Baada ya kusaini, unapaswa kuchapisha nakala mbili za mkataba huo.

After signing, you should print two copies of that contract.

Breakdown of Baada ya kusaini, unapaswa kuchapisha nakala mbili za mkataba huo.

• wewe: you
• baada ya: after
• za: of
• kuchapisha: to print
• kupaswa: should
• mbili: two
• huo: that
• kusaini: to sign
• mkataba: the contract
• nakala: the copy

Questions & Answers about Baada ya kusaini, unapaswa kuchapisha nakala mbili za mkataba huo.

What does Baada ya kusaini mean, and why is kusaini in the infinitive?

Baada means “after,” and -ya is the genitive/linker that connects baada to whatever follows. Because baada ya introduces either a noun or an infinitive, we use kusaini (the infinitive form ku- + saini, “sign”) to express “after signing.”

What exactly does unapaswa mean, and how is it different from lazima or unahitaji?

Unapaswa literally comes from the passive of pasa (“to be fitting”), so unapaswa = “it is fitting for you,” i.e. “you should” or “you ought to.”

• Lazima is stronger (“you must”).
• Unahitaji means “you need/require,” focusing on necessity rather than recommended obligation.

Why is the verb kuchapisha in the infinitive after unapaswa?

Like English modals (“should,” “must”) the Swahili modal unapaswa is followed by an uninflected verb. The infinitive marker ku- + root chapisha (“print, cause to print”) gives kuchapisha = “to print.”

Why don’t we pluralize nakala when we say nakala mbili, and what noun class is it?

Nakala belongs to noun class 9/10 (the n- class). Class 9/10 nouns have identical singular and plural forms. When you specify a number (like mbili “two”), you leave the noun unchanged: nakala mbili = “two copies.”

Why is the genitive za used in nakala mbili za mkataba, and could it ever be ya?

Once nakala is treated as plural (class 10) with mbili, its genitive concord is za. Hence nakala mbili za mkataba = “copies of the contract.”
If it were class 9 singular (one copy), you’d use ya: nakala moja ya mkataba.

What does mkataba huo mean, and why huo instead of ule or huyo?

Mkataba (“contract”) is class 3 (m-/m-). The standard demonstrative for class 3 is huo = “that.”

• Ule is a more literary/neutral “that.”
• Huyo is reserved for class 1 (animates, people), so it wouldn’t pair with mkataba.

Could you drop the comma after kusaini, or is it required?

Swahili punctuation often mirrors English: a comma after an introductory phrase like baada ya kusaini is optional but improves clarity. You won’t change the grammar if you omit it, though keeping it is good style.