Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tafadhali ondoa lebo ya bei kabla ya kuvaa vazi lako. - Please remove the price label before wearing your attire.

In lebo ya bei, ya is the genitive linker meaning “of,” agreeing with the noun class of lebo (class 9/10), so “label of price” = “price tag.”
In kabla ya kuvaa, kabla ya is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning “before (doing).” When followed by a verb in the infinitive (the ku- form), Swahili uses kabla ya + infinitive.

Could I say kabla kuvaa without ya?

No. When “before” is followed by an infinitive, Swahili requires kabla ya + ku-verb: kabla ya kuvaa, not “kabla kuvaa.”

Is there another structure for “before,” like a finite clause?

Yes: kabla huja- + perfect. For example, Kabla hujavaa vazi lako, ondoa lebo ya bei (“Before you put on your garment, remove the price tag”). This uses the negative perfect form (huja-) and is common in speech.

Can I use toa instead of ondoa?

Yes. Ondoa = “remove, take away (from a surface/position).” Toa = “take out/off; give; issue,” and also works here. Both are natural:

Tafadhali ondoa lebo ya bei…
Tafadhali toa lebo ya bei…

How do I say this to more than one person?

Use the plural imperative -eni: Ondoeni lebo ya bei kabla ya kuvaa…
If you keep vazi, the plural “your” is lenu (class 5): vazi lenu. More commonly, you’d use a plural clothing word:

…kabla ya kuvaa mavazi yenu (class 6)
…kabla ya kuvaa nguo zenu (class 10 plural)

How can I make the request more polite/indirect?

Keep tafadhali and add the subjunctive: Tafadhali uondoe lebo ya bei…
Use naomba (“I request/please may I ask”): Naomba uondoe lebo ya bei kabla ya kuvaa vazi lako.

Why is it vazi here—can I use nguo?

Both are fine:

vazi (class 5/6) is “garment/outfit” and can sound a bit formal or literary.
nguo (class 9/10) is the everyday word for “clothes/garment.”
So: …kabla ya kuvaa nguo yako is very natural.

Why lako and not yako after vazi?

The possessive agrees with the noun class:

vazi (class 5) → lako/langu/lake… → vazi lako
nguo (class 9) → yako/yangu/yake… → nguo yako
mavazi (class 6 plural) → yako → mavazi yako

What if I want the plural “clothes” instead of a single garment?

Use mavazi (class 6) or plural nguo:

Tafadhali ondoa lebo ya bei kabla ya kuvaa mavazi yako.
Tafadhali ondoa lebo ya bei kabla ya kuvaa nguo zako. (note plural zako for class 10)

Can I avoid repeating “garment” and just say “before you wear it”?

Yes. Use an object marker on the infinitive:

For vazi (class 5, object marker li-): …kabla ya kulivaa.
For nguo (class 9, object marker i-): …kabla ya kuivaa. Only use this if the thing (“it”) is already clear from context.

Which is correct here, kulivaa or kuivaa?

It depends on the noun:

vazi (class 5) → object marker li- → kulivaa
nguo (class 9) → object marker i- → kuivaa Since the sentence has vazi, the right form would be kulivaa.

Does kuvaa mean “to wear” or “to put on”? What about kuvalia and kuvua?

kuvaa = to wear/put on (both senses, depending on context).
kuvalia = applied form “wear (something) on/for,” often “be wearing”: Nimevalia shati (“I’m wearing a shirt”).
kuvua = to take off/undress (also “to fish,” different context).
Related: kuvalisha = to dress someone (put clothes on another person).

Are there other natural ways to say “price tag”?

Yes, common alternatives include:

stika ya bei (price sticker)
tagi ya bei (price tag; colloquial/borrowed)
More descriptive: kijikaratasi cha bei (little price paper)

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

Tafadhali: dh is like the “th” in “this” (voiced ð).
bei: two syllables, “beh-ee.”
vaa/kuvaa: pronounce both vowels: “va-a,” not “vah.”
Stress is generally penultimate: ta-fa-DHA-li, ku-VAA, VA-zi.