Mtoto akianza kutapika au kuhara, mama humpa maji na kumpeleka kliniki.

akianza can be broken down like this:

• a- = he/she for a singular person noun
• -ki- = if/when
• -anza = begin / start

So mtoto akianza... means if/when the child begins...

Because mtoto belongs to the human singular noun class, it takes the a- subject marker.

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

In a sentence like this, akianza often has a practical meaning like:

• if the child starts...
• when the child starts...

Swahili often uses this form for a condition or a repeated situation, so English can translate it in more than one natural way.

The ku- form is the infinitive form of the verb, similar to English to + verb.

So:

• kutapika = to vomit
• kuhara = to have diarrhea

After kuanza or -anza (to begin / start), Swahili normally uses another verb in this infinitive form:

• kuanza kutapika = to start vomiting
• kuanza kuhara = to start having diarrhea

Yes. In Swahili, kuhara is a normal verb meaning to have diarrhea or to suffer from diarrhea.

This can feel a little unusual to an English speaker because English usually uses a noun phrase like have diarrhea rather than a single verb. But in Swahili, using one verb here is completely natural.

humpa uses hu-, which often gives a habitual or general meaning.

So mama humpa maji suggests something like:

• the mother gives the child water
• the mother will normally give the child water
• the mother gives water in that situation

This fits well in advice, instructions, or descriptions of what is generally done.

By contrast, anampa is more likely to sound like a specific present action or a more direct finite statement about one situation.

A simple breakdown of humpa is:

• hu- = habitual/general action
• m- = him/her
• -pa = give

So humpa = gives him/her

The m- is an object marker referring back to mtoto.

So:

• humpa = gives him/her
• kumpeleka = to take him/her

Since mtoto means child, and Swahili does not mark natural gender the way English does here, m- can mean either him or her.

This is a very common Swahili pattern.

After one finite verb, Swahili can use na + ku-verb to add another action with the same subject. So:

• mama humpa maji na kumpeleka kliniki

means:

• the mother gives the child water and takes him/her to the clinic

The subject mama is still understood with the second verb, so Swahili does not have to repeat a full form like na humpeleka.

This shorter structure is natural and very common.

With verbs of motion such as peleka (take, bring, lead), Swahili often puts the destination noun directly after the verb.

So:

• kumpeleka kliniki = to take him/her to the clinic

Even though English needs to, Swahili does not always need an extra preposition here.

Also, kliniki is a loanword from English clinic.

Neither. mtoto simply means child.

Swahili nouns do not usually have grammatical gender in the same way English forces a choice between he and she. So the sentence itself does not tell you whether the child is a boy or a girl.

That is why m- in humpa and kumpeleka can be translated as either him or her.

Swahili normally does not use articles like English a/an and the.

So words like:

• mtoto
• mama
• kliniki

can mean a child / the child, a mother / the mother, a clinic / the clinic, depending on context.

English has to choose an article, but Swahili usually leaves that to the listener or the situation.