Learn Hardcore Swahili: Muuguzi atathibitisha dawa kabla ya kumruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka. - The nurse will confirm the medicine before allowing the patient to leave.

a- = third-person singular subject marker (he/she; noun class 1 for people)
-ta- = future tense marker
thibitisha = verb stem “confirm/verify” So a-ta-thibitisha = “he/she will confirm.” The negative future is ha-ta-thibitisha → hatathibitisha “he/she will not confirm.”

Why is the subject marker a- used here?

Because the subject Muuguzi (nurse) is in noun class 1 (m-/wa-), which takes the subject marker a- in the singular. If the subject were plural (class 2), you’d use wa-: Wauguzi watathibitisha… “The nurses will confirm…”

Why does Muuguzi have two “u”s?

It’s the prefix mu- attached to a stem beginning with u (from the root related to nursing/care), yielding mu + u → muu. So Muuguzi literally means “carer/nurse,” and the sequence is written with both vowels.

What does kabla ya do, and why is ya there?

Kabla ya means “before (doing something),” and it’s followed by a noun or a verbal noun (the infinitive with ku-). The ya is the genitive linker in this fixed expression. Example: kabla ya kumruhusu… “before allowing…”. An alternative with a full clause is: kabla hajamruhusu mgonjwa aondoke (“before he has allowed the patient to leave,” using the negative perfect in the subordinate clause, which is idiomatic).

Why is there an m in kumruhusu?

kumruhusu = ku- (infinitive “to”) + -m- (object marker “him/her” for class 1) + ruhusu (allow). The -m- refers to “the patient,” anticipating the noun mgonjwa that follows. Before a consonant like r, it stays m-. Before a vowel, it becomes mw- (e.g., kumwambia “to tell him/her”).

Do I need both the object marker -m- and the explicit noun mgonjwa?

Not strictly. Swahili often allows “object doubling” when the object is definite or already known:

With both (as in the sentence): …kabla ya kumruhusu mgonjwa… (very natural)
Without the noun: …kabla ya kumruhusu kuondoka (the patient is understood)
Without the object marker: …kabla ya kuruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka (also fine)

Why is it kuondoka and not aondoke?

After kabla ya, verbs typically appear as verbal nouns (the infinitive with ku-), hence kuondoka (“leaving”). If you use a full finite clause instead of the kabla ya + infinitive structure, you’d say: kabla hajamruhusu mgonjwa aondoke (“before he has allowed the patient to leave”), where aondoke is subjunctive.

Can I rewrite the sentence with a full “before”-clause?

Yes. For example:

Kabla hajamruhusu mgonjwa aondoke, muuguzi atathibitisha dawa. This uses a finite clause after kabla, which is common and idiomatic.

Is dawa singular or plural? Should I say madawa?

Dawa belongs to the N-class; its form doesn’t change between singular and plural, and it also works as a mass noun (“medicine”). Madawa exists and is used (often for multiple types/units of medicines), but dawa is perfectly normal for “the medication/medicine.”

What’s the nuance difference between thibitisha, hakiki, hakikisha, and kagua?

thibitisha: confirm/verify (establish correctness or authenticity).
hakiki: verify/check (often textual/data verification).
hakikisha: ensure/make sure (cause to be certain).
kagua: inspect/examine (systematic checking, e.g., physically). In a medication context, thibitisha or kagua are both common depending on the focus.

How do I pronounce the “th” in thibitisha and the cluster in mruhusu?

th in thibitisha is often pronounced like English “th” in “think” [θ]; many speakers also realize it as [t], and that’s widely accepted.
mruhusu starts with a syllabic-like m followed by r; think “m-ruhusu” without inserting a vowel between m and r.

How would I say this in the past or present instead of future?

Present (ongoing/general): Muuguzi anathibitisha dawa kabla ya kumruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka.
Past: Muuguzi alithibitisha dawa kabla ya kumruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka. TAM slot changes: -na- (present), -li- (past), -ta- (future).

How do I make the sentence negative?

Use ha- for the class-1 subject plus the tense marker:

Future negative: Muuguzi hatathibitisha dawa kabla ya kumruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka. For other tenses: hathibitishi (present), hakulithibitisha or hakuthibitisha (past, forms vary by region).

How does the sentence change with plural “nurses” and “patients”?

Wauguzi watathibitisha dawa kabla ya kuwaruhusu wagonjwa kuondoka. Changes:
Wauguzi (class 2 plural) → subject marker wa- in watathibitisha
Object marker for plural people is wa-: kuwaruhusu
wagonjwa is the plural of mgonjwa

Can I use baada ya to say “after allowing the patient to leave”?

Yes:

Muuguzi atathibitisha dawa baada ya kumruhusu mgonjwa kuondoka. = “The nurse will confirm the medication after allowing the patient to leave.” Contrast: kabla ya = before, baada ya = after.

Where are English articles (“the/a”) in Swahili?

Swahili doesn’t use articles. Muuguzi, dawa, mgonjwa can mean “a nurse/the nurse,” “medicine/the medicine,” “a/the patient,” depending on context. Definiteness is inferred from context or object marking and demonstratives (e.g., yule mgonjwa = “that patient”).

Can the verb carry an object marker for dawa too?

Yes. For class 9 (singular) dawa, the object marker is i-:

Without repeating the noun: Muuguzi ataithibitisha (“The nurse will confirm it [the medicine].”)
With doubling: Muuguzi ataithibitisha dawa (also possible, often for definiteness/emphasis).

What’s the morpheme-by-morpheme breakdown of the whole sentence?

Muuguzi = mu- (class 1 person prefix) + -uguzi (care/nursing) → “nurse”
a-ta-thibitisha = a- (3sg subject) + -ta- (future) + thibitisha (confirm)
dawa = medicine
kabla ya = before (genitive linker)
ku-m-ruhusu = ku- (to/infinitive) + -m- (obj. marker: him/her) + ruhusu (allow)
mgonjwa = patient (class 1)
ku-ondoka = ku- (to/infinitive) + ondoka (leave/depart)