Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tafadhali weka barua kwenye jalada.

Tafadhali uweke barua kwenye jalada.
Naomba uweke barua kwenye jalada. Compared to the bare imperative weka, uweke sounds a bit more indirect/formal. With tafadhali, both are polite.

What exactly does kwenye mean, and what are common alternatives?

kwenye is a general locative preposition that can mean in/on/at/into/onto; context clarifies. Common alternatives:

katika = in/within (more formal/neutral)
ndani ya = inside (explicitly inside)
juu ya = on (on top of)
Locative suffix -ni on the noun: e.g., jaladani = in the folder

Can I replace kwenye jalada with a locative -ni form?

Yes. You can say: Tafadhali weka barua jaladani. The suffix -ni on jalada gives the place meaning “in/at the folder.” Both kwenye jalada and jaladani are natural.

How do I say “Please put it in the folder” without repeating barua?

Use the class 9 object prefix i- for barua:

Singular addressee: Tafadhali iweke kwenye jalada.
Plural addressees: Tafadhali iwekeni kwenye jalada.

What are the plurals of jalada and barua?

jalada (class 5) → plural majalada (class 6)
barua (class 9/10) → plural is still barua (no change) Demonstratives:
This folder: jalada hili; these folders: majalada haya
This letter: barua hii; these letters: barua hizi

Does barua mean a letter of the alphabet?

No. barua is a letter you send (mail). A letter of the alphabet is herufi. A more general term for a document is often waraka (document/circular), depending on context.

What’s the difference between jalada and bahasha? Is faili okay?

jalada = file/folder; also “cover” (e.g., of a book or file)
bahasha = envelope
faili (from English “file”) is widely used in East Africa for a file/folder. So “put the letter in the file/folder” could be weka barua kwenye faili or …kwenye jalada. For an envelope, use bahasha.

If I mean “on the cover” (not “in the folder”), how do I say that?

Use a phrase that clearly means “on top of”:

Weka barua juu ya jalada. = Put the letter on the cover. If you mean a book cover specifically:
Weka barua juu ya jalada la kitabu. Note: jalada can mean “cover,” so context or juu ya removes ambiguity.

Is weka the only verb for “put”? What about tia or ingiza?

weka = put/place/set (very general; most common)
tia = put in/add (often for adding a substance or inserting into something; also fine here): Tia barua kwenye jalada.
ingiza = insert/put into (focus on moving into): Ingiza barua jaladani. All can work; weka is the safest default.

Can I omit tafadhali or put it at the end?

Yes.

Without it (neutral command): Weka barua kwenye jalada.
At the end: Weka barua kwenye jalada, tafadhali. Other polite options: Naomba uweke…, Je, unaweza kuiweka kwenye jalada, tafadhali?

What word order is most natural? Can I move the place phrase earlier?

The default, most natural order is Verb + Object + Place:

Weka barua kwenye jalada. You can front the place for emphasis/focus:
Kwenye jalada, weka barua. But Weka kwenye jalada barua is less typical; Swahili generally prefers the object right after the verb unless you’re emphasizing something.

How do I say “Please put the letters in the folders”?

To one person: Tafadhali weka barua kwenye majalada. (context shows plural “barua”)
To several people: Tafadhali wekeni barua kwenye majalada. If you need “the letters/the folders”: Tafadhali weka barua hizo kwenye majalada hayo.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Stress the second-to-last syllable of each word: ta-FA-dha-li WE-ka ba-RU-a kwe-NYE ja-LA-da.
dh in tafadhali is like the “th” in English “this” (voiced ð).
j in jalada is like English “j” in “jam.”

How would I say “Please put the letter inside the folder” vs “on top of the folder”?

Inside: Tafadhali weka barua ndani ya jalada. / …jaladani.
On top: Tafadhali weka barua juu ya jalada.