Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa. - We will exchange ideas about those books tomorrow after class.

Altogether: Tutabadilishana ≈ We will exchange (with each other).
Because tu- is built into the verb, you don’t add a separate subject pronoun we in front of it in standard Swahili.

What is the difference between kubadilisha and kubadilishana?

kubadilisha = to change (something) or to exchange (something), with a more one-way feel.
- Example: Nataka kubadilisha kazi yangu. = I want to change my job.
kubadilishana = to exchange with each other, to swap, to share back and forth. The suffix -ana makes it reciprocal (two-sided).
- Example: Walibadilishana zawadi. = They exchanged gifts (with each other).

In Tutabadilishana mawazo, kubadilishana emphasizes a two-way sharing of ideas: we will exchange ideas with each other.

Does kubadilishana mawazo literally mean “exchange ideas,” and is it a common expression?

Yes. Literally:

kubadilishana = to exchange (with each other)
mawazo = thoughts / ideas

So kubadilishana mawazo is very naturally understood as to exchange ideas / thoughts / opinions. It is a common and idiomatic phrase in Swahili, especially in academic, professional, or discussion contexts.

You can also use kubadilishana with many other nouns, for example:

kubadilishana namba za simu = to exchange phone numbers
kubadilishana barua = to exchange letters
kubadilishana uzoefu = to exchange experiences

What exactly is mawazo, and what is its singular form?

Mawazo means thoughts, ideas, or sometimes worries/concerns, depending on context.

Grammatically:

Singular: wazo = an idea / a thought
Plural: mawazo = ideas / thoughts

This is noun class 5/6:

Class 5: wazo
Class 6: mawazo

Some other examples in the same 5/6 pattern:

jambo → mambo
tunda → matunda
jimbo → majimbo

Why don’t we say mawazo yetu (“our ideas”) in the sentence? Is it wrong to add yetu?

In the sentence:

Tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo…

the subject tu- (we) in Tutabadilishana already makes it clear that it’s our ideas we are exchanging. In Swahili, when the possessor is obvious from context, the possessive (yetu, yangu, yake, etc.) is often omitted.

So:

Tutabadilishana mawazo…
= We will exchange ideas (with each other).
Tutabadilishana mawazo yetu…
= We will exchange our ideas (slightly more explicit, but not usually necessary).

Mawazo yetu is grammatically correct; it’s just not required unless you want to emphasize that they are specifically our ideas (as opposed to, say, other people’s ideas that we’re passing around).

What does kuhusu mean exactly, and can it be replaced by something like juu ya?

Kuhusu means about, concerning, or regarding.

So:

mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo
= ideas about those books

You will also hear:

juu ya = literally on / on top of, but also used as about in many contexts
- mawazo juu ya vitabu hivyo = ideas about those books (also understandable and used)

Differences:

kuhusu is very standard and neutral for about / regarding, especially in speech and writing.
juu ya can feel slightly more informal or slightly more literal, depending on the context, but it is very common and correct in many cases.

In this sentence, kuhusu is the most straightforward choice, and slightly more “textbook.”

Why is it vitabu hivyo and not vitabu hivi or vitabu vile? What does hivyo add?

Vitabu is the plural of kitabu (book) and belongs to noun class 7/8:

Singular: kitabu (class 7)
Plural: vitabu (class 8)

The demonstratives for class 8 are:

hivi = these (near the speaker / just mentioned and “close” in some sense)
hivyo = those (near the listener, or previously mentioned but not near the speaker)
vile = those (far from both speaker and listener, or “distant” in context)

In vitabu hivyo, hivyo agrees with the noun class (8) and signals “those (that we are talking about / that you know about)”, typically not physically near the speaker.

You might choose among them like this:

vitabu hivi = these books (here, near me / very present in the discussion)
vitabu hivyo = those books (you know which ones I mean / maybe near you, or already mentioned)
vitabu vile = those books (over there / more distant or less immediate)

In many conversations, hivyo is the default when referring to something already known or previously mentioned.

Is the word order …vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa fixed, or can I move kesho or baada ya darasa?

The word order is flexible. Your sentence is:

Tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa.

You could also say:

Kesho baada ya darasa tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo.
Kesho tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo baada ya darasa.
Baada ya darasa kesho tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo.

All are understandable and grammatical.

General tendencies:

Time expressions often come at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
If you put Kesho baada ya darasa at the beginning, you emphasize when this will happen:
- Kesho baada ya darasa, tutabadilishana… = As for tomorrow after class, we will exchange…

The original order …vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa is natural and quite typical in speech.

What’s the difference between baada ya darasa and baadaye, and why use darasa instead of darasani?

baada ya darasa
- Literally: after class / after the lesson
- baada ya = after (followed by a noun)
- darasa = class / lesson / classroom (as a noun)
baadaye (one word)
- Means later (at some later time, not specified)
- Example: Tutaongea baadaye. = We’ll talk later.

So kesho baada ya darasa is more specific than just kesho baadaye.

About darasa vs darasani:

darasa = the class / classroom (base noun)
darasani = in class / in the classroom (locative form)

Baada ya darasa refers to the time after the class (session).
You could also hear baada ya darasani, but baada ya darasa is more common and idiomatic for “after class.”

Could I say something like Tutajadili vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa instead? How is that different from Tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo…?

Yes, you can say:

Tutajadili vitabu hivyo kesho baada ya darasa.
= We will discuss those books tomorrow after class.

Differences in nuance:

Tutajadili vitabu hivyo…
- Verb: kujadir(i) = to discuss
- Focus: directly on the books as the topic of discussion.
- Slightly shorter and very common.
Tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu vitabu hivyo…
- Verb: kubadilishana mawazo = to exchange ideas/thoughts
- Focus: on the sharing of ideas with each other about the books.
- Emphasizes the interactive, two-way aspect of the conversation.

Both sentences are natural and correct; which one you choose depends on whether you want to stress discussion of the books in general (tutajadili) or mutual exchange of ideas about them (tutabadilishana mawazo kuhusu…).