa- are sixfold, but it requires only one
concord each for singular and plural (3rd person). The 3rd person plural prefix wa- is indeed the
plural concord, but the singular concord is yu-, rather than the expected 3rd person a-.