Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kifaa kikionyesha ujumbe wa onyo, tafadhali fuata maelekezo. - If the device shows a warning message, please follow the instructions.

ki- (subject prefix for noun class 7), agreeing with kifaa (device).
-ki- (the contingent/temporal marker) meaning “when/if/while.”
onyesha (verb root “show/display”). So kikionyesha ≈ “when/if it shows.”

Does kikionyesha mean “if” or “when/whenever”? What nuance does it carry?

It can be read as either “if” or “when/whenever,” depending on context. In manuals/instructions, -ki- usually feels like a real-time trigger: “Whenever/If the device shows…, then …” It’s not a distant or speculative condition; it suggests a likely or expected contingency.

Could I say kama kifaa kitaonyesha or ikiwa kifaa kinaonyesha/kitaonyesha instead? What’s the difference?

Yes:

kama kifaa kitaonyesha… = “if the device will show…” (more plainly conditional, often future-leaning).
ikiwa kifaa kinaonyesha… = “if the device is showing…” (formal register).
ikiwa kifaa kitaonyesha… = “if the device shows/will show…”
kifaa kikionyesha… (your sentence) is compact and natural in instructions, implying a direct trigger. All are acceptable; choose based on tone (concise vs. explicit) and time nuance.

Why is it kikionyesha and not ikionyesha?

The subject marker must agree with the noun class of kifaa (class 7). Class 7 uses ki- as subject marker. i- would agree with class 9/10 nouns, not with kifaa. If the subject were plural vifaa (class 8), it would be vikionyesha.

Why is there a comma after the first clause?

The -ki- clause functions like a subordinate “when/if” clause. A comma is common (and helpful for readability) when that clause comes first. You could drop it in very informal writing, but most edited Swahili keeps it.

What does ujumbe wa onyo literally mean, and why use wa?

Literally, “message of warning.” wa is the associative “of” that agrees with the head noun ujumbe (class 11). In associative phrases, the connector changes with the head noun’s class; for class 11, it’s wa. Hence: ujumbe wa onyo.

Is ujumbe wa onyo the most natural way to say “warning message”? Are there alternatives?

It’s standard and clear. Alternatives:

ujumbe wa tahadhari (“caution/alert message”)—also common in safety contexts.
Sometimes just onyo (“warning”) is used on screens, without ujumbe. All are acceptable; choose based on the UI style you need.

What form is fuata? How would I address more than one person?

fuata is the singular affirmative imperative (“follow!” to one person). For multiple people, use fuateni (“you all, follow!”). In formal/polite style, you can also use the subjunctive with tafadhali: tafadhali ufuate (sing.) / tafadhali mfuate (pl.)—but the plain imperative with tafadhali is already polite.

What noun class is maelekezo, and does it have a singular?

maelekezo is class 6 (ma-), typically plural-only in real-life use (“instructions/directions”). The theoretical singular elekezo exists but is rare. If you pronominalize it, you use the class 6 object marker ya- (e.g., tafadhali uyafuate = “please follow them,” with u- “you (sg)” + ya- “them (class 6)” + -fuate).

Is tafadhali required? Where can it go?

It’s optional but adds politeness. Placement options:

Start: Tafadhali fuata maelekezo.
After the condition: Kifaa kikionyesha…, tafadhali fuata…
End (less common but possible): Fuata maelekezo, tafadhali. Meaning doesn’t change; tone does.

How would I negate the command?

Singular: Usifuate maelekezo (“Don’t follow the instructions”).
Plural: Msifuate maelekezo. If you want the positive prohibition “don’t ignore,” use Usiyapuuze maelekezo (sg.) / Msiyapuuze maelekezo (pl.), with the object marker ya- for class 6.

Can the main clause come first?

Yes. You could write: Tafadhali fuata maelekezo kifaa kikionyesha ujumbe wa onyo. Many writers still insert a comma before the -ki- clause when it follows: Tafadhali fuata maelekezo, kifaa kikionyesha ujumbe wa onyo. Fronting the -ki- clause (as in your sentence) is more common in instructions.

Why doesn’t the verb after -ki- have another tense marker like -na-?

Because -ki- itself is the tense/aspect marker in that clause (contemporaneous/contingent “when/if/while”). You don’t stack -na- with -ki-. Compare:

kikionyesha (when/if it shows)
kinaonyesha (it is showing—indicative, no “if/when” meaning)

If the subject were plural “devices,” what would change?

Make subject agreement plural (class 8):

Vifaa vikionyesha ujumbe wa onyo, tafadhali fuateni maelekezo. Note both the subject marker vi- in vikionyesha and the plural imperative fuateni.