Learn Hardcore Swahili: Labda utahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati tu. - Maybe you will only need a summary of the strategy.

Labda = maybe, perhaps.
u- = subject prefix for you (singular).
-ta- = future tense marker.
-hitaji = verb root meaning need.
Together: utahitaji = you will need.
muhtasari = a summary (noun class 3; plural: mihtasari).
wa = associative linker meaning of, agreeing with the head noun muhtasari (class 3).
mkakati = strategy/plan (noun class 3; plural: mikakati).
tu = only/just.

Does utahitaji mean “you will need” or “he/she will need”?

utahitaji means you (singular) will need. For other subjects:

nitahitaji = I will need
utahitaji = you (sg) will need
atahitaji = he/she will need
tutahitaji = we will need
mtahitaji = you (pl) will need
watahitaji = they will need

Why is it wa in muhtasari wa mkakati? Could it be ya?

The linker -a (“of”) takes an agreement form based on the head noun. The head is muhtasari (class 3), whose associative form is wa in the singular. If you pluralize the head noun, you switch to the class 4 form:

Singular: muhtasari wa mkakati = a summary of the strategy
Plural: mihtasari ya mkakati = summaries of the strategy

A few other common patterns (for comparison):

Class 7/8 (ki/vi): cha/vya → kitabu cha mwanafunzi, vitabu vya mwanafunzi
Class 9/10 (N/N): ya/za → kalamu ya mwalimu, kalamu za walimu
Class 5/6 (ji/ma): la/ya → gari la mwalimu, magari ya mwalimu

Where should tu (only/just) go, and does its position change the meaning?

tu comes right after the element it limits. Different placements shift the scope:

muhtasari tu wa mkakati = only a summary (of the strategy), not the full document
muhtasari wa mkakati tu = a summary of the strategy only (not of other things)
utahitaji tu muhtasari wa mkakati = you will only need a summary (implies nothing more than needing that)

All are grammatical; pick the one that matches what you want to restrict.

How do I negate this sentence?

Use the negative future. For “you (sg) will not need,” use huta-:

Labda hutahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati tu. = Maybe you will not need only a summary of the strategy.

Negative future paradigms:

sita- (I), huta- (you sg), hata- (he/she), hatuta- (we), hamta- (you pl), hawata- (they) + verb root
Example: sitaenda, hutaenda, hataenda, etc.

Can I say “Maybe he/she will only need a summary of the strategy”?

Yes:

Labda atahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati tu. (he/she) For you plural:
Labda mtahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati tu. (you all)

Are there articles like “a/the” in Swahili? How do I know if it’s “a summary” or “the summary”?

Swahili has no articles. muhtasari can be “a summary” or “the summary” depending on context. If you need to be specific, you can add a demonstrative:

muhtasari huu = this summary
muhtasari ule = that summary

What are some natural alternatives to Labda (maybe)?

Pengine = maybe/perhaps (very common, neutral).
Huenda … = it may be that … (a bit more formal; e.g., Huenda ukahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati tu.)
Inawezekana … = it is possible that … All can work here; they differ slightly in tone/formality.

Is the word order muhtasari wa mkakati the only way to say “strategy summary”?

This is the most natural and common way in Swahili: head noun + associative -a + descriptor noun. So muhtasari wa mkakati is preferred. Noun–noun compounds without -a are rare and often sound unnatural unless they’re fixed compounds.

What are the plurals of muhtasari and mkakati?

muhtasari (class 3) → mihtasari (class 4)
mkakati (class 3) → mikakati (class 4) Example: mihtasari ya mikakati = summaries of strategies.

How is the sentence pronounced, and where is the stress?

Swahili stress is on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable of each word:

La-bda (stress on La)
u-ta-hi-TA-ji (stress on TA)
muh-ta-SA-ri (stress on SA)
mka-KA-ti (stress on KA) Pronounce the consonant clusters clearly: mh in muhtasari and mk in mkakati are both fully articulated.

Could I add an object marker to “need it,” and where would it go?

Yes. If the object is definite and has a noun-class object marker, insert it before the verb root. For a class 3 object (e.g., muhtasari), the object marker is u:

Labda uutahitaji muhtasari wa mkakati. = Maybe you will need the summary of the strategy.
You can also show definiteness with a demonstrative: muhtasari huo (that summary), often preferred for clarity:
Labda utahitaji muhtasari huo wa mkakati.