Learn Hardcore Swahili: Wao wanamsalimia karani kila asubuhi.

wao is the independent pronoun for 3rd-person plural (they). In Swahili you often include it for clarity or emphasis, even though the verb’s subject prefix wa- in wanamsalimia already tells you the subject is they.

How is the verb wanamsalimia built up?

Breakdown of wanamsalimia:
• wa- = 3rd-person plural subject prefix (they)
• -na- = present/habitual tense marker (is/are doing)
• -m- = object infix for 3rd-person singular (him/her)
• salimia = verb root salim + final vowel ‑a (to greet courteously)
Put together it literally means they-are-greeting-him/her.

Why is there an object marker m- in the verb if the noun karani follows it?

Swahili allows doubling of object pronoun + noun for emphasis or clarity. The m- in wanamsalimia refers back to karani. You could say wanasalimia karani (they greet the clerk), but wanamsalimia karani makes it extra clear that the clerk (him/her) is the one being greeted.

What part of speech is karani, and what does it mean?

karani is a class 9/10 noun meaning clerk or secretary. It functions here as the direct object of the verb.

What does kila asubuhi mean, and why is it placed at the end of the sentence?

kila means every and asubuhi means morning, so kila asubuhi = every morning. Time-when expressions in Swahili typically follow the verb phrase, which is why it comes at the end.

How would you turn this into a yes/no question: “Do they greet the clerk every morning?”

Add Je at the beginning and keep the same word order:
Je, wao wanamsalimia karani kila asubuhi?

How do you make it negative: “They don’t greet the clerk every morning”?

Use the negative subject prefix ha- instead of wa-, change the final -a to -i, and keep the object marker m-:
Hawamsalimii karani kila asubuhi.