Learn Hardcore Swahili: Rahma alipumzika popote palipokuwa na kivuli, kisha akaendelea kuzunguka mtaa. - Rahma rested wherever there was shade, then continued walking around the neighborhood.

ka- is the narrative/sequential tense: it links actions by the same subject, “and then (she) …”. akaendelea feels like storytelling: “(she rested…) then continued…”. aliendelea is grammatically fine but less narrative in tone.

If akaendelea already implies “then,” is kisha necessary?

No. kisha (“then/after that”) plus akaendelea is common and emphatic, but you can say either:

… alipumzika …, akaendelea …
… alipumzika …, kisha aliendelea …
… alipumzika …, kisha akaendelea … (as in the sentence)

What does popote mean here?

popote = “anywhere/wherever” (locative class pa + -ote “any/all”). It can stand alone, or you can say mahali popote (“any place whatsoever”) for emphasis.

How is palipokuwa built, and what does it mean?

It means “where there was.” Morphology:

pa- (locative subject, “place”)
-li- (past)
-po- (relative marker for location = “where”)
kuwa (to be) Together: palipokuwa = “the place where (there) was…”

Why not alipokuwa instead of palipokuwa?

alipokuwa = “when/where he/she was.” The clause describes a place, so it takes the locative subject pa- → palipokuwa (“where there was”), not the human subject a-.

What’s the difference between -po, -ko, and -mo?

They’re locative relatives:

-po: specific/definite place (“where (at) …”).
-ko: general/unspecified location (“wherever in general”).
-mo: inside/within. With popote, you’ll often see -po: popote palipo…. For an “inside” sense you’d use -mo: momote/molimote forms exist but are rarer; you’d more naturally say mahali popote penye… or sehemu yoyote iliyo na….

Could I say popote penye kivuli instead of popote palipokuwa na kivuli?

Yes. penye (pa + enye “having”) literally means “a place having…”. So popote penye kivuli = “anywhere with shade.” Your version is past-time (“where there was shade”); the penye version is tenseless/generic.

In na kivuli, does na mean “and” or “with/has”?

“With/has.” kuwa na = “to have.” So palipokuwa na kivuli = “where there was shade (where the place had shade).”

Why singular kivuli and not plural vivuli?

kivuli (class 7) is often used as a mass/uncountable noun for “shade.” vivuli = “shadows” (countable, e.g., silhouettes). Here we mean “shade” in general, so singular is natural.

What does kuzunguka convey here?

Literally “to go around/circle,” and by extension “to wander/roam around.” akaendelea kuzunguka mtaa = “she then kept going around the neighborhood.”

Should it be mtaa or mtaani?

Both are acceptable with a nuance:

kuzunguka mtaa: “go around the neighborhood/street” (the noun as the object of the motion).
kuzunguka mtaani: “go around in the neighborhood” (locative -ni, emphasizing being in/at that area).

What’s the plural of mtaa, and what noun class is it?

mtaa (sg.) → mitaa (pl.), noun class 3/4 (m-/mi-). Adjective and verb agreement follows that class.

Could I shorten the first clause to just alipumzika popote penye kivuli?

Yes. That’s concise and natural: popote penye kivuli = “wherever there is shade.” If you need past-time emphasis, keep palipokuwa na.

Can I replace kisha with halafu?

Yes. halafu is more colloquial; kisha is a bit more formal or literary. Both mean “then/after that,” and both work with or without the narrative ka-.