Learn Hardcore Swahili: Vitabu vipya vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote darasani. - The new books have been distributed to all the students in the classroom.

Vitabu – books. Noun, plural of kitabu (book), noun class 7/8 (ki-/vi-).
vipya – new. Adjective agreeing with vitabu in class 8 (vi- + -pya).
vimesambazwa – have been distributed. Verb in the passive, present perfect.
kwa – to/for here; marks the recipient (an indirect object).
wanafunzi – students. Noun, plural (class 1/2: mwanafunzi / wanafunzi).
wote – all. Quantifier agreeing with wanafunzi (class 2: wa- + -ote).
darasani – in the classroom / in class. Noun darasa (classroom) with locative suffix -ni.

Basic structure:
[Subject] Vitabu vipya + [Verb] vimesambazwa + [Indirect object] kwa wanafunzi wote + [Place] darasani.

What tense/aspect and voice is vimesambazwa, and how is it built?

Vimesambazwa is:

Present perfect aspect (roughly “have been …”).
Passive voice (“have been distributed”).

Morphology:

vi- – subject prefix for class 8 (plural: vitabu).
-me- – perfect aspect marker (“have/has”).
-sambaza- – verb root “to distribute”.
-w- – passive suffix.
-a – final vowel.

So: vi-me-sambaz-w-a → vimesambazwa
Literally: “they (class 8) have been distributed.”

Why is it vime- in vimesambazwa and not something like zime- or ime-?

The vi- in vimesambazwa must agree with the subject vitabu, which is class 8.

Key points:

vitabu is class 8 (ki-/vi- pair: kitabu/vitabu).
Class 8 subject prefix is vi-:
- vitabu vimesomwa – the books have been read.
- vitabu vimepotea – the books have disappeared.

Other prefixes belong to different noun classes:

zi- – for many class 10 nouns (e.g. nyumba zimebomoka – the houses have collapsed).
i-/zi- can also appear with class 9/10.
i- (singular) often goes with some class 9 nouns: chai imechemka – the tea has boiled.

Because the subject here is vitabu (class 8), vi- is the correct agreement: vime-.

Why is the verb passive (vimesambazwa) instead of active? Could I say it in active voice?

The passive vimesambazwa keeps the focus on the books, not on who distributed them.

Passive:
Vitabu vipya vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.
“The new books have been distributed to all the students in the classroom.”

To make it active, you introduce the agent:

Mwalimu amesambaza vitabu vipya kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.
“The teacher has distributed the new books to all the students in the classroom.”

Structure change:

Passive: [Books] have been distributed (to students).
Active: [Teacher] has distributed [books] (to students).

Both are correct; the choice is about what you want to emphasize.

What exactly does kwa mean here? Is it “to”, “for”, “with”, or “by”?

In this sentence, kwa marks the recipient of the action, so it is best translated as “to”:

vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote – have been distributed to all the students.

General uses of kwa:

Recipient / beneficiary
- Nimempa zawadi kwa rafiki yangu. – I have given a present to my friend.
Means / instrument
- Anaandika kwa kalamu. – He/she writes with a pen.
Manner or way
- Anafanya kazi kwa bidii. – He/she works with diligence / hard.
“At someone’s place” (with people’s names/titles)
- Ninaenda kwa mwalimu. – I’m going to the teacher(’s place/office).

Here, it is clearly function (1): recipient.

What is the difference between wanafunzi wote and something like kila mwanafunzi?

Both relate to “all/every”, but they are used differently:

wanafunzi wote – all the students (as a group, plural):
- Vitabu vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote.
  The books have been distributed to all the students.
kila mwanafunzi – each/every student (focus on individuals, singular):
- Kila mwanafunzi amepata kitabu.
  Every student has received a book.

Other examples:

Ninawafahamu wanafunzi wote. – I know all the students.
Ninamtambua kila mwanafunzi. – I recognize each/every student.

In this sentence, wanafunzi wote emphasizes that no student in the group was left out.

