Kabla ya kwenda shuleni, mimi hupenda kuchana nywele zangu kwa sega langu jipya.

Because kabla ya is the normal pattern in Swahili for before.

The word ya links kabla to what follows. After kabla ya, Swahili commonly uses:

• a noun: kabla ya chakula = before food / before the meal
• an infinitive: kabla ya kwenda = before going

So kabla ya kwenda is the natural way to say before going.

After kabla ya, Swahili usually uses the ku- infinitive to express before doing something.

So:

• kwenda = to go / going
• kabla ya kwenda = before going

This is similar to English before going, where English also uses a non-finite verb form.

The ending -ni is a locative ending. It often means something like in, at, or to, depending on the verb and context.

So:

• shule = school
• shuleni = at school / in school / to school

With a motion verb like kwenda, shuleni is naturally understood as to school.

This is a very common learner question, and it is important here.

In hupenda, the hu- form shows a habitual action, but it does not show person the way forms like ninapenda do. Because of that, speakers often state the subject explicitly:

• mimi hupenda = I usually like / I like to
• wewe hupenda = you usually like
• yeye hupenda = he/she usually likes

So mimi is not just extra emphasis here; it also helps make the subject clear.

Hu- marks a habitual or regular action.

So hupenda here suggests something like:

• usually like
• tend to like
• like to do as a regular habit

It fits well with a routine action done before school.

Yes, you could, but the nuance changes a little.

• ninapenda often means I like in a more general or simple present sense.
• mimi hupenda emphasizes a habitual or customary action.

So in a sentence about a regular morning routine, hupenda is a very good choice.

After verbs like kupenda / penda when you mean to like doing something, Swahili normally uses another verb in the infinitive:

• kupenda kusoma = to like reading
• kupenda kuimba = to like singing
• hupenda kuchana = usually likes to comb

So kuchana is in the infinitive because it names the action that is liked.

In Swahili, nywele is normally used for hair as a collective idea, even when English uses the singular word hair.

So although English says my hair, Swahili commonly says nywele zangu, literally something more like my hairs, but that is just normal Swahili usage.

If you want to talk about a single strand of hair, that is a different situation.

Because nywele belongs to a noun class that takes the possessive agreement za-.

So:

• nywele
  • -angu becomes zangu

This is noun-class agreement. In Swahili, possessives change form to match the noun they describe.

That is why you get:

• nywele zangu = my hair

Here kwa shows the means or instrument used to do the action.

So kwa sega langu jipya means with my new comb in the sense of by using my new comb.

That is different from na, which often means:

• and
• with in the sense of accompanying someone or something

In tool/instrument contexts, kwa is a very natural choice.

Because Swahili adjectives and possessives agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

Sega belongs to noun class 5, so the matching forms are:

• langu = my
• jipya = new

That is why you get:

• sega langu jipya = my new comb

If the noun belonged to a different class, those words would change shape.

In Swahili, the usual order is:

noun + possessive + adjective

So:

• sega langu jipya = comb my new

That may feel unusual to an English speaker, but it is normal in Swahili.

A good pattern to remember is:

• kitabu changu kikubwa = my big book
• rafiki yangu mzuri = my good friend
• sega langu jipya = my new comb

Yes, that is very natural.

Swahili often puts a time phrase first when it sets the scene for the main action:

• Kabla ya kwenda shuleni, ...
• Baada ya kula, ...
• Asubuhi, ...

So starting with Kabla ya kwenda shuleni sounds smooth and normal. It tells the listener the time context first, then gives the main action.