Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mwongozo rasmi unasema tufanye maamuzi yetu baada ya kusoma taarifa kamili. - The official guide says we should make our decisions after reading the full report.

mwongozo rasmi means “the official guide.” In Swahili, adjectives normally follow the noun they describe. Since rasmi is an adjective (“official”), it comes directly after mwongozo without any extra connector.

Why is the verb unasema used, and what do its parts (prefix, tense marker, root) indicate?

unasema breaks down as:

u- : subject prefix for a class 3 noun (“it/this”)
na- : present-tense marker (“is”)
-sema : verb root meaning “say”
Altogether, unasema literally means “it is saying,” or simply “it says.”

Why does the sentence use tufanye rather than a plain present-tense verb, and what mood is this?

Because unasema introduces a suggestion or instruction (“it says that we…”), Swahili requires the following verb to be in the subjunctive mood. tufanye is the subjunctive form meaning “that we do” or “let us do.”

How do you form the subjunctive tufanye from the verb fanya?

To form the subjunctive of an -a verb like fanya:

Start with the subject prefix tu- (“we”).
Drop the final -a from the verb root.
Add -e to mark the subjunctive.
So: tu- + fany- + e = tufanye.

Why do we say maamuzi for “decisions,” and what’s the singular form?

maamuzi is the plural of amuzi (“decision”). Many Swahili nouns form the plural with the ma- prefix (class 6). Thus:
– singular: amuzi (“a decision”)
– plural: maamuzi (“decisions”)

How do you express “our decisions” with maamuzi yetu, and why is the connector ya used?

maamuzi belongs to noun class 6, whose genitive (possessive) connector is ya. To say “our decisions”:
– noun: maamuzi
– connector: ya (class 6)
– possessive stem: -etu (“our”)
Combined: maamuzi ya etu, which contracts to maamuzi yetu.

What does baada ya mean, and why is it followed by kusoma?

baada ya means “after.” In Swahili, baada is a noun (“the time after”), so it needs a genitive connector (ya) before what follows. Because kusoma (“to read”) is an infinitive noun, we link it with ya, giving baada ya kusoma (“after reading”).

What is the function of the ku- prefix in kusoma?

The ku- prefix in Swahili marks the infinitive form of a verb. Therefore, kusoma means “to read.”

Why does taarifa come before kamili, and do adjectives change form?

In Swahili, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify, so taarifa kamili is “complete report.” Most descriptive adjectives like kamili are invariable here—they do not take class-agreement prefixes and remain the same regardless of the noun class.

Why is there no word equivalent to “that” after unasema, and how are the clauses linked instead?

Swahili generally omits a conjunction like “that” in reported commands or suggestions. Instead, the verb’s mood (subjunctive) signals the relationship. So unasema tufanye… literally “it says (that) we do…,” with no extra word for “that.” If you were reporting a fact rather than a command, you could optionally use kwamba, but it isn’t needed here.