Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mchezo wa bodi wenye kanuni rahisi unafaa kwa watoto wadogo. - A board game with simple rules is suitable for small children.

You only use ya when the first noun is in a class that takes ya (e.g. class 4, 6, 9, 10, etc.), not because of bodi itself. Here the first noun is mchezo, so you must use wa.

What exactly does wenye do in mchezo wa bodi wenye kanuni rahisi?

-enye is an adjective root meaning “having / with”. It behaves a bit like “with” or “that has” in English.

It agrees with the noun class of the noun it describes.
For class 3 singular (mchezo), the agreeing form is wenye.

So:

mchezo wenye kanuni rahisi = “a game having simple rules” / “a game with simple rules”

You could think of it as a shorter way to say:

mchezo ambao una kanuni rahisi = “a game that has simple rules”

In this sentence, wenye links mchezo wa bodi (“board game”) to the phrase kanuni rahisi (“simple rules”), giving a description: “a board game with simple rules”.

Why is wenye and not some other form like uliyo na or ambao una?

All of these are possible, but they sound slightly different:

wenye kanuni rahisi
- Compact, everyday, very natural.
- Literally: “having simple rules”.
ulio na kanuni rahisi
- Uses a relative verb form ulio (“which is / that is”) + na (“with, having”).
- mchezo wa bodi ulio na kanuni rahisi = “a board game that has simple rules”.
- A bit more formal/explicit.
ambao una kanuni rahisi
- Uses a relative pronoun ambao (“which/that”) + verb una (“has”).
- mchezo wa bodi ambao una kanuni rahisi = “a board game that has simple rules”.
- Also correct, often a bit heavier in style.

The version with wenye is the neatest and most idiomatic here, so it’s the one you’re likely to hear most in normal speech and writing.

How does wenye agree with mchezo? What are the other forms of -enye?

-enye takes different forms depending on the noun class of the noun it describes. Some common ones:

Class 1 (mtu) → mwenye:
- mtoto mwenye adabu – a child with good manners
Class 2 (watu) → wenye:
- watoto wenye adabu
Class 3 (mchezo) → wenye:
- mchezo wenye kanuni rahisi
Class 4 (michezo) → yenye:
- michezo yenye kanuni rahisi – games with simple rules
Class 5 (jambo) → lenye:
- jambo lenye umuhimu – a matter with importance
Class 7 (chumba) → chenye:
- chumba chenye dirisha – a room with a window
Class 9/10 (safari) → yenye:
- safari yenye matatizo – a trip with problems

In mchezo wa bodi wenye kanuni rahisi, wenye matches mchezo (class 3, singular).

Why is the order kanuni rahisi and not rahisi kanuni?

In Swahili, descriptive adjectives normally come after the noun:

kanuni rahisi – “simple rules”
watoto wadogo – “small children”
mtu mzuri – “good person”

So:

kanuni = “rules”
rahisi = “simple, easy”

Together: kanuni rahisi = “rules (that are) simple”.

Putting the adjective first (rahisi kanuni) would sound wrong or like a slip; the normal pattern is noun + adjective.

What exactly is inside the verb unafaa?

unafaa is built from three parts:

u- : subject prefix for noun class 3 singular (agreeing with mchezo)
-na- : present tense marker (often used for general statements)
faa : verb root meaning “to be suitable, to be appropriate”

So:

u-na-faa → “it (class 3) is suitable / fits / is appropriate”

Because mchezo is class 3, you get:

mchezo unafaa = “the game is suitable”

If the subject were, for example, michezo (plural, class 4), you would say:

michezo inafaa (i-na-faa) – “the games are suitable”

Why is it unafaa kwa watoto wadogo and not unafaa watoto wadogo without kwa?

The preposition kwa here means “for” in the sense of “suitable for / appropriate for”.

unafaa kwa watoto wadogo = “is suitable for small children”

If you drop kwa, the meaning changes or becomes unclear:

unafaa watoto wadogo would sound like “it suits small children” but in a non‑idiomatic, incomplete way; speakers normally expect kwa with faa in this meaning.

So with this verb, the natural pattern for “suitable for X” is:

kitu kinawafaa watu fulani
- more naturally: kitu kinafaa kwa watu fulani

In short, unafaa kwa X is the standard way to say “is suitable for X”.

How does agreement work in watoto wadogo?

watoto wadogo shows agreement between the noun and the adjective.

Singular: mtoto mdogo – “small child”
- mtoto (class 1 noun)
- mdogo (class 1 form of “small”)
Plural: watoto wadogo – “small children”
- watoto (class 2 noun; irregular plural of mtoto)
- wadogo (class 2 form of “small”)

So the adjective -dogo agrees with the noun:

class 1: m‑dogo → mdogo
class 2: wa‑dogo → wadogo

That is why we say watoto wadogo, not watoto ndogo or something else.

Could this sentence be written in another natural way? For example, can I avoid wenye?

Yes, you can rephrase it in several correct ways. Some common alternatives:

Using ulio na (“that has”):
- Mchezo wa bodi ulio na kanuni rahisi unafaa kwa watoto wadogo.
Using ambao una (“which has”):
- Mchezo wa bodi ambao una kanuni rahisi unafaa kwa watoto wadogo.
Changing the verb to a more general‑truth form hufaa:
- Mchezo wa bodi wenye kanuni rahisi hufaa kwa watoto wadogo.
  (similar to “is generally suitable / tends to be suitable for small children”)

All of these are grammatical. The original version with wenye is simply very concise and idiomatic.