There Is: kuna

01

The Form Never Changes

Whatever follows it, singular or plural, any class at all, kuna stays as it is. English has to choose between there is and there are; Swahili does not.

• Kula matunda. Kuna tofaa, ndizi, na chungwa.

  Eat fruit. There is an apple, bananas and an orange.

• Kuna samaki wengi baharini.

  There are many fish in the sea.

• Kuna mawingu mengi meupe angani.

  There are many white clouds in the sky.

One is singular, two are plural, and the word is identical in all three.

02

The Negative Is hakuna

• Hapana, hakuna tatizo.

  No, there is no problem.

• Naamini hakuna chakula kilichobaki.

  I believe there is no food left.

• Hakuna shida. Haipendezi.

  No problem. It is not nice.

hakuna stands alone as a flat there is not any, and hakuna shida no problem is among the first phrases any visitor learns.

03

Asking What Is There

• Kuna tatizo?

  Is there a problem?

• Kuna kituo cha mafuta mwishoni mwa barabara.

  There is a petrol station at the end of the road.

04

The Other Two Places

Because the prefix is a place class, the other two place classes give their own versions, differing in how tightly the location is drawn.

• kuna - there is, somewhere about
• pana - there is, at this definite spot
• mna - there is, inside

• Niko sokoni. Kuna harakati nyingi sana.

  I am at the market. There is a lot going on.

A market is an area, a table is a spot, a fridge is an inside, and each takes the form that matches.

05

Availability and Time

The same construction reports what is on offer and how much of something remains.

• Usiwe mvivu. Kuna kazi nyingi zinazopatikana.

  Do not be lazy. There is a lot of work available.

• Leo kuna unyevu na joto kiasi.

  Today it is somewhat humid and hot.

06

Other Tenses

kuna is present-tense only. For the past and the future, kuwa to be takes the same place prefix.

• kulikuwa na - there was
• kutakuwa na - there will be

Both keep the na and put the tense on kuwa in front of it.

07

Where It Is Not Used

kuna introduces something new into the conversation. Once a thing is known, its position is given with -ko instead.

• Kuna kituo cha mafuta mwishoni mwa barabara.

  There is a petrol station at the end of the road.

• Duka lake liko kwenye ncha ya barabara.

  His shop is at the end of the road.

The first announces a station the listener did not know about; the second locates a shop already under discussion.

08

Weather and Conditions

Statements about the weather, the temperature and how crowded somewhere is all run through this construction.

• Leo kuna unyevu na joto kiasi.

  Today it is somewhat humid and hot.