Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ni muhimu kuepuka kuharakisha kazi hii. - It is important to avoid rushing this work.

Ni is the copula “is/are.” Muhimu means “important.” Together, Ni muhimu is an impersonal “It is important …” construction.
There’s no overt subject; Swahili doesn’t need a dummy “it” like English does.
Negative: Si muhimu … = “It isn’t important …” (You’ll also see the colloquial variants sio/siyo muhimu.)

Why do both kuepuka and kuharakisha start with ku-?

ku- marks the infinitive/verbal-noun (roughly “to …” or “-ing” in English).
kuepuka = “to avoid,” and it takes another verb in the infinitive as its object: kuepuka kuharakisha = “to avoid (the act of) rushing.”
You cannot drop the second ku-: saying kuepuka harakisha is ungrammatical.

Can I say “It’s important not to rush this job” instead?

Yes. Use the negative infinitive with kuto-:

Ni muhimu kutoharakisha kazi hii. This is very natural and a bit more direct than kuepuka kuharakisha …; both are acceptable.

What’s the difference between kuepuka kuharakisha … and kutoharakisha …?

kuepuka kuharakisha … emphasizes the idea of steering clear of a behavior (“avoid rushing”).
kutoharakisha … states the behavior in the negative (“not to rush”).
In most contexts they’re interchangeable; choose based on style or brevity.

Is kuharakisha transitive here?

Yes. kuharakisha is transitive when you’re “rushing” something: kuharakisha kazi = “to rush the work.” It can also be used intransitively in commands to a person: Haramisha! (colloq.) or more commonly Harakisha! = “Hurry up!”

What noun class is kazi, and why is it kazi hii?

kazi is class 9/10. Its singular and plural look the same: “work, job(s).”
The class 9 singular demonstrative “this” is hii, so: kazi hii = “this job/work.” Plural “these jobs” is kazi hizi.

Could I put the demonstrative before the noun, like hii kazi?

In standard Swahili, the demonstrative normally follows the noun: kazi hii. Preposing (hii kazi) occurs in some colloquial speech or for particular emphasis, but stick to post-nominal in formal/neutral usage.

Can I change the word order to front the infinitive phrase?

Yes: Kuepuka kuharakisha kazi hii ni muhimu. Same meaning; the fronted version puts topical emphasis on the action “avoiding rushing this job.”

Do I need a preposition like kwa after muhimu?

No preposition is needed for the basic impersonal statement: Ni muhimu …. Use kwa to indicate “for (someone)”:

Ni muhimu kwetu kuepuka … = “It’s important for us to avoid …”
Ni muhimu kwake … = “It’s important for him/her …”

How do I say who should avoid rushing (e.g., “we”)?

Several natural options:

Impersonal + beneficiary: Ni muhimu kwetu kuepuka kuharakisha kazi hii.
Subjunctive (that-clause): Ni muhimu tusiharakishe kazi hii. (“It’s important that we not rush this job.”)
Subjunctive with “avoid”: Ni muhimu tuepuke kuharakisha kazi hii.

Is there any agreement I’m missing with kazi hii inside the verb?

Not in the basic sentence. The object is overt, so you don’t need an object marker. If you fronted the object before the verb, you’d then include the class 9 object marker i- on the verb:

Kazi hii, ni muhimu kuiharakisha? (here just as a structure example; note ku-i-harakisha → kuiharakisha) But the original sentence doesn’t require this.

How are kuepuka and kujiepusha na different?

kuepuka can take a direct object or a verb: kuepuka hatari (avoid danger), kuepuka kuharakisha (avoid rushing).
kujiepusha na is reflexive and uses na: kujiepusha na hatari = “to keep oneself away from danger.” With verbs you’d rephrase, so kuepuka is simpler in this sentence.

Are there pronunciation tips for kuepuka and kuharakisha?

kuepuka: say both vowels in “ku-e” (often flowing together in quick speech), roughly “koo-eh-POO-kah.”
kuharakisha: stress tends to fall near the end, “koo-hah-rah-KEE-shah.” The “sh” is like English “sh.”

Are there useful synonyms for “rush” here?

kuharakisha is the standard “to hasten/rush (something).”
Related expressions:
- fanya haraka = “hurry up” (intransitive, to a person).
- kuharakia = “to rush to/toward (something).”
- kuharibu means “to spoil/ruin,” not “to rush,” so don’t use it here.

Is there a proverb or natural-sounding follow-up that fits this idea?

Yes, a common saying is Haraka haraka haina baraka (“Haste has no blessing” ≈ “Haste makes waste”). You might hear it used to justify sentences like yours that caution against rushing work.