What is the difference between darasa and darasani?

darasa – “classroom” or “class” (also used for “grade / level”):
- darasa kubwa – a big classroom.
- darasa la tatu – third grade / third class.
darasani – “in the classroom” / “in class”:
- Wanafunzi wako darasani. – The students are in class.
- Nimechelewa kuingia darasani. – I am late to get into the classroom.

-ni is a locative suffix that often means “in/at/on”.
So darasa + -ni → darasani = “in the classroom”.

In your sentence, darasani tells you where the distribution happened.

Why is it vitabu vipya and not vipya vitabu? Where does the adjective go?

In standard Swahili word order:

The noun normally comes first, and
The adjective follows the noun and agrees with it.

So:

vitabu vipya – new books (correct, normal order)
mtoto mdogo – small child
gari jipya – new car

Putting the adjective first (vipya vitabu) is not standard and sounds wrong.

Rule: [Noun] + [adjectives/quantifiers]
All adjectives and quantifiers must:

follow the noun, and
match the noun’s class and number (e.g. vitabu vipya vingi – many new books).

Why is “new” written as vipya here and not mpya?

The base adjective is -pya (“new”), but adjectives in Swahili change their prefix to agree with the noun class.

Class 7/8 (ki-/vi-) uses ki- / vi- for adjectives like -pya:
- kitabu kipya – a new book.
- vitabu vipya – new books.
Class 1/2 (m-/wa-) uses m- / wa-:
- mtoto mpya – new child (here -pya appears as mpya).
Class 9/10 often keeps mpya:
- nyumba mpya – a new house.

So:

Singular: kitabu kipya
Plural: vitabu vipya

vipya agrees with vitabu (class 8 plural).

How is darasani connected to wanafunzi wote – does it mean “all the students in the classroom” or something else?

Most naturally, wanafunzi wote darasani is understood as:

“all the students in the classroom” / “all the students in class.”

So the phrase kwa wanafunzi wote darasani is read as:

“to all the students in the classroom.”

You could make that relationship even clearer (though longer) by saying:

kwa wanafunzi wote walioko darasani – to all the students who are in the classroom.
kwa wanafunzi wote wa darasa hilo – to all the students of that class.

In normal speech, wanafunzi wote darasani is enough and not confusing.

What is the difference between vimesambazwa and vilisambazwa?

Both are passive, but they differ in aspect/time:

vimesambazwa – present perfect passive:
- “have been distributed” (recently; focus on current result).
- Implies the books are now in the state of having been distributed.
vilisambazwa – simple past passive:
- “were distributed” (at some specific time in the past).
- More neutral, just states that it happened.

Examples:

Vitabu vipya vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.
The new books have been distributed to all the students in the classroom (and that situation is relevant now).
Vitabu vipya vilisambazwa jana kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.
The new books were distributed yesterday to all the students in the classroom.

The change is in the tense marker:

-me- → present perfect.
-li- → simple past.

How would I say “The new books have not been distributed to all the students in the classroom”?

You negate the verb and adjust the subject prefix:

Vitabu vipya havijasambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.

Breakdown:

Vitabu vipya – new books.
ha-vi-ja-sambaz-w-a – have not been distributed.
- ha- – negative marker.
- -vi- – class 8 subject concord (books).
- -ja- – negative perfect (“not yet / have not”).
- -sambaz- – verb root.
- -w- – passive.
- -a – final vowel.

This often implies “not yet” in context:

Vitabu vipya havijasambazwa… – The new books have not (yet) been distributed…

Can I move darasani earlier in the sentence, and would the meaning change?

You can move darasani somewhat freely; the basic meaning stays the same, but emphasis shifts slightly.

Possible variants:

Vitabu vipya vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote darasani.
Neutral, very natural: focus on what has happened to the books, then who got them, then where.
Vitabu vipya vimesambazwa darasani kwa wanafunzi wote.
Slightly more focus on where first (in class), then to whom.
Darasani, vitabu vipya vimesambazwa kwa wanafunzi wote.
Stronger emphasis on the location (“In the classroom, the new books have been distributed…”).

All are grammatical; the first version is the most typical and natural in everyday use.