Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mama anasema kwamba uwekezaji mdogo leo unaweza kuleta mapato makubwa kesho. - Mother says that a small investment today can bring big income tomorrow.

a- : subject prefix for 3rd person singular (he/she)
-na- : present tense marker
sema : verb root meaning “say”
Put together, anasema means he/she says or is saying.

What is the meaning and function of kwamba in this sentence?

kwamba is a conjunction meaning that. It introduces a subordinate clause (indirect speech) without changing the meaning. You can think of it as the Swahili equivalent of English that in “Mama says that ….”

What does uwekezaji mean and which noun class does it belong to?

uwekezaji means investment. It belongs to noun class 11 (the u- class). Class 11 nouns take the subject/verb prefix u- (as in unaweza) and adjectives or related concords also use the u- or ma- pattern when in the plural.

What is the difference between mdogo and kidogo, and why is mdogo used here?

mdogo (adjectival form) means small or minor when describing size, scope, rank, etc.
kidogo (quantitative form) means a little, a bit, or some.
Since we want to describe a small investment (in size), we use uwekezaji mdogo. If you said uwekezaji kidogo, it could sound like some investment rather than specifically a small investment.

How is the present ability unaweza formed?

unaweza comes from the verb weza (to be able). It is structured as:

u- : subject prefix for class 11 (matches uwekezaji)
-na- : present tense marker
weza : verb root meaning can/able to
Thus unaweza = it can or is able to.

Why is kuleta in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated form?

Verbs of ability like -weza, as well as modal verbs (like lazima “must”), are followed by an infinitive. In Swahili the infinitive is formed with the prefix ku- plus the verb root. Here kuleta = to bring.

Why are the time words leo and kesho placed where they are?

Swahili allows some flexibility with time adverbs:

leo (today) often appears near the verb to show when the ability or action is considered.
kesho (tomorrow) typically goes at the end to show when the result will occur.
You could also say Leo uwekezaji mdogo unaweza kuleta mapato makubwa kesho without changing the basic meaning.

Why does mapato take makubwa and how does adjective agreement work here?

mapato (earnings/income) is class 6 (plural of kipato). Adjectives in class 6 take the prefix ma-. The adjective root -kubwa (“big”) gets the ma- prefix, becoming makubwa. So mapato makubwa = big earnings.

What is the difference in nuance between mapato makubwa and faida kubwa?

mapato makubwa emphasizes large gross income or total revenue.
faida kubwa focuses on large profit (income minus costs).
Which you choose depends on whether you mean total turnover (mapato) or net gain (faida).

Why is unaweza in the present tense even though it refers to bringing income in the future?

In Swahili the tense of -weza reflects when the ability exists, not when the resulting action occurs. Here, the sentence says that today a small investment can (right now has the potential to) bring in large income tomorrow. The future aspect of the actual income is marked by kesho, not by changing unaweza to a future tense.