Mshindani atashinda isipokuwa msimamizi wa mchezo akatae haki ya kujibu.

Atashinda is one verb made of three parts:

• a- = subject marker for he/she or a singular person noun such as mshindani
• -ta- = future tense marker
• shinda = verb root win / overcome

So:

• a-ta-shinda = he/she will win

Because mshindani is a singular human noun, the verb uses the class 1 subject marker a-.

Because after isipokuwa meaning unless, Swahili often uses the subjunctive rather than a normal future form.

So:

• atakataa = he/she will refuse or he/she will deny
• akatae = that he/she refuse/deny, used in a conditional or dependent sense

Here akatae fits the idea of unless the game official should deny / unless the game official denies.

A useful thing to notice is the final -e. In many Swahili subjunctive forms, the verb ends in -e instead of -a.

Here isipokuwa means unless.

It can also mean except or except for in other contexts, but in this sentence it introduces an exception to what was just said:

• Mshindani atashinda = the contestant will win
• isipokuwa ... = unless ...

So the structure is basically:

• X will happen, unless Y happens

Wa is the connector meaning of, but in Swahili it changes to agree with the noun before it.

So:

• msimamizi = supervisor / official / moderator
• wa = of agreeing with msimamizi
• mchezo = game

Together:

• msimamizi wa mchezo = the game official / the supervisor of the game

This wa is often called the associative or genitive marker.

Literally, it means the right of answering or the right to answer.

Breakdown:

• haki = right, entitlement, justice
• ya = of, agreeing with haki
• kujibu = to answer

So:

• haki ya kujibu = the right to answer

In context, it can also sound like permission or the opportunity to answer, not only an abstract legal right.

Yes. Kujibu is the infinitive form, meaning to answer.

It is built like this:

• ku- = infinitive marker, like English to
• jibu = answer / reply

So:

• kujibu = to answer

In Swahili, infinitives are often treated like nouns, which is why they can appear after expressions like haki ya ....

No. Swahili does not mark gender the way English often does with he and she.

So:

• mshindani can mean a male or female contestant
• a- can mean he or she, depending on context

The same is true for msimamizi. If gender matters, Swahili usually makes it clear with extra words or from context.

Because Swahili normally does not use articles like English a/an and the.

So:

• mshindani can mean a contestant or the contestant
• msimamizi wa mchezo can mean a game official or the game official

Context tells you which one is meant.

Yes. Both are singular human nouns in noun class 1, which is why they take class 1 agreement.

That is why the verbs use a-:

• mshindani atashinda
• msimamizi ... akatae

Their common plural would be in class 2:

• washindani = contestants
• wasimamizi = supervisors / officials

Then the verb marker would usually become wa-.

Because haki ya kujibu focuses on the right, permission, or chance to answer, not just the action of answering itself.

That matters here. The official is not being described as answering; the official is being described as possibly denying someone the right/opportunity to answer.

So the phrase is more precise than just using kujibu by itself.