Learn Hardcore Swahili: Msongo wa mawazo ukizidi, tulia na pumua taratibu. - If stress increases, calm down and breathe slowly.

Literally, msongo = pressure/tension; wa = of; mawazo = thoughts/worries. So it’s “pressure of thoughts.” Idiomatically, msongo wa mawazo is the standard way to say “stress” or “mental stress.”

Why is the possessive connector wa used in msongo wa mawazo and not something like ya or la?

The possessive connector agrees with the head noun, which is msongo (noun class 3, m-/mi-). Class 3 takes the possessive wa. The dependent noun (mawazo) doesn’t control the agreement here.

How is ukizidi formed, and what does each part do?

u- = subject agreement for class 3 (referring back to msongo), -ki- = when/if (a temporal/conditional marker), -zidi = increase/become excessive. So ukizidi means “when/if it (the stress) increases/gets too much.”

Does u- in ukizidi mean “you”? I thought u- can be 2nd person.

Here, no. u- is class-3 subject agreement for msongo (“it”). u- can also be “you” (2nd person singular) in other contexts, but the nearby noun msongo makes it clear that this u- = “it.”

Could I say ukizidi msongo wa mawazo instead of msongo wa mawazo ukizidi?

Better not in this meaning. With intransitive -zidi (“increase/worsen”), you normally have the subject expressed (here, msongo wa mawazo) and the verb agreeing with it: Msongo wa mawazo ukizidi. The alternative you suggest tends to make -zidi look transitive (“exceed [something]”), which isn’t what you want here.

Is -ki- in ukizidi closer to “when” or “if”? Could I use kama or ikiwa instead?

-ki- often carries a neutral “when/if” sense used for instructions and routines: “When/if X happens, do Y.” You could use kama or ikiwa for “if,” but -ki- is more concise and stylistically natural in procedural advice like this.

Why the comma after ukizidi? Can the order be flipped?

The initial clause with -ki- is a dependent “when/if” clause, so a comma is natural in writing: Msongo wa mawazo ukizidi, … You can also put it at the end: …, msongo wa mawazo ukizidi. Both are acceptable.

What’s the difference between tulia and tuliza?

tulia = calm down/settle (intransitive, subject calms itself). Perfect for telling someone to calm down: Tulia!
tuliza = calm/soothe (transitive, you calm something/someone): Tuliza mtoto (“Calm the child”).

Is this addressing one person or several? How do I make it plural?

As written, it addresses one person: tulia, pumua. For plural (speaking to several people):

tulieni …
pumueni … So: Msongo wa mawazo ukizidi, tulieni na pumueni taratibu.

What does na do in tulia na pumua?

Here na is a simple coordinator meaning “and”: “calm down and breathe…”

What does taratibu mean, and where can it go?

taratibu means “slowly, gently, carefully.” It functions adverbially, commonly placed after the verb (pumua taratibu) or as kwa taratibu. You can also say polepole for “slowly,” though taratibu leans slightly more toward “gently/carefully.”

Is pumua the same as pumzika?

No:

pumua = breathe.
pumzika = rest.
So pumua taratibu is “breathe slowly/gently,” not “rest.”