Learn Hardcore Swahili: Asha huenda nje alfajiri mara chache, hasa wakati wa baridi. - Asha goes outside at dawn rarely, especially during the cold season.

hu- marks a habitual/general action (“usually/tends to”). It replaces the normal subject prefix on the verb.
Asha huenda… = “Asha usually goes…”
Asha anaenda… = “Asha is going (now)” or sometimes “Asha goes” in a current/ongoing sense, but it doesn’t express a general habit as cleanly as hu-.
You can also say Asha huwa anaenda… (“Asha usually goes…”), using huwa
- present, which is another common way to express habitual action.

Why is there no subject prefix like a- before the verb?

With the habitual, hu- occupies the slot where subject markers normally go, so you don’t add a- (she), wa- (they), etc. The subject is shown by the noun outside the verb: Asha huenda…, Watu huenda…, Juma huenda….

Does huenda ever mean “maybe/perhaps”? How can I tell the difference here?

Yes. Huenda can mean perhaps when it starts a clause like: Huenda Asha akaenda nje… (“Perhaps Asha might go outside…”), often followed by a verb in the subjunctive or future. In your sentence, Asha huenda nje…, huenda is the habitual form of the verb “go” (hu- + -enda), not the “perhaps” particle.

Why is it huenda here but kwenda/kuenda elsewhere? Where did the w go?

The verb root is -enda (“go”).
With the infinitive marker ku-, a w appears for ease of pronunciation: ku + enda → kwenda (often spelled kwenda; kuenda is also seen).
With the habitual hu-, you get hu + enda → huenda (no w after hu-).

What does nje mean, and how do I say “outside of [place]”?

nje = “outside/outdoors.” It’s an adverb-like word, so it doesn’t take noun-class agreement.
To specify “outside of [place],” use nje ya + noun: nje ya nyumba (outside the house), nje ya jengo (outside the building).

Is kwenda nje the same as kutoka nje?

Not exactly.

kwenda nje = to go outside (to head to the outdoors).
kutoka nje = to come/go out (to exit from inside to outside) or “from outside” depending on context. In your sentence, huenda nje focuses on the destination (going to the outside).

What time of day is alfajiri? How is it different from asubuhi?

alfajiri = dawn/very early morning (pre-sunrise).
asubuhi = morning (after sunrise). So alfajiri is earlier and narrower than asubuhi.

Can I move the time and frequency expressions around? Where can alfajiri and mara chache go?

Yes—Swahili allows some flexibility with adverbials:

Asha huenda nje alfajiri mara chache… (your version)
Asha mara chache huenda nje alfajiri… (emphasizes “rarely”)
Alfajiri, Asha huenda nje mara chache… (fronts the time) All are acceptable; choose position based on what you want to emphasize.

How does mara chache work grammatically? Why not wachache?

mara means “times/occasions” (N-class noun), and chache means “few.” The phrase mara chache is used adverbially for “rarely/a few times.”
wachache is the animate plural form (“few people”), so it’s not used with mara. With mara, you use chache.

What does hasa mean, and how is it different from sana or haswa?

hasa = “especially/particularly,” introducing a narrower condition or emphasis.
sana = “very/very much,” an intensifier (e.g., baridi sana = very cold).
haswa is a common variant/spelling of hasa in many speakers’ usage. You’ll see both; hasa is more standard. You can also use hususan/hasa hasa for “especially/particularly.”

Why is it wakati wa baridi and not wakati ya baridi?

The associative “of” linker agrees with the head noun. The head is wakati (class 11), which takes the linker wa. So: wakati wa baridi (“time/period of cold”). The dependent noun baridi doesn’t control the linker—wakati does. Plural would be nyakati za baridi (plural head noun → linker za).

How would I say this in the negative: “doesn’t usually…”?

You don’t negate hu- directly. Use one of these:

Asha huwa haendi nje alfajiri… (She usually doesn’t go outside at dawn…)
Si mara nyingi Asha huenda nje alfajiri… (It’s not often that Asha goes outside at dawn…)
Kwa kawaida, Asha haendi nje alfajiri… (As a rule/usually, she doesn’t go outside at dawn…)

Is the comma before hasa required?

No. It’s a stylistic pause. You can write …, hasa wakati wa baridi or … hasa wakati wa baridi. The meaning is the same; the comma just signals a slight pause.

Any pronunciation tips for nje and alfajiri?

nje is pronounced roughly “nyeh” with a palatal nasal sound at the start (like the “ny” in “canyon” but fused to the j/e: [ɲe]).
alfajiri is “al-fa-JEE-ri,” with the j like English “j” in “jam.”