Learn Hardcore Swahili: Msanii akipata mialiko miwili, atachagua tamasha lenye sauti bora. - If the artist receives two invitations, he will choose the festival with better sound.

akipata breaks down into three parts:
• a- = 3rd-person-singular subject prefix (he/she)
• -ki- = real-conditional marker (if/when)
• pata = verb root “get/receive”
So akipata literally means if/when he or she gets.

Could I use kama atapata instead of akipata

Yes. Swahili offers two common ways to say if:
• -ki- infix after the subject prefix (compact)
• kama + normal tense verb (explicit)
So kama atapata mialiko miwili also means if he/she gets two invitations; it’s just a bit longer.

Why is atachagua used in the main clause, and what role does ta play

atachagua = a- (3rd-person-singular subject) + ta (future-tense marker) + chagua (choose).
It means he/she will choose. We use the future tense in the main clause of a real-conditional sentence.

Why is there no object marker before tamasha in atachagua tamasha lenye sauti bora

In Swahili, object-marker infixes are normally used only with pronouns or very short objects.
When the object is a full noun phrase (like tamasha lenye sauti bora), you drop the object marker and place the entire phrase after the verb.

How does number agreement work in mialiko miwili

• mialiko is the plural of mwito (invitation). It belongs to noun class 4, marked by mi-.
• The numeral wili (two) takes the same class 4 prefix to become miwili.
Together, mialiko miwili = two invitations, with both noun and numeral in class 4.

What is lenye, and why is it used before sauti bora

lenye is the class-5 relative adjective formed from the class-5 concord l- + enye (“having”).
It modifies tamasha (a class 5 noun) and means having/with. So tamasha lenye sauti bora = the festival with the best sound.

Why does bora come after sauti, and does it change for noun class

In Swahili the usual order is noun + adjective.
bora is an invariable quality adjective (from Arabic) that does not change to match noun classes.
Thus sauti bora = good(er)/best sound.

Could I say sauti nzuri zaidi instead of sauti bora

Yes, sauti nzuri zaidi literally means sound more good = better sound, but Swahili speakers often prefer sauti bora for best sound. It’s more concise and idiomatic.

What’s the correct word order for mialiko miwili, and why not miwili mialiko

Swahili places the noun first, then the numeral, with the numeral agreeing in class.
So mialiko miwili (invitations two) is correct; miwili mialiko would break the expected noun-then-modifier pattern.