Learn Hardcore Swahili: Juma alipeleka nguo cherehani, akachagua kitambaa, akalipa ada ndogo. - Juma took clothes to the sewing shop, chose fabric, then paid a small fee.

The infix -ka- is the “narrative/consecutive” marker. It links actions in sequence by the same subject: “and then (he) …”
Breakdown:
- a-li-peleka = a- (he/she) + -li- (past) + peleka (take)
- a-ka-chagua = a- (he/she) + -ka- (and then) + chagua (choose)
- a-ka-lipa = a- (he/she) + -ka- (and then) + lipa (pay)
So the sentence flows: first he took, then he chose, then he paid.

Why isn’t there a separate word for “and” before akachagua and akalipa?

Because -ka- already supplies the “and then” meaning. You can add na (and) for style or emphasis, but it’s not needed here.

Does -ka- carry tense, or does it borrow time from the first verb?

It borrows time from the previous context. The first clause (alipeleka) sets the time (past). The -ka- forms lean on that and simply move the story forward.

Can I use words like kisha or halafu instead of -ka-?

Yes.

kisha/halafu = “then/after that” as separate words: “Juma alipeleka …, kisha akachagua …, halafu akalipa …”
-ka- is tighter and common in narratives. All are correct; register and rhythm differ.

Are the commas required around the -ka- clauses?

No. They’re just punctuation to make the sequence clear in writing. You could write it without commas and it would still be fine.

Isn’t cherehani a “sewing machine”? How can it mean “the tailor’s” here?

Literally, cherehani is a sewing machine. In everyday East African usage it metonymically means the tailor’s place/workstation. So kupeleka nguo cherehani naturally means “to take clothes to the tailor (to be sewn/altered).”

Should there be a preposition like kwa or kwenye before cherehani?

You can include one, and many speakers do:

alipeleka nguo kwa fundi cherehani (to the tailor)
alipeleka nguo kwenye cherehani (to the sewing machine/tailor’s station) The version without a preposition is an idiomatic shorthand that’s widely understood.

What’s the difference between nguo and kitambaa?

nguo: clothing/garments (often plural idea: “clothes”; can also mean a single garment by context).
kitambaa: a piece of cloth/fabric/material. Plural is vitambaa. Here, he chose the fabric to be used.

Is nguo singular or plural?

It’s an N-class noun whose form doesn’t change for number. Context tells you:

singular: “a garment”
plural: “clothes” In this sentence it most naturally reads as plural (“clothes”).

Why is it ada ndogo and not ada kidogo?

ada (fee) is N-class, and the adjective “small” for N-class is ndogo. So: ada ndogo.
kidogo often functions as “a little/a bit” (adverb/quantifier), not as the agreeing adjective for N-class nouns.

Could I add an object marker for nguo?

Only if you’re pronominalizing (not naming the object):

With the noun stated: Alipeleka nguo cherehani (natural; no object marker needed).
Replacing the noun: Ali-zi-peleka cherehani = “He took them (the clothes) to the tailor’s.”
For a single garment you’d use the class-9 object marker i-: Ali-i-peleka cherehani (“He took it”).

What’s the difference between peleka and pelekea?

peleka: take/bring something to a place.
pelekea: applicative form “take something to/for someone” (adds a beneficiary/goal).
Example: Alipeleka nguo cherehani (took clothes to the tailor’s) vs Alimpelekea fundi nguo (took clothes to/for the tailor).

Could I express the sequence using an imperative plus -ka-?

Yes, -ka- also follows imperatives to show the next action:

Nenda ukachague kitambaa, ukalipe ada ndogo. = “Go, then choose the fabric, then pay a small fee.”
Here u-ka- marks “and then you (should) …”.

Any pronunciation tips for nguo and cherehani?

nguo: pronounce the “ng” as in “finger” (with a g), roughly [ng-woh]. Don’t drop the g-sound.
cherehani: che-re-ha-ni, with clear vowels; the “ch” is like English “church.”

Why is the subject not repeated before akachagua and akalipa?

It is—inside the verb. The a- is the 3rd person singular subject marker (“he/she”). Since the subject doesn’t change, Swahili just keeps using a- with -ka- for the next actions instead of repeating Juma.

Could I use na plus a normal past tense instead of -ka-?

Yes: Juma alipeleka nguo cherehani, na akachagua kitambaa, na alilipa ada ndogo.
It’s grammatically fine but a bit heavier. -ka- is the neat, narrative way to chain events.

What’s the difference between peleka (“take”) and leta (“bring”)?

peleka: move something away from the deictic center (speaker’s “here”) to somewhere else—“take/deliver.”
leta: move something toward the deictic center—“bring.”
So you’d peleka clothes to the tailor, and the tailor might kuleta them back to you.