According to A Practical Manual of the Nyanja Language by Alexander Hetherwick, Nyanja has eight classes, in which all nouns can fit (although there are some obvious shortcuts to his method, because certain classes include nouns with particular prefixes and others with no prefixes at all). But take this as a shorthand to using nouns, and realize that speaking without using the proper prefix to add to verbs and adjectives (for example: munthu unka instead of the correct munthu anka) does not destroy intelligibility. Because noun classes can be complex and sentence structuring daunting, particularly when speaking, I see my knowledge of them as constantly evolving, and requiring constant practice.
Here's a breakdown of the seven noun classes:
| Class | Description | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Names, relationships, occupations, offices | m, mwa, mu | a |
| 2 | Impersonal objects | m, mwa, mu | mi |
| 3 | Generally abstract nouns | u | ma |
| 4 | Nouns with n- and nasal prefixes | n, mb, mf, mph, ng' | None |
| 5 | Ch- words (things) | ch- | z- |
| 6 | Nouns without a prefix | None | ma |
| 7 | Diminutives | ka | ti |
| 8 | Locatives | ku, pa, mu | None |
Examples:
Class 1
munthu, a person, pl. anthu
mkazi, a woman, pl. akazi
mwamuna, a man, pl. amuna
Class 2
mtengo, a tree, pl. mitengo
mudzi, a village, pl. midzi
mpando, a chair, pl. mipando
Class 3
ufulu, freedom
ufumu, chieftainship
ukulu, greatness
Class 4
nchito, work
mbvula, rain
ng'ona, a crocodile
Class 5
chiko, a cup, pl. ziko
chakudia, food, pl. zakudia
chipata, gate, pl. zipata
Class 6
bwato, a boat, pl. mabwato
khoswe, a rat, pl. makhoswe
phiri, a mountain, pl. maphiri
Class 7
kamwana, little child, pl. tiana
kachiko, little cup, pl. tiziko
kamtengo, little tree, pl. timtengo
Class 8
kukonda, love
pakati, the middle
m'maso, the face
