Koo langu linauma, kwa hiyo daktari aliniambia nifungue mdomo na nitoe ulimi.

In Swahili, possessives usually come after the noun.

So:

• koo langu = my throat
• mdomo wangu = my mouth
• ulimi wangu = my tongue

The possessive also has to agree with the noun class of the noun it describes, which is why you get langu with koo.

Li- is the subject marker that agrees with koo.

Breakdown:

• li- = it (for a noun in this noun class)
• -na- = present tense
• -uma = ache, hurt, be painful

So koo langu linauma literally means something like:

• my throat it-is-hurting

Natural English: My throat hurts or I have a sore throat.

The base verb is -uma, which means to hurt / to ache / to be painful.

Examples:

• Jino linauma. = The tooth hurts.
• Kichwa kinauma. = The head hurts / I have a headache.

In Swahili, body parts often act as the subject of the verb, unlike English where we often say I have....

Kwa hiyo means therefore, so, or because of that.

It connects one idea to the result:

• Koo langu linauma, kwa hiyo...
• My throat hurts, so...

It is a very common linking expression in both spoken and written Swahili.

Aliniambia can be broken down like this:

• a- = he/she
• -li- = past tense
• -ni- = me
• -ambia = tell / say to

So aliniambia means:

• he/she told me

In this sentence:

• daktari aliniambia = the doctor told me

Because after kuniambia / aliniambia (to tell me / told me) when someone tells a person to do something, Swahili usually uses the subjunctive.

So:

• aliniambia nifungue mdomo = he told me to open my mouth

Breakdown of nifungue:

• ni- = I
• fungue = open, in the subjunctive form

This is not a normal statement like I opened or I am opening. It expresses something the doctor wanted the speaker to do.

That is how many Swahili verbs change in the subjunctive.

• dictionary form: kufungua = to open
• subjunctive: fungue = that [someone] open

With the subject marker:

• nifungue = that I open / for me to open

This final -e is a common sign of the subjunctive in Swahili.

This is the same pattern as nifungue.

• toa = remove, take out, stick out
• subjunctive form: toe
• nitoe = that I take out / that I stick out

So:

• nitoe ulimi = to stick out my tongue

In this context, toa ulimi means stick out the tongue, not literally remove it.

Swahili often leaves out possessives when they are obvious from context.

If a doctor tells you:

• fungua mdomo
• toa ulimi

it is naturally understood as open your mouth and stick out your tongue.

You could say mdomo wako or ulimi wako, but it is often unnecessary when the meaning is clear.

Here na means and.

It links two actions:

• nifungue mdomo = that I open my mouth
• nitoe ulimi = that I stick out my tongue

So together:

• ...told me to open my mouth and stick out my tongue

Daktari by itself simply means doctor.

In Swahili, you do not need an article like a or the, because Swahili has no direct equivalent of English articles.

So:

• daktari aliniambia can mean the doctor told me or a doctor told me, depending on context.

If you want to be more specific, you can add words such as:

• yule daktari = that doctor
• daktari mmoja = a certain doctor / one doctor

Yes. Koo is the normal word for throat.

Examples:

• Koo langu linauma. = My throat hurts.
• Ana matatizo ya koo. = He/she has throat problems.

It is a useful everyday health-related word.

Yes. A direct command would sound like this:

• Fungua mdomo na toa ulimi.
• Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.

But the sentence uses aliniambia nifungue... because it is reporting what the doctor said:

• The doctor told me to open my mouth and stick out my tongue.

So the subjunctive is the correct choice in reported instruction.

It has three main parts:

1. Koo langu linauma
   = My throat hurts

2. kwa hiyo
   = so / therefore

3. daktari aliniambia nifungue mdomo na nitoe ulimi
   = the doctor told me to open my mouth and stick out my tongue

So the sentence moves very naturally from:

• a problem
  to
• a result
  to
• the doctor's instruction.