Learn Hardcore Swahili: Pazia hili linahitaji kufuliwa kesho asubuhi. - This curtain needs to be washed tomorrow morning.

In neutral Swahili, the demonstrative normally follows the noun: pazia hili “this curtain.” Fronting it (hili pazia) is possible for emphasis or as a topic (“This curtain, …”), but it’s less neutral.

For distance contrasts in Class 5:

hili = this (near speaker)
hilo = that (near listener/medium distance)
lile = that (far/yonder)

What does linahitaji consist of, and why the li-?

linahitaji breaks down as: li- (Class 5 subject marker) + -na- (present tense) + -hitaji (verb stem “need”). Because pazia is Class 5, the verb agrees with it using li-.

Plural agreement with mapazia (Class 6) uses ya-:

mapazia haya yanahitaji …

Could I say inahitaji instead of linahitaji?

No. i- is not the Class 5 subject marker. For pazia (Class 5), use li-: pazia hili linahitaji …
With the plural mapazia (Class 6), use ya-: mapazia haya yanahitaji …

Why is it kufuliwa and not kufua?

kufua means “to wash (launder) [clothes/fabric]” in the active voice. kufuliwa is the passive infinitive, “to be washed (laundered).” The sentence expresses a need for the curtain to undergo washing, so the passive is appropriate: linahitaji kufuliwa = “needs to be washed.”

What’s the difference between kufua, kuosha, and kusafisha?

kufua: wash/launder fabrics (clothes, curtains, sheets). Passive: kufuliwa.
kuosha: wash non-fabric items or body parts (dishes, hands, vegetables). Passive: kuoshwa.
kusafisha: clean (general cleaning, making something clean).

For a curtain, use kufua/kufuliwa.

Is there a stronger way to say “must/should be washed” instead of “needs to be washed”?

Yes:

Pazia hili linapaswa kufuliwa kesho asubuhi. (should)
Pazia hili lazima lifuliwe kesho asubuhi. (must; subjunctive passive lifuliwe)
Ni lazima pazia hili lifuliwe kesho asubuhi. (it is necessary that …)

Do I need both kesho and asubuhi to say “tomorrow morning”?

Yes, kesho asubuhi is the standard way to say “tomorrow morning.” If the “tomorrow” idea is already clearly established from context, you could later say just asubuhi, but by default use both for clarity.

Can I say asubuhi kesho instead of kesho asubuhi?

The idiomatic order is kesho asubuhi. By analogy:

yesterday morning: jana asubuhi
tomorrow evening: kesho jioni

Can I move the time phrase to the beginning or end of the sentence?

Yes. Word order is flexible for time expressions:

Kesho asubuhi, pazia hili linahitaji kufuliwa. (fronted for emphasis)
Pazia hili linahitaji kufuliwa kesho asubuhi. (as given)

How would I say it in the plural: “These curtains need to be washed tomorrow morning”?

Mapazia haya yanahitaji kufuliwa kesho asubuhi.
Changes:

mapazia (Class 6 plural)
haya (Class 6 “these”)
yanahitaji (Class 6 subject marker ya-)

How do I negate it: “This curtain doesn’t need to be washed tomorrow morning”?

Pazia hili halihitaji kufuliwa kesho asubuhi.
Negation uses ha- + Class 5 subject marker li- → hali- (spelled together as hali- in compounds like halihitaji).

Could I express it with an impersonal “it’s necessary” structure?

Yes, using an active infinitive:

Inahitajika kufua pazia hili kesho asubuhi. = “It is necessary to wash this curtain tomorrow morning.”

Your original sentence keeps the curtain as the grammatical subject and uses the passive infinitive (kufuliwa).

Are there common alternatives to linahitaji?

linapaswa (should/ought to)
lazima lifuliwe (must be washed; subjunctive passive)
inabidi lifuliwe (it’s necessary/one has to; colloquial but very common)

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky parts?

pazia: pa-ZI-a (three syllables).
linahitaji: li-na-hi-TA-ji (stress near the end).
kufuliwa: ku-fu-LI-wa (four syllables; the “li” is clear, not “lu”).