Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tafadhali niletee mto wa kulalia uliopo sebuleni. - Please bring me the pillow that is in the living room.

ni- = me (1st-person object marker)
-letee = bring for/to (applicative of leta “bring”; letea → subjunctive/polite form letee)
Final -e marks the polite/subjunctive request (often used with Tafadhali “please”)

Why is it niletee and not nilete?

Because you want “bring it to/for me,” not “bring me (as the direct object).”

niletee mto… = bring the pillow to me (correct; applicative “for/to” meaning)
nilete mto… would be ungrammatical or would mistakenly make “me” the direct object of “bring.” Use the applicative (‑ee/‑ea) for giving/bringing to someone.

What does mto wa kulalia literally mean?

Literally “pillow for sleeping on.”

mto = pillow
Connective wa = “of/for” agreeing with class 3 noun mto
kulalia = to sleep on (infinitive of lalia, the applicative of lala “sleep,” meaning “sleep on [something]”)

Why is the connective wa used (and not, say, ya)?

Because mto is a class 3 noun; the connective “of/for” agrees with the noun class:

Class 3 singular takes wa → mto wa…
For example, with class 4 plural (mito) you would get ya → mito ya…

Could I say mto wa kulala instead of mto wa kulalia?

You could, but it’s less precise. kulala = “to sleep,” while kulalia = “to sleep on (something).” Since a pillow is something you sleep on, kulalia is the natural choice.

What does uliopo mean and how is it built?

It’s a relative form meaning “that is (located) at/in [a specific place].”

u- = class 3 agreement (matching mto)
-li- … -o = relative marker (forming “that/which … is”)
-po = locative ending for a specific/definite place So uliopo sebuleni = “that is in the living room.”

Why is it uliopo and not uko?

uko is a standalone verb form (“it is located”), used in a full sentence: Mto uko sebuleni (“The pillow is in the living room”). Inside a noun phrase you need the relative form: mto uliopo sebuleni (“the pillow that is in the living room”).

What’s the difference between -po, -ko, and -mo in forms like uliopo/ulioko/uliomo?

-po: specific/definite place (here/there at a known spot) → most natural with named/known locations, e.g., sebuleni.
-ko: general/non-specific location.
-mo: inside/within (emphasizes interior). With sebuleni (a specific, known room), uliopo sebuleni is the default; ulioko sebuleni is also heard; uliomo sebuleni would emphasize “inside” the living room.

Could I say mto ulioko sebuleni instead?

Yes. ulioko is common, and many speakers use it interchangeably here. uliopo just leans a bit more toward “at that specific place.” Both are acceptable with sebuleni.

What does the -ni at the end of sebuleni do?

It’s the locative suffix meaning “in/at.”

sebule = living room
sebuleni = in the living room

Can I change the order of the descriptors, e.g., say mto uliopo sebuleni wa kulalia?

Yes. Both are natural:

mto wa kulalia uliopo sebuleni
mto uliopo sebuleni wa kulalia Swahili allows both the genitive phrase (wa kulalia) and the relative clause (uliopo sebuleni) to follow the noun; their order can vary without changing the meaning.

How would the sentence change if I meant “pillows” (plural)?

You’d change the agreements to class 4 (plural of class 3):

mito ya kulalia iliyopo sebuleni = “pillows for sleeping on that are in the living room.” Here the connective is ya (class 4), and the relative becomes iliyo(po) (class 4).

How would I address more than one person (plural “you”)?

Use the plural imperative ending -eni:

Tafadhali nileteeni mto wa kulalia uliopo sebuleni. (= “Please bring me …”, addressed to more than one person.)

Is there an even more polite way to phrase the request?

Yes. Use a full clause with a subject or the verb “to ask for”:

Naomba uniletee mto wa kulalia uliopo sebuleni. (“I’m requesting that you bring me…”)
Tafadhali, unaweza kuniletea mto wa kulalia uliopo sebuleni? (“Could you bring me…?”)