Learn Hardcore Swahili: Fundi atarekebisha dari na kuweka balbu mpya kesho. - The repairman will fix the ceiling and put in a new bulb tomorrow.

fundi umeme: electrician
fundi bomba: plumber
fundi rangi: painter
fundi magari: mechanic
fundi seremala: carpenter
fundi uashi: mason/bricklayer On its own, fundi typically means a repair person or technician.

How is atarekebisha formed, and how do I negate it?

Breakdown: a- (he/she), -ta- (future), rekebish (fix/repair), -a (final vowel). So atarekebisha = he/she will repair. Negation in the future: hatarekebisha = he/she will not repair. For comparison:

Present: anarekebisha (is repairing)
Past: alirekebisha (repaired)
Perfect: amerekebisha (has repaired)

Why is it na kuweka instead of repeating the future as na ataweka?

When two actions share the same subject and time, Swahili often uses na + infinitive (ku- + verb) for the second action: ... atarekebisha ... na kuweka .... Repeating the full finite verb (... na ataweka ...) is also correct and can add emphasis or clarity. Both mean both actions will happen in the future.

Does dari mean ceiling or roof? I’ve seen paa too.

dari = the interior ceiling (what you see from inside a room).
paa = the roof (the outer covering on top of a building). So fixing dari is an interior job; fixing paa concerns the exterior roof.

Is balbu countable, and how do I make it plural?

balbu (bulb) is a class 9/10 noun; its singular and plural look the same: balbu. Use numbers or context to show quantity:

balbu moja = one bulb
balbu mbili = two bulbs Thus balbu mpya could mean one new bulb or new bulbs, depending on context.

Why doesn’t the adjective mpya change here? Shouldn’t it agree with the noun?

It does agree. For class 9/10 nouns like balbu, the adjective form is mpya in both singular and plural: balbu mpya (new bulb/new bulbs). For contrast, with class 5/6 nouns like dari, you’d say dari jipya (a new ceiling) and madari mapya (new ceilings).

Is kuweka the best verb for installing a bulb, or should I use kufunga or kusakinisha?

All can be used, with nuance:

kuweka = to put/place; common and natural for installing a bulb.
kufunga = to fasten/attach; very common in everyday speech for hardware: kufunga balbu.
kusakinisha = to install (more formal/technical); used for equipment/software or more elaborate installations; less common for a simple bulb.

Where can I put kesho in the sentence?

It’s flexible:

Start: Kesho fundi atarekebisha dari na kuweka balbu mpya.
After the subject: Fundi kesho atarekebisha dari na kuweka balbu mpya.
End (as given): Fundi atarekebisha dari na kuweka balbu mpya kesho. All are natural; placing time at the start is very common.

How would I say this in the present or the past?

Present progressive: Fundi anarekebisha dari na kuweka balbu mpya sasa.
Simple past: Fundi alirekebisha dari na akaweka balbu mpya jana.
Using akaweka marks a sequence by the same subject in narrative past.

Why don’t the verbs have an object marker for dari or balbu?

Object markers are usually omitted when the object is an explicit noun phrase. They are used when the object is pronominal or topicalized. Examples:

Neutral: Fundi atarekebisha dari.
Pronoun only (ceiling, class 5): Fundi atalirekebisha = He will fix it.
Pronoun only (bulb, class 9/10): Fundi ataiweka = He will install it; plural: Fundi ataziweka = He will install them.
Topicalized: Dari, fundi atalirekebisha.

Any tips on pronunciation and stress in this sentence?

Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: FÚNdi, ata-reke-BÍ-sha, ku-WÉ-ka, KÉ-sho.
nd in fundi is a single [nd] sound; pronounce both letters together.
Vowels are pure and short; avoid English-like schwa sounds.

Is coordinating two different objects with na okay?

Yes. As long as the subject is the same, you can coordinate verbs with na even if their objects differ: ... atarekebisha [dari] na kuweka [balbu mpya] .... The shared future marker on the first verb is understood for the second action.