Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tafadhali jibu swali hili kwa haraka.

jibu is the imperative (command) form of the verb kujibu (“to answer”). In Swahili, the affirmative singular imperative uses just the verb stem (here, jibu).

Why is there no separate word for “you” in this command?

In Swahili imperatives, the subject “you” is built into the verb form itself. Because jibu is the singular imperative, it already implies “you (singular).” You don’t need a separate pronoun.

How would I tell a group of people “please answer this question quickly”?

You make the imperative plural by adding -ni to the verb stem (and dropping the final vowel if necessary).
So jibu → jibuni, and the full sentence becomes:
Tafadhali jibuni swali hili kwa haraka.

Why swali hili and not swali hii or hili swali?

Swahili uses demonstratives that agree with noun classes.

swali (“question”) belongs to noun class 5 (ji-/ma-).
The correct near demonstrative for class 5 is hili (“this”).
Word order is always NOUN + DEMONSTRATIVE, so swali hili = “this question.”

What does kwa haraka mean and why use kwa?

kwa haraka literally means “with speed,” functioning as “quickly” or “hurry up.”
While you can sometimes use haraka alone as an adverb, kwa haraka is the standard prepositional phrase to express “in a hurry/quickly.”

Can I omit kwa and say just haraka at the end?

Yes, many speakers say haraka by itself to mean “quickly,” especially in informal contexts.
Example: Tafadhali jibu swali hili haraka.
However, kwa haraka sounds more complete and is widely taught in textbooks.

If I wanted to say “that question” instead of “this question,” which word would I use?

You’d replace the near demonstrative hili with the far demonstrative for class 5, which is kile.
So swali kile = “that question.”