Learn Hardcore Swahili: Watoto wangefurahia mandazi hayo pamoja na asali baada ya ibada. - The children would enjoy those doughnuts with honey after the service.

Watoto means “children.” It’s the plural of mtoto, which means “child.” The subject prefix wa- (in wangefurahia) also refers back to this plural “children” class.

What is the meaning of wangefurahia, and how is it formed?

Wangefurahia means “they would enjoy” or “they would be happy about.” It’s the conditional (or potential) form of the verb kufurahia (“to enjoy”). In Swahili you form the conditional by inserting -nge- between the subject prefix and the verb root: • wa- (they)
• + nge (conditional marker)
• + furahia (root “enjoy”)

So wa + nge + furahia → wangefurahia.

Can you show me some other tenses of kufurahia for “they”?

Sure. Using the same subject prefix wa- + the appropriate tense marker + furahia: • Present: wanafurahia (“they enjoy”)
• Past: walifurahia (“they enjoyed”)
• Future: watafurahia (“they will enjoy”)
• Conditional: wangefurahia (“they would enjoy”)

What does mandazi refer to, and what is its singular?

Mandazi are East African fried doughnuts (often eaten at breakfast or tea time). The singular is mdazi, but in practice people usually talk about them in the plural (mandazi) because you eat more than one at a time.

Why is it mandazi hayo? What role does hayo play?

Hayo is the plural demonstrative for noun class 6 (the ma- class). It means “those” when describing mandazi. Demonstratives in Swahili must match the noun class and number: • Class 6 (ma-): haya (these) / yale (those over there) / hayo (those)
Because we want “those mandazi,” we say mandazi hayo. If you meant “these mandazi,” you could also say mandazi haya or haya mandazi.

What does pamoja na asali mean? Could I simply say na asali?

Pamoja na means “together with” or “along with,” so pamoja na asali is “together with honey.” You could say na asali (“with honey”), but pamoja na emphasizes that the mandazi and honey go together.

Why is baada ya ibada used here? What does ya do?

Baada means “after,” and in Swahili postpositions like baada, kabla, ndio, etc., are followed by the genitive marker ya before a noun. So baada ya ibada literally means “after of worship/service.” There’s no separate word for “the” in Swahili; definiteness is implied by context.

Could I put baada ya ibada at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Swahili allows flexible word order for emphasis or style. For example:
Baada ya ibada, watoto wangefurahia mandazi hayo pamoja na asali.
The meaning remains “The children would enjoy those mandazi with honey after the service.”

Is it necessary to repeat watoto when there’s already the prefix wa- in wangefurahia?

Not strictly. In a context where “they” is clear, you can drop the noun and say Wangefurahia mandazi hayo… However, without context, it’s ambiguous who “they” are. Including Watoto makes it explicit.