Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ni Amina ndiye aliyeshinda kombe la shule, na mtangazaji alimsifu. - It is Amina who won the school trophy, and the broadcaster praised her.

It’s a cleft/focus construction meaning “It is Amina who …”. It highlights or contrasts the subject, implying “Amina (and not someone else) is the one who won.”

Do we need both ni and ndiye?

Not strictly. All of these are grammatical, with slightly different feel:

Ni Amina ndiye aliyeshinda … (very explicit focus, common in speech)
Amina ndiye aliyeshinda … (also common; focus is clear)
Ni Amina aliyeshinda … (focus without the ndiye pronoun)
Plain statement without focus: Amina alishinda …

Is ndiye the same as ndiyo (“yes”)?

No.

ndiye = “the very one is” for class 1 (people, singular), matching Amina.
ndiyo most commonly means “yes/indeed.” Don’t confuse them here.

Why is it ndiye specifically?

Because it agrees with a class 1 singular noun (a person: Amina). The “ndi-” focus pronoun changes with noun class; for a singular human subject it is ndiye.

How is aliyeshinda formed?

It’s a relative verb form: a-li-ye-shinda

a- (class 1 subject = she/he)
-li- (past tense)
-ye- (relative marker “who/that” for a class 1 subject)
shinda (win)
So: “who won.”

Could I use ambaye instead of the -ye- relative?

Yes. You can say:

Amina ndiye aliyeshinda kombe la shule.
Amina ndiye ambaye alishinda kombe la shule.
Both are correct; the compact -ye- form is very common.

Why is it kombe la shule and not kombe ya shule?

The linker “of” agrees with the head noun kombe (class 5), so you use la.

Singular: kombe la shule (trophy of the school)
Plural: makombe ya shule (trophies of the school)

What noun classes are involved here?

Amina: human, class 1 (agreement a-/m-, focus pronoun ndiye)
mtangazaji (announcer): class 1; plural watangazaji (class 2)
kombe (trophy): class 5; plural makombe (class 6)
shule (school): class 9/10 (same form singular/plural)

Exactly what does mtangazaji mean?

“Announcer/presenter/newscaster.” It comes from the verb -tangaza (announce) + the agentive suffix -aji → “one who announces.”

How is alimsifu built, and why does it mean “praised her”?

Breakdown: a-li-m-sifu

a- (he/she)
-li- (past)
-m- (object marker for class 1: him/her)
sifu (praise)
So: “he/she praised him/her.” Context tells us it’s “her” (Amina). The subject noun mtangazaji clarifies “he/she” as “the announcer.”

Do I have to use the object marker -m- when Amina was just mentioned?

No, but it’s typical when the object is specific/topical. Options:

With object marker only: Mtangazaji alimsifu. (“The announcer praised her.”)
With both OM and noun: Mtangazaji alimsifu Amina. (very natural; reinforces definiteness)
Without OM: Mtangazaji alisifu Amina. (grammatical, a bit less “topicalized/definite” in feel)

Could I use aka- for the second clause to show sequence?

Yes. … na mtangazaji akamsifu.
Here a-ka-m-sifu = “and then he/she praised her,” often used for a subsequent action in narratives.

Is the comma before na necessary?

It’s optional, as in English. The comma helps readability between the focused first clause and the second clause: …, na …

Any nuance difference between alishinda and ameshinda?

alishinda (past) = “won” (simple past, time set in the past)
ameshinda (perfect) = “has won” (recent/with present relevance). Your sentence uses simple past.

Pronunciation tips for tricky bits?

ndiye: pronounced [ndí-ye]; the nd is a prenasalized d.
aliyeshinda: [a-li-ye-shí-nda]; sh as in “she.”
shule: [shú-le].