Ukipiga chafya, tafadhali funika mdomo wako kwa kitambaa.

Ukipiga breaks down into:

• u- = you (singular)
• -ki- = if/when
• -piga = the verb stem hit/do/make

So ukipiga literally looks like if/when you do/make.

In this sentence it is part of the fixed expression kupiga chafya, which means to sneeze.

It can mean either if or when, depending on context.

In a sentence like this one, it gives a general instruction, so English could naturally understand it as:

• If you sneeze...
• When you sneeze...

Both ideas are built into the Swahili form uki- here.

This is an idiomatic Swahili expression. Swahili often uses -piga in expressions for actions, sounds, or bodily events.

So kupiga chafya is just the normal way to say to sneeze.

A very literal translation like to hit a sneeze would sound strange in English, but that is not how it should be understood. Treat kupiga chafya as a set expression meaning to sneeze.

In kupiga chafya, chafya refers to the sneeze itself.

So the whole expression works like:

• kupiga chafya = to sneeze

For a learner, the safest approach is to memorize the whole phrase together rather than trying to translate each word too literally.

Funika is the affirmative imperative, meaning it is a command to one person.

It comes from the verb kufunika, meaning to cover.

So:

• funika = cover!

Because this is directed at one person, the form is singular. If you were speaking to more than one person, you would normally use funikeni.

In Swahili commands, the subject you is usually understood and does not need to be stated separately.

So English says:

• Cover your mouth

Swahili simply says:

• Funika mdomo wako

The command form already tells you that the speaker is addressing the listener.

Mdomo means mouth.

Wako means your, but it is not just a simple standalone word. In Swahili, possessives change form to agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

So:

• mdomo wako = your mouth

A learner does not need to master all noun classes immediately, but it is useful to notice that Swahili possessives change shape depending on the noun.

Here kwa means something like with / by means of / using.

So:

• kwa kitambaa = with a cloth / using a cloth

This tells you the instrument or means used to cover the mouth.

Not always.

Kitambaa usually means cloth or piece of fabric, so the sentence is understandable as cover your mouth with a cloth.

If you specifically mean a handkerchief or tissue, speakers might more naturally use:

• leso = handkerchief
• tishu = tissue

So this sentence is correct and understandable, but kitambaa is somewhat general.

Tafadhali means please.

It makes the command more polite:

• tafadhali funika... = please cover...

It is not required for the grammar of the sentence, but it softens the instruction.

No. Tafadhali is fairly flexible.

You could also say:

• Tafadhali, funika mdomo wako kwa kitambaa.
• Funika mdomo wako kwa kitambaa, tafadhali.

The meaning stays basically the same. Its job is politeness, not changing the core grammar.

You would normally change both the if/when form and the command form to plural:

• Mkipiga chafya, tafadhali funikeni midomo yenu kwa kitambaa.

Key changes:

• mki- = if/when you all
• funikeni = plural command, cover!
• yenu = your for more than one person
• midomo = mouths

Swahili does not usually have a special polite singular you like some European languages do, so politeness is often shown with words like tafadhali, respectful tone, or titles.

A helpful approximation is:

• chafya ≈ CHAHF-ya

Notes:

• ch sounds like the ch in chair
• a is a clear ah sound
• fy is said together, not as two completely separate syllables

Swahili pronunciation is usually quite regular, so words are often pronounced close to how they are written.