Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mafundi wakirekebisha ufa huo, nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi. - When the builders repair that crack, the house will be safer.

wa- = subject prefix for they (3rd person plural, human class)
-ki- = the -ki- tense/aspect marker, often translated as when / while / if
rekebisha = verb stem “fix, repair”

So wakirekebisha literally has the sense “when/while they are fixing” or “once they fix”.
In this sentence it introduces a when/once clause:

Mafundi wakirekebisha ufa huo…
When/once the fundis fix that crack…

Is -ki- in wakirekebisha more like when, while, or if?

The -ki- marker can cover a few related ideas, and the exact English translation depends on context:

When / once: a likely or expected event in the future
- Mafundi wakirekebisha ufa huo, nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi.
  → When/once the fundis fix that crack, the house will be safer.
While / as: two actions happening at the same time
- Alikuwa anaimba akipika. → She was singing while she cooked.
If: a conditional, often for a realistic condition
- Ukisoma vizuri, utapita mtihani. → If you study well, you’ll pass the exam.

Here, because the main clause is in the future (itakuwa = it will be), wakirekebisha is best understood as “when/once they fix”, a time clause rather than a pure “if”.

Why is there no separate word for “they” before wakirekebisha?

In Swahili, the subject is usually built into the verb prefix, so you rarely use a separate pronoun unless you want emphasis.

wa- in wakirekebisha already means “they”.
You could say Wao wakirekebisha… for heavy emphasis (like “they, when they fix…”), but it’s not needed in normal speech.

So Mafundi wakirekebisha… literally has:

Mafundi = the technicians/repair people (subject noun)
wakirekebisha = they-ki-fix → “when they fix”

Swahili frequently repeats the subject like this (noun + subject prefix on the verb), and it’s completely normal.

What does ufa huo mean, and why is the demonstrative after the noun?

Ufa huo means “that crack” – specifically, a crack that is already known in the context (previously mentioned or visible).

ufa = a crack (e.g., in a wall)
huo = “that” for this noun class, referring to something already known or often near the listener

In standard Swahili word order, the demonstrative usually follows the noun:

ufa huo = that crack
nyumba hii = this house
mtoto yule = that child (over there)

Starting with huo ufa is not the usual pattern in Swahili; it sounds marked or unusual. So ufa huo is the normal way to say “that crack.”

What is the nuance of huo compared to other words for “this/that” like hii or ule?

Swahili has a three‑way demonstrative system; for the class of ufa, the forms are:

ufa huu = this crack (near the speaker)
ufa huo = that crack (near the listener, or just mentioned / known)
ufa ule = that crack (over there / yonder), more distant or strongly deictic

In the sentence, ufa huo suggests:

“that (particular) crack we’re talking about / that you can see / that we both know about.”

So huo is not just any “that”; it points to a specific, known crack, not a random one.

How is nyumba itakuwa formed, and why is the verb not atakuwa?

Nyumba itakuwa breaks down like this:

nyumba = house
i- in itakuwa = subject prefix for class 9/10 nouns (which includes nyumba)
-ta- = future tense marker
kuwa = to be

So itakuwa = “it (class 9) will be.”

We don’t use a- here because a- is the subject prefix for he / she / it in noun class 1 (mainly people):

Atakuwa mwalimu. → He/She will be a teacher.

But nyumba is class 9, so it needs i-, not a-:

Nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi. → The house will be safer.

Why is there no extra “ni” (like “is”) in nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi?

Swahili often uses the verb kuwa (to be) itself as the linking verb (copula), without adding ni:

Nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi.
→ The house will be safer.

If you said nyumba itakuwa ni salama zaidi, it would sound odd or overly marked in this context. Ni can be used in some copular structures (especially present tense equative statements like Hii ni nyumba = This is a house), but:

For future “will be X”, kuwa alone does the job.
So itakuwa salama zaidi is the natural form.

What does salama mean here, and does it change form like other adjectives?

Salama basically means “safe / in peace / unharmed.”

In this sentence:

salama zaidi ≈ “safer” or literally “more safe.”

Unlike many adjectives that agree with the noun class (e.g., nyumba nzuri, mtoto mzuri, viti vizuri), salama is invariable:

nyumba salama
mji salama
watoto salama

It does not take different prefixes for different classes. It just stays salama.

How does zaidi work in salama zaidi? Is it like “more”?

Yes. Zaidi is basically “more / further / additionally”.

Here:

salama zaidi = “more safe” → “safer.”

You can use zaidi for many comparatives:

Chakula hiki ni kitamu zaidi. → This food is tastier / more delicious.
Anapenda kusoma zaidi kuliko kuandika. → He prefers reading more than writing.

So in this sentence zaidi is doing the job that English often handles with “-er” (safer, bigger, etc.).

Could we say “The house will be very safe” instead of “safer”? How would we say that in Swahili?

Yes, that’s a different nuance:

“Safer” = comparing to a previous state → salama zaidi
“Very safe” = high degree, not necessarily a comparison → salama sana

Examples:

Nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi.
→ The house will be safer (than it is now).
Nyumba itakuwa salama sana.
→ The house will be very safe.

Both are correct, but zaidi implies comparison, while sana implies intensity.

Can we put the clauses in the opposite order, like “The house will be safer when the fundis fix that crack”?

Yes. Swahili allows both orders:

Subordinate first (as in the original):
- Mafundi wakirekebisha ufa huo, nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi.
  → When the fundis fix that crack, the house will be safer.
Main clause first:
- Nyumba itakuwa salama zaidi mafundi wakirekebisha ufa huo.

The meaning is the same. The version with the -ki- clause first is very common, but starting with the main clause is also acceptable in natural speech and writing. The comma in writing just marks the clause boundary; speech relies on intonation.