Learn Hardcore Swahili: Meneja alimwambia mpokezi awakaribishe wageni mapema. - The manager told the receptionist to welcome the guests early.

When the object marker m- comes before a vowel-initial verb stem (like -ambia, -ona, -ita), Swahili inserts a glide w to avoid a vowel clash. So a-li-m-ambia becomes a-li-mw-ambia → alimwambia.

In awakaribishe, who is the subject and who is the object?

a- is the subject marker “he/she,” referring here to the receptionist (mpokezi).
wa- is the object marker “them,” referring to the guests (wageni). So, “he/she should welcome them.”

Why does awakaribishe end in -e instead of the usual -a?

The -e ending marks the subjunctive mood. After verbs of telling/ordering/asking (e.g., kuambia, kuamuru, kuomba), Swahili commonly uses the subjunctive in the embedded clause: a-fanye, waende, tusisahau, etc. Hence, awakaribishe = “that he/she should welcome them.”

How do we know the “he/she” in awakaribishe refers to the receptionist and not the manager?

Semantics and common control: after “tell someone to do X,” the subject of the embedded action is typically the person who was told (here, mpokezi). Also, the matrix verb already used the object marker -m- to point to the receptionist, so the embedded a- aligns with that participant.

Why do we have both wa- inside the verb and the noun wageni after it? Isn’t that redundant?

Swahili often “doubles” a definite, especially human, object with both an object marker and a full noun phrase. It is natural and helps clarity. You could omit one:

With both (very natural with specific people): awakaribishe wageni
Without object marker (more neutral/generic): akaribishe wageni
Without the noun (if “them” is already clear from context): awakaribishe mapema

Could I say it with an infinitive instead of the subjunctive, like kuwakaribisha?

Yes: Meneja alimwambia mpokezi kuwakaribisha wageni mapema. Both are acceptable. The subjunctive (awakaribishe) feels like a direct instruction; the infinitive (kuwakaribisha) frames it as “to do the welcoming.” In many contexts they’re interchangeable, with the subjunctive sounding a bit crisper as a command/request.

What’s the difference between karibisha and pokea here?

karibisha = to welcome, greet, invite in (focus on hospitality/words of welcome)
pokea = to receive, accept, check in (focus on handling/processing what arrives) So you could also say: Meneja alimwambia mpokezi awapokee wageni mapema (“receive/check in the guests early”). The original with karibisha emphasizes the welcoming act.

Is mpokezi the usual word for “receptionist”? How is it formed?

Yes, mpokezi is common (lit. “receiver,” from pokea = receive). It’s a class 1 noun (person). You may also see:

mpokeaji (receiver; more general agent noun)
mhudumu wa mapokezi (front-desk attendant; more descriptive) All are understandable; mpokezi is concise and natural in many settings.

Why is it wageni for “guests” and not something else? What’s the singular?

Singular/plural pair:

mgeni (class 1) = a guest
wageni (class 2) = guests The object marker wa- in awakaribishe matches the plural wageni (class 2). For a single guest, you’d say: Meneja alimwambia mpokezi amkaribishe mgeni mapema (object marker m- for one person).

Could I change the word order of wageni and mapema?

The default and best-sounding order is verb + object NP + time adverb:

awakaribishe wageni mapema You can drop the object NP if it’s clear: awakaribishe mapema. Fronting mapema for emphasis is possible in discourse, but awakaribishe mapema wageni sounds odd; keep the object close to the verb.

If the manager told the receptionist not to welcome the guests early, how would I say that?

Use the negative subjunctive with si-:

Meneja alimwambia mpokezi asiwakaribishe wageni mapema. Here, a-si-wa-karibish-e = “that he/she should not welcome them.”

Is alimwambia ever written as alimuambia?

No. The correct glide is mw before a vowel-initial stem: alimwambia. You’ll see the same pattern elsewhere:

namwona (I see him/her) from na- + m- + ona
namwita (I call him/her) from na- + m- + ita

Do I need a word like “that” (kwamba/kuwa) before the embedded clause?

Not here. After verbs of telling/ordering with a subjunctive complement, Swahili typically does not use kwamba/kuwa:

Natural: alimwambia mpokezi awakaribishe... Using kwamba is more common before indicative-content clauses (statements), not before a subjunctive instruction.

What’s the present-tense pattern if I want “The manager tells the receptionist to welcome the guests early”?

Use present in the main clause, subjunctive in the complement:

Meneja anamwambia mpokezi awakaribishe wageni mapema. Breakdown of anamwambia: a- (he/she) + -na- (present) + -m- (him/her) + stem → glide to -mw-.