Mwalimu anatufundisha Kiswahili darasani.

Anatufundisha can be divided like this:

• a- = he/she
• -na- = present tense
• -tu- = us
• fundisha = teach

So anatufundisha literally means he/she is teaching us or he/she teaches us.

Swahili often packs information that English would express with separate words into one verb.

In Swahili, object pronouns are often attached to the verb as object markers.

So instead of saying something like teaches us with us as a separate word, Swahili uses:

• -tu- = us

That is why you get ana-tu-fundisha.

This is very normal in Swahili:

• ananipenda = he/she loves me
• anakupigia = he/she is calling you
• anatuona = he/she sees us

It can mean either he or she.

Swahili does not normally distinguish gender in pronouns the way English does. So:

• anafundisha = he teaches / she teaches

You understand which one is meant from context.

-na- is the present tense marker.

In this sentence, it gives the idea of:

• teaches
• is teaching

So anatufundisha can be understood as either:

• The teacher teaches us Swahili in the classroom
• The teacher is teaching us Swahili in the classroom

Which one sounds best depends on context.

Swahili does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So mwalimu can mean:

• a teacher
• the teacher

The context tells you which one is intended.

That is why Mwalimu anatufundisha... can naturally be translated as The teacher teaches us... even though there is no separate word for the.

Mwalimu means teacher, and here it is singular.

The plural is:

• walimu = teachers

This is part of the noun class system:

• m- often marks a singular person noun
• wa- often marks the plural

So:

• mwalimu = teacher
• walimu = teachers

Kiswahili is the normal Swahili name for the Swahili language.

The prefix Ki- is commonly used with names of languages in Swahili. So:

• Kiswahili = the Swahili language
• Kiingereza = English
• Kifaransa = French

So in this sentence, Kiswahili is the thing being taught.

Because Kiswahili is a full noun, not a pronoun.

In anatufundisha, the -tu- already tells you who is being taught: us.

Then Kiswahili tells you what is being taught: Swahili.

So the structure is basically:

• Mwalimu = the teacher
• anatufundisha = teaches us
• Kiswahili = Swahili
• darasani = in the classroom

Darasani means in the classroom.

It comes from:

• darasa = classroom / class
• -ni = a locative ending, often meaning in, at, or to

So:

• darasa = class / classroom
• darasani = in the classroom / in class

This -ni ending is very common in Swahili:

• nyumbani = at home
• shuleni = at school
• mezani = on the table / at the table

Yes, it is fairly similar here.

The sentence follows this order:

• Mwalimu = subject
• anatufundisha = verb
• Kiswahili = object
• darasani = location

So it is basically:

Subject + Verb + Object + Place

That makes this sentence easier for English speakers than some other Swahili structures.

Yes. Darasani can often be translated naturally as:

• in the classroom
• in class

The best English version depends on the situation. In many contexts, in class sounds more natural.

It may be capitalized because it is the first word of the sentence.

By itself, mwalimu is not normally capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is being used like a title in a specific context.

Kiswahili is often capitalized in learning materials because it is the name of a language.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Mwalimu anafundisha Kiswahili darasani = The teacher teaches Swahili in the classroom / is teaching Swahili in class
• Mwalimu anatufundisha Kiswahili darasani = The teacher teaches us Swahili in the classroom

So -tu- specifically adds the meaning us.

Yes. Kufundisha is the standard verb meaning to teach.

A useful related verb is:

• kujifunza = to learn

So:

• Mwalimu anafundisha = The teacher teaches
• Wanafunzi wanajifunza = The students are learning

This is a good pair to remember:

• fundisha = teach
• jifunza = learn

You would say:

Walimu wanatufundisha Kiswahili darasani.

Changes:

• Mwalimu → Walimu = teacher → teachers
• ana- → wana- = he/she → they

So:

• walimu = teachers
• wana-tu-fundisha = they are teaching us