Learn Hardcore Swahili: Dereva ananiomba kitambulisho changu kabla ya kuanza safari. - The driver asks me for my identification card before starting the trip.

a- = 3rd person singular subject prefix (“he/she”)
-na- = present tense marker (ongoing/habitual)
-ni- = object prefix “me”
-omba = verb root “ask/request”
Together, ananiomba literally means “he/she is asking me.”

Why is kitambulisho followed by changu instead of yangu?

kitambulisho is a class 7 noun (prefix ki-). Class 7 uses the possessive prefix cha for singular. You then add the suffix -angu (“my”), giving changu.
So kitambulisho changu = “my identification (card).”

How do you form the plural of kitambulisho?

To pluralize a class 7 noun, replace the prefix ki- with vi-. The root stays the same:
kitambulisho → vitambulisho
vitambulisho = “identity cards” or “IDs.”

What is kabla ya, and why is it used before kuanza safari?

kabla ya is a fixed phrase meaning “before.”

kabla is a noun (“before”)
ya is the linking (possessive) particle that connects it to a following noun or verbal noun.
In this sentence, kabla ya links to kuanza safari (“the starting of the trip”).

Why do we use kuanza instead of anza after kabla ya?

After kabla ya, Swahili requires a noun or gerund. Adding the infinitive prefix ku- to the verb root anza (“start”) turns it into the gerund kuanza (“the act of starting”). This lets kuanza function as a noun after kabla ya.

How can you change this sentence from present to past or future tense?

The tense marker na in ananiomba can be replaced:

Past tense uses li:
Dereva aliniomba kitambulisho changu kabla ya kuanza safari.
Future tense uses ta:
Dereva ataniomba kitambulisho changu kabla ya kuanza safari.

Does safari here mean a wildlife trip, or does it have a more general meaning in Swahili?

In Swahili, safari simply means “trip” or “journey” of any kind (bus, plane, car, etc.). To specify a wildlife excursion, you would say safari ya wanyama (“trip of animals”).