Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ukiona moshi mweusi tena, tafadhali tambua chanzo chake mara moja. - If you see black smoke again, please identify its source immediately.

u- : 2nd-person-singular subject prefix (you)
-ki- : relative/conditional connector meaning “if/when”
ona : verb root “see”
Put together, u-ki-ona (written Ukiona) conveys “if you see.”

Why is there no separate word for “if” in Ukiona?

Swahili often attaches the “if/when” idea directly to the verb using the -ki- connector. You don’t need a standalone conjunction. If you prefer more explicit style, you could say Kama utaona… (“If you will see…”), but Ukiona is more concise.

How would you make it plural, as in “if you (all) see”?

Replace the subject prefix u- (singular) with m- (plural):

m + ki + ona → Mki + ona → Mkiona
So Mkiona moshi mweusi tena… means “If you (plural) see black smoke again…”

What does moshi mweusi literally mean, and why is the adjective mweusi?

moshi = “smoke” (noun class 3/4)
eusi = “black” (adjective)
Adjectives agree with their noun class by taking the class-3 prefix m-, so eusi becomes mweusi. Together, moshi mweusi = “black smoke.”

What is the function of tena here, and where does it go?

tena means “again.” It usually follows the item it modifies, so it comes right after moshi mweusi. You could sometimes say Ukiona tena moshi mweusi, but the most natural order is Ukiona moshi mweusi tena.

What does tafadhali mean, and is it necessary?

tafadhali = “please.” It’s a polite request marker. You don’t have to use it, but without it the imperative sounds much harsher.

What is the form and meaning of tambua?

tambua is the 2nd-person-singular imperative of kuyatambua (“to recognize/identify”). As an imperative it has no subject prefix: the bare root plus any tone shifts means “identify” or “recognize.”

Why do we say chanzo chake for “its source”?

chanzo = “source” (noun class 7)
Possessive concord for class 7 is cha-, plus the 3rd-person singular suffix -ke (“his/her/its”).
Combine them: cha-ke → chake, so chanzo chake = “its source.”

What does mara moja mean, and why not just moja?

Literally mara = “time/occurrence” and moja = “one,” so mara moja = “one time,” idiomatically “immediately” or “at once.” Saying just moja wouldn’t convey the idiomatic sense of “right away.”

Could you rephrase the conditional using kama and a future tense?

Yes. A more explicit version is:
Kama utaona moshi mweusi tena, tafadhali tambua chanzo chake mara moja.
Here kama = “if,” utaona = future “you will see,” but the meaning stays the same.