Mhudumu alituambia tusimame kwenye kaunta kwanza.

The waiter told us to stand at the counter first.

Breakdown of Mhudumu alituambia tusimame kwenye kaunta kwanza.

• kwenye: at
• mhudumu: the waiter
• kwanza: first
• kuambia: to tell
• sisi: us
• kusimama: to stand
• kaunta: the counter

Questions & Answers about Mhudumu alituambia tusimame kwenye kaunta kwanza.

Why is tusimame used instead of simama, simameni, or kusimama?

Because after verbs of telling/ordering like ambia (to tell), Swahili uses the subjunctive to express what someone should do.

• tusimame = tu- (we) + simame (subjunctive of simama) = “that we (should) stand.”
• simameni is a direct imperative to “you (plural)” used in direct quotes: an attendant speaking to you would say Simameni.
• kusimama is the infinitive “to stand,” not used for giving instructions after ambia.

How is alituambia built?

It’s one verb with prefixes and an object infix:

• a- = 3rd person singular subject prefix (he/she; class 1)
• -li- = past tense
• -tu- = object infix “us”
• -ambia = verb stem “tell (someone)” So a-li-tu-ambia = “he/she told us.”
  Negative past would be haku-tu-ambia = “he/she didn’t tell us.”

Can I add kwamba (“that”) here?

Yes. Both are correct:

• Mhudumu alituambia tusimame kwenye kaunta kwanza.
• Mhudumu alituambia kwamba tusimame kwenye kaunta kwanza. Using kwamba is optional and slightly more explicit/formal.

What would a direct-quote version look like?

For direct speech, you’d use the imperative to the people addressed:

• Mhudumu alisema: Simameni kwenye kaunta kwanza.
  In the original sentence, the subjunctive tusimame marks reported/indirect speech.

Does tusimame ever mean “let’s not stand”?

No. tusimame is positive (“we should/let’s stand”).
The negative “let’s not stand” would be tusisimame (note the extra -si- for negation).

What exactly does mhudumu mean?

A service worker/attendant. Context decides the specific job:

• mhudumu wa hoteli (waiter/waitress)
• mhudumu wa benki (bank teller)
• mhudumu wa ndege (flight attendant)
• mhudumu wa wateja (customer service agent)
  Plural: wahudumu.

What does kwenye mean, and how is it different from katika or kwa?

• kwenye = at/in/on (very common and neutral in everyday speech). kwenye kaunta = “at the counter.”
• katika = in/within; tends to be more formal or written. It’s fine in many places, but with locations like “counter,” kwenye sounds more natural.
• kwa has several uses (“by means of,” “at someone’s place,” “because of”); it’s not the normal choice for “at the counter.”

Is kaunta the right word for “counter”? Any pitfalls?

Yes, kaunta is the common loanword for a service counter. Don’t confuse it with kaunti, which (especially in Kenya) means “county.”

Which noun class is kaunta in, and how do I make it plural?

Most such loanwords are class 9/10, so singular and plural look the same: kaunta. Agreement follows class 10 in the plural:

• singular: kaunta moja imefungwa (one counter is closed)
• plural: kaunta nyingi zimefungwa (many counters are closed)

Why is there no word for “the” before kaunta?

Swahili has no articles (no “a/an/the”). Definiteness is understood from context or shown with demonstratives:

• ile kaunta = that counter
• hiyo kaunta = that counter (near the listener)

What does kwanza add here?

kwanza means “first/firstly” or “to begin with.” In instructions it often softens the tone and orders steps:

• … kwenye kaunta kwanza = “at the counter first, before anything else.”
  You can move it: Kwanza, mhudumu alituambia tusimame kwenye kaunta.

Is the capital letter in Mhudumu required?

It’s capitalized only because it starts the sentence. Common nouns like mhudumu are otherwise lowercase in Swahili.

Could I change the object from “us” to “me” or “him/her”?

Yes—swap the object infix:

• me: a-li-ni-ambia = “he/she told me”
• him/her: a-li-mw-ambia = “he/she told him/her”
• us: a-li-tu-ambia
• them: a-li-wa-ambia
  Then keep the subjunctive clause: e.g., aliniambia nisimame… (“told me to stand…”).