Learn Hardcore Swahili: Bibi mwenye huruma anafariji watoto. - A compassionate grandmother comforts children.

It acts like an adjective meaning with/possessing compassion → “compassionate.” In Swahili, mwenye + [noun] is a common way to say “having/with [noun],” so bibi mwenye huruma = “a compassionate lady/grandmother.”

How does mwenye agree with different noun classes?

The form of -enye changes to match the head noun’s class:

Class 1 (singular person): mwenye — mtU mwenye huruma
Class 2 (plural people): wenye — watU wenye huruma
Class 3: wenye — mtI wenye matawi
Class 4: yenye — mitI yenye matawi
Class 5: lenye — tunda lenye mbegu
Class 6: yenye — matunda yenye mbegu
Class 7: chenye — kisu chenye ncha
Class 8: vyenye — visu vyenye ncha
Class 9: yenye — ndizi yenye doa
Class 10: zenye — ndizi zenye doa

In the sentence, bibi (a human) takes Class 1 agreement, so we use mwenye: bibi mwenye huruma. For plurals: mabibi wenye huruma.

How is anafariji built, and what tense/aspect is it?

It’s composed of:

a- (3rd person singular subject: he/she)
-na- (present tense marker)
fariji (verb root “comfort/console”)

So a-na-fariji = “he/she is comforting / comforts.” It can be progressive or simple present depending on context.

Does the na inside anafariji mean “and”?

No. Here -na- is the present tense marker. The conjunction na (“and/with”) is a separate word; it doesn’t appear inside the verb like this.

Do I need an object marker for watoto? What about anawafariji?

Bibi … anafariji watoto is fine (no object marker).
Bibi … anawafariji watoto adds the object marker -wa- (for Class 2 plural “children”), effectively “she comforts them, the children,” making the object more specific/topical.
If the object comes before the verb, the object marker is normally required: Watoto, bibi mwenye huruma anawafariji.

How would I make the whole sentence plural (many compassionate ladies)?

Subject noun: mabibi (ladies)
Adjective agreement: wenye (plural)
Verb subject marker: wa- (they) Example: Mabibi wenye huruma wanafariji watoto.
(Optional object marker for children): Mabibi wenye huruma wanawafariji watoto.

Is bibi “lady” or “grandmother”? How do I make that clear?

It can mean either, depending on context. To be explicit:

“grandmother”: often still bibi (context clarifies), or regionally nyanya (note: also means “tomato” in many places).
“lady/woman”: bibi (as a respectful term), or mwanamke (woman). Titles “Ms./Mrs.” are also Bi. (abbrev.) or Bibi before a name.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before bibi and watoto?

Swahili has no articles. Bibi and watoto can mean “a/ the lady” and “(the) children.” Use context, demonstratives, or object markers to show specificity:

Bibi huyu mwenye huruma… (this compassionate lady…)
… anawafariji watoto (comforts the children [them]).

Could I say “is compassionate” instead of using mwenye huruma as a modifier?

Yes. Use a predicate:

Bibi ni mwenye huruma. (The lady is compassionate.) Then continue: Anafariji watoto.
As a single clause modifier, bibi mwenye huruma is more compact.

Is there another way to say “who has compassion,” like a relative clause?

Yes: bibi aliye na huruma anafariji watoto (“the lady who has compassion comforts children”).

aliye = “who is/that is” (relative of “to be”) + na huruma (“with compassion”).
Both mwenye huruma and aliye na huruma are natural; mwenye huruma is shorter and very idiomatic.

How would I negate this sentence?

Verb negation: Bibi mwenye huruma hafariji watoto. (she does not comfort children)
If you want “a lady who is not compassionate”: Bibi asiye na huruma hafariji watoto.

Any pronunciation tips for the words here?

Swahili stress is on the second-to-last syllable.
bibi: BI-bi
mwenye: MWE-nye (ny as in “canyon”)
huruma: hu-RU-ma
anafariji: a-na-fa-RI-ji
watoto: wa-TO-to