hiki / hivi
Class 7 and 8 Near Demonstratives
In Swahili, hiki means "this" and hivi means "these" when referring to objects in Classes 7 and 8 that are close to you.
How It Works
To point out objects close to you, use the near demonstratives hiki and hivi.
- Class 7 (Singular): Noun + hiki (e.g., kiti hiki = this chair)
- Class 8 (Plural): Noun + hivi (e.g., viti hivi = these chairs)
Note that the ki- and vi- prefixes become ch- and vy- before vowels. The demonstratives remain the same: chakula hiki (this food) and vyumba hivi (these rooms).
Word Order & Standalone Use:
In neutral sentences, Demonstratives After the Noun is the standard rule. While you might occasionally hear native speakers put the demonstrative first (like hiki kiti) for strong emphasis, placing it after the noun is the standard pattern you should become confident with. Both hiki and hivi can also be used as standalone pronouns when the noun is understood from context (e.g., Nataka hiki = I want this [one]).
Important Exceptions & Special Uses:
1. Living Things: If a noun starts with ki- or vi- but refers to a person or animal (like kijana / youth or kiboko / hippopotamus), you must use Human Agreement Across Classes. Use huyu (this) and hawa (these) instead of hiki/hivi.
2. Adverbial "Hivi": When not referring to a specific Class 8 noun, hivi can act as an adverb meaning "like this," "thus," or "approximately" (e.g., Fanya hivi = Do it like this; watu kumi hivi = about ten people). It is also highly common in time expressions such as sasa hivi (right now) and hivi karibuni (soon/recently).
Examples (4)
- Kiti hiki kimevunjika.
This chair is broken.
Word by Word: Chair this is broken.
Standard usage of 'hiki' following a Class 7 noun.
- Vikombe hivi ni vichafu.
These cups are dirty.
Word by Word: Cups these are dirty.
Standard usage of 'hivi' following a Class 8 noun.
- Chakula hiki ni kitamu.
This food is delicious.
Word by Word: Food this is delicious.
'Chakula' is a Class 7 noun (using the ch- prefix before a vowel), so it takes 'hiki'.
- Tafadhali, fanya hivi.
Please, do it like this.
Word by Word: Please, do like this.
Here, 'hivi' is used as an adverb meaning 'like this' or 'in this way'.
Common Mistakes
Using the Class 9 demonstrative 'hii' for all singular nouns.
Kiti hii ni kizuri.Kiti hiki ni kizuri.Beginners often default to 'hii' for 'this'. However, Swahili requires the demonstrative to match the noun class. Class 7 nouns require 'hiki'.
Using 'hiki' for people or animals that start with ki-.
Kijana hiki ni mwanafunzi.Kijana huyu ni mwanafunzi.Animate nouns (people and animals) always take Class 1/2 agreement, regardless of their prefix. Therefore, 'this youth' is 'kijana huyu', not 'kijana hiki'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'hiki' and 'hivi' correctly, you must first understand the KI-VI noun class system (Class 7 and 8) and how Swahili demonstratives are positioned after the noun. Familiarity with the basic structure of near demonstratives from Class 1/2 will also help you recognize the pattern used here.
- Classes 7 and 8
Understanding the KI-VI noun class is essential because 'hiki' and 'hivi' are the specific demonstratives used for nouns in these classes.
Foundations - huyu / hawaClass 1 and 2 Near Demonstratives
Learning the near demonstratives for the first noun class introduces the 'h- + vowel + agreement marker' structure used for all near demonstratives.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Demonstratives After the Noun
Learn more about where to place demonstratives in a Swahili sentence.
Level 1 - Human Agreement Across Classes
Explains why animate nouns in Class 7/8 don't use hiki and hivi.
Level 2 - hii / hiziClass 9 and 10 Near Demonstratives
The near demonstratives for Class 9/10, which are often confused with hiki/hivi by beginners.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice hiki / hivi in Bubblegum
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