Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ni muhimu chakula kitamu kuletwa kabla ya wageni kufika. - It is important that the delicious food be brought before the guests arrive.

Ni is the copula in Swahili. It links the predicate adjective muhimu (“important”) to its subject. In English you’d say “It is important…,” and in Swahili you say Ni muhimu…. Without Ni, there is no link between the idea of “importance” and what follows.

Why does the adjective kitamu come after the noun chakula, and why is it ki-tamu instead of just tamu?

Adjectives in Swahili always follow the noun they describe, and they must carry the correct noun-class prefix.

chakula (“food”) belongs to noun class 7, whose prefix is ki-.
The root for “tasty” is tamu, so the adjective becomes ki-tamu.
Together, chakula kitamu means “tasty food.”

Why is the verb form kuletwa used instead of kuleta?

Kuleta is the active infinitive “to bring.” Kuletwa is the passive infinitive “to be brought.”
• Passive is formed by adding the extension -w- to the verb stem: leta → let-w-a.
• Then you add the infinitive prefix ku-: ku-letwa.
Here we want to emphasize that “the food is brought” (by someone), not “someone brings the food.”

Why is there no subject marker on kuletwa (e.g. ku+li+letwa…)?

Infinitives in Swahili do not take subject or tense markers. They always start with ku- plus the verb stem (and any extensions), so you never see ku-li- or ku-na- on an infinitive. Non-finite verbs are “bare” except for ku-.

What does kabla ya wageni kufika mean and how is it constructed?

kabla ya = “before”
• kabla is a noun meaning “before,” and ya is the preposition linking it to what follows.
• wageni is “guests” (plural of mgeni, class 2).
• kufika is the infinitive “to arrive.”
Together: “before the guests arrive.”

Why is kufika used instead of kuja?

kufika means “to arrive (at a place).”
kuja means “to come (toward the speaker).”
Since you’re talking about guests reaching their destination, kufika is more precise.

How would this sentence change if you meant one guest rather than several?

Use the singular mgeni instead of plural wageni and keep the class-appropriate pronoun in kabla ya:
“Ni muhimu chakula kitamu kuletwa kabla ya mgeni kufika.”
= “It is important that tasty food be brought before the guest arrives.”

Can the time clause kabla ya wageni kufika come at the beginning?

Yes. You can front it for emphasis or style:
“Kabla ya wageni kufika, ni muhimu chakula kitamu kuletwa.”
Swahili often allows time phrases either before or after the main clause.