Daktari alisema nifunge kitambaa kwenye kifundo hicho na nipumzike siku mbili.

Because ni- here means I / me as the subject of those verbs.

In this sentence, Daktari alisema nifunge ... na nipumzike ..., the doctor is giving instructions about what I should do:

• ni-funge = that I tie / wrap
• ni-pumzik-e = that I rest

This pattern is common after verbs like alisema when the meaning is something like said that I should... or told me to....

So the sentence structure is roughly:

• Daktari alisema = The doctor said
• nifunge... = that I should tie/wrap...
• na nipumzike... = and that I should rest...

Because nifunge is in the subjunctive, not the normal present or past tense.

Compare:

• ninafunga = I am tying / I tie
• nilifunga = I tied
• nifunge = that I tie / I should tie

After a verb like alisema in a context of advice, instruction, or command, Swahili often uses the subjunctive.

The ending -e is a common sign of the subjunctive:

• kufunga → nifunge
• kupumzika → nipumzike

So nifunge does not mean I tied. It means something more like I should tie/wrap.

For the same reason as nifunge: it is the subjunctive form.

The base verb is:

• kupumzika = to rest

In the subjunctive:

• nipumzike = that I rest / I should rest

Many Swahili verbs change their final -a to -e in the subjunctive.

So:

• kupumzika → nipumzike
• not nipumzika

Kifundo can mean a joint, knuckle, ankle area, or a swollen/injured joint-like area, depending on context.

In this sentence, with kitambaa and rest, it probably refers to some injured body part such as:

• ankle
• wrist
• joint

The exact English translation depends on context, but grammatically it is a noun in the ki-/vi- class.

Hicho means that and agrees with kifundo.

So:

• kifundo = joint / ankle / knot-like part
• kifundo hicho = that joint / that ankle / that area

The word hicho is a demonstrative adjective, and it changes to match the noun class of kifundo.

Because kifundo is in the ki-/vi- noun class, the correct form is:

• hiki = this (near speaker)
• hicho = that (near listener / previously mentioned)
• kile = that over there

So kifundo hicho means that particular joint/ankle.

In Swahili, words like this and that usually agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

Examples:

• mtu huyo = that person
• kitabu hicho = that book
• kifundo hicho = that joint/ankle
• nyumba hiyo = that house

So English uses the same that for everything, but Swahili changes the demonstrative depending on the noun class.

For ki-/vi- nouns such as kifundo and kitambaa, hicho is the matching form.

Kitambaa means cloth, piece of cloth, or sometimes bandage-like cloth, depending on context.

In this sentence, because the doctor says to wrap it on the injured area, kitambaa likely means:

• a cloth
• a bandage
• a wrap

So nifunge kitambaa means something like that I wrap a cloth / bandage.

Kwenye means something like on, in, at, or onto, depending on context.

Here:

• kwenye kifundo hicho = on that joint/ankle

It comes from kwenye, a very common locative word used to show location or placement.

Some rough possibilities in English are:

• on
• at
• in
• to

The exact translation depends on what sounds natural in English. In this sentence, on that ankle/joint is the most natural.

Sometimes yes, but kwenye is the most natural here.

Swahili has several location words:

• kwenye = on/at/in
• katika = in/inside/within
• juu ya = on top of
• ndani ya = inside

Because the idea is wrapping a cloth on a body part, kwenye works very naturally.

Using katika would sound more like inside or within, which is not the intended meaning here.

Yes, kufunga basically means to tie, fasten, close, or bind, depending on context.

Because the object is kitambaa and it is being applied kwenye kifundo hicho, the natural English meaning becomes:

• wrap a cloth around/on that joint
• tie a bandage on that ankle

So the exact English verb changes depending on the situation, even though the Swahili verb is kufunga.

In Swahili, expressions of time duration often do not need a preposition like for.

So:

• siku mbili = two days

And in context:

• nipumzike siku mbili = that I rest for two days

This is very common in Swahili:

• nitakaa wiki moja = I will stay for one week
• amelala saa mbili = he/she has slept for two hours
• subiri dakika tano = wait five minutes

English often needs for, but Swahili often just uses the time expression directly.

Because siku is the normal word for day in counting expressions, and it commonly takes number agreement like this:

• siku moja = one day
• siku mbili = two days
• siku tatu = three days

You do not normally say masiku mawili in standard Swahili for this meaning.

Even though noun classes can be confusing, the important thing for a learner is to memorize these common time expressions as fixed patterns:

• siku mbili
• wiki mbili
• miezi miwili
• miaka miwili

Na here means and.

It links the two actions the doctor said the speaker should do:

• nifunge kitambaa kwenye kifundo hicho
• na nipumzike siku mbili

So the structure is:

• The doctor said [I should wrap a cloth on that joint] and [I should rest for two days].

Notice that the second verb also stays in the subjunctive:

• nipumzike

Because in Swahili, the idea of should is often expressed through the subjunctive form, rather than a separate word.

So:

• nifunge already contains the sense that I should tie/wrap
• nipumzike already contains the sense that I should rest

English often uses helper words like should, but Swahili often expresses that meaning through verb form and context.

Yes, alisema literally means he/she said. But in context, it can function like said that..., and in many situations the English translation may sound more natural as told me to....

So:

• Daktari alisema nifunge...
  can be understood as
• The doctor said that I should wrap...
• or more naturally in English, The doctor told me to wrap...

Swahili does not always match English word-for-word. The meaning comes from the whole structure, especially alisema followed by the subjunctive.

Not really as written. As written, it is reported speech with a subjunctive clause:

• Daktari alisema nifunge... = The doctor said that I should wrap...

If it were direct speech, Swahili would usually make that clearer with quotation or a more explicit structure, for example something like:

• Daktari alisema, “Funga kitambaa...”
  = The doctor said, “Wrap a cloth...”

So the given sentence is best understood as reported advice/instruction.

The main structure is:

• Daktari = subject
• alisema = main verb
• nifunge kitambaa kwenye kifundo hicho = reported instruction 1
• na nipumzike siku mbili = reported instruction 2

So very roughly:

Doctor + said + [I should wrap cloth on that joint] + and + [I should rest two days]

This is quite normal Swahili word order.

They are:

• alisema → dictionary form kusema = to say
• nifunge → dictionary form kufunga = to tie / fasten / wrap
• nipumzike → dictionary form kupumzika = to rest

A useful habit is to recognize the dictionary form behind each changed verb form. That makes it easier to build vocabulary.

Yes, especially these:

• daktari — borrowed noun; behaves somewhat irregularly, but very common
• kitambaa — ki-/vi- class
• kifundo — ki-/vi- class
• hicho — agrees with kifundo in the ki-/vi- class
• siku — a very common noun with its own common usage in time expressions

The clearest agreement example here is:

• kifundo hicho

Because kifundo is in the ki-/vi- class, the demonstrative must match it:

• hicho, not huyo or hiyo

It is natural and understandable. It sounds like a normal way to report medical advice.

A speaker might also phrase it in slightly different ways, for example with aniambie-type structures or other medical vocabulary, but the grammar here is standard and useful for learners.

The key patterns worth learning from it are:

• alisema + subjunctive
• nifunge / nipumzike
• kwenye + body part
• time expression without a preposition: siku mbili