Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ukifuata tiba vizuri, utarudi kazini mapema. - If you follow the treatment well, you will return to work early.

u- is the subject concord for “you” (2nd person singular).
-ki- is the conditional/temporal marker (often called the “ki-junction”), turning fuata (follow) into “if you follow…”

Why is tiba used in the singular here?

Tiba is a mass noun meaning “treatment.” Swahili does not pluralize most abstract or uncountable nouns, so tiba stays the same whether you mean one treatment or treatment in general.

What role does vizuri play in the sentence, and why does it come after tiba?

Vizuri is an adverb meaning “well” or “properly.” In Swahili, adverbs typically follow the word they modify, so tiba vizuri literally means “treatment well.”

How is utarudi formed, and what does it mean?

Utarudi breaks down as:
• u- (you, 2nd person singular)
• -ta- (future tense marker)
• rudi (the verb “return”)
Together they form “you will return.”

Why is the future marker -ta- used instead of the present -na- in utarudi?

Because the main clause describes an action that will happen after the condition is met.
• -ta- indicates a future action (“will return”)
• -na- would indicate an ongoing or habitual action (“are returning”), which doesn’t fit the “if… then you will…” structure.

What does kazini mean, and how is it constructed?

Kazi means “work.” Adding the locative suffix -ni gives kazini, meaning “at work.”

What does mapema mean, and why is it used here?

Mapema is an adverb meaning “early.” It modifies utarudi kazini to express “you will return to work early.”

Can the order of the clauses be changed, or does the conditional clause have to come first?

You can swap them:
Utarudi kazini mapema ukifuata tiba vizuri.
Both orders are grammatically correct; beginning with the -ki- clause is simply more common in conditional statements.