Learn Hardcore Swahili: Asha anaepuka vumbi, kwa hiyo anapendelea kukaa ndani ya ukumbi. - Asha avoids dust, so she prefers to sit inside the hall.

a- = 3rd person singular subject marker (she/he).
-na- = present tense (often progressive or general present).
Verb root: epuka (avoid), pendelea (prefer). So anaepuka = she avoids/is avoiding; anapendelea = she prefers/is preferring.

Could I use the habitual marker hu- instead of -na- here?

Yes, to state a general habit you can say: Asha huepuka vumbi, kwa hiyo hupendelea kukaa ndani ya ukumbi.

hu- marks general/habitual truth and doesn’t take a subject marker.
-na- can be habitual or present/ongoing depending on context.

Why is it anapendelea and not just anapenda?

kupenda = to like/love.
kupendelea = to prefer (like something more). Since the meaning is “prefers,” anapendelea is the right choice.

Why is the verb after anapendelea in the infinitive (kukaa)?

After verbs of liking/wanting/starting/trying, Swahili typically uses the infinitive:

anapendelea kukaa = she prefers to stay/sit.
The ku- is the infinitive marker.

Does kukaa mean “to sit” or “to stay/live”?

It can mean all of these:

sit (physical posture),
stay/remain,
live/reside (context decides). Here it’s “stay (indoors/in the hall).”

Is anaepuka spelled with two adjacent vowels on purpose? How do I pronounce it?

Yes. It’s a-na-e-pu-ka (four syllables: a–na–e–pu–ka). The -na- tense marker meets a verb starting with a vowel, so you see adjacent vowels. Don’t insert a glide; just say both vowels smoothly.

I’ve seen anayepuka. Why isn’t it used here?

anayepuka is a relative form meaning “who avoids.” Example: Asha anayepuka vumbi = “Asha who avoids dust…”. In your sentence you need a normal finite verb, so anaepuka is correct.

Is anaepuka vumbi correct, or should it be anajiepusha na vumbi?

Both are fine, with a small nuance:

kuepuka + [object]: avoid X (plain transitive).
kujiepusha na + [object]: keep oneself away from X (more reflexive/intentional). So you can also say: Asha anajiepusha na vumbi.

Do I need an object marker for vumbi? Could I say analiepuka vumbi?

You usually don’t object-mark mass/inanimate nouns unless they’re highly topical/contrastive. Without it is most natural: anaepuka vumbi. If the dust is already very specific in context, you can object-mark class 5 as li-: Asha anali-epuka vumbi (spelled together: analiepuka), but that’s less common here.

What exactly does kwa hiyo mean? How is it different from kwa hivyo or ndiyo maana?

kwa hiyo = therefore/so (for that reason; points back to the previous clause).
kwa hivyo = thus/so (often interchangeable with kwa hiyo in everyday use).
ndiyo maana = that’s why (slightly more emphatic/explicit causal link). All three could work here.

Is the comma before kwa hiyo okay? Could I start a new sentence instead?

Both are fine:

Asha anaepuka vumbi, kwa hiyo anapendelea…
Asha anaepuka vumbi. Kwa hiyo anapendelea… Swahili punctuation generally follows familiar patterns from English.

Why is it ndani ya ukumbi and not ndani wa/cha/la ukumbi?

The linker after -a agrees with ndani (a class 9 noun), not with ukumbi. Class 9 takes ya. Hence: ndani ya ukumbi = “inside of the hall.”

Can I use the locative suffix -ni instead of ndani ya?

Yes. ukumbini means “in/at the hall.” So:

…kukaa ndani ya ukumbi = stay inside the hall,
…kukaa ukumbini = stay in the hall. Both are idiomatic; -ni is often more concise.

What does ukumbi refer to exactly? Is it “hall,” “lounge,” or something else?

ukumbi can mean hall, lounge, veranda/porch, or lobby depending on the building and region. In many contexts it’s the main sitting/living area. Context decides the best English gloss.

What are the noun classes and plurals for ukumbi and vumbi?

ukumbi is class 11 (u-); plural: kumbi (class 10).
vumbi (dust) is usually a mass noun (class 5 in many dictionaries) and typically has no plural in everyday use.

Could I say kwenye ukumbi or nyumbani instead of ndani ya ukumbi?

Yes:

kwenye ukumbi = at/in the hall (general locative).
nyumbani = at home/inside the house. Pick the one that matches your intended location.