Fundi alipeleka fremu ya mlango karakana, lakini nguzo ile bado iko nje.

Fundi usually means a craftsperson, technician, repair worker, or skilled worker. The exact English translation depends on context.

In this sentence, it probably means someone like a carpenter, builder, or repair worker—basically, the person handling the door frame and post.

A useful thing to know is that fundi is a very common word in Swahili for someone skilled at practical work.

Alipeleka means he/she took or he/she brought (to some place, depending on context).

It can be broken down like this:

• a- = he/she
• -li- = past tense
• peleka = take / carry / bring to

So alipeleka = he/she took

This is a very common Swahili verb pattern:

• a-na-peleka = he/she is taking
• a-li-peleka = he/she took
• a-ta-peleka = he/she will take

In Swahili, a destination does not always need a separate preposition like English to.

So:

• alipeleka fremu ya mlango karakana
  = he/she took the door frame to the workshop/garage

The destination noun can come directly after the object.

Also, with places, Swahili often uses locative forms such as -ni, so you may also hear something like karakanani in some contexts. But karakana by itself can work naturally as the destination here.

Fremu ya mlango literally means frame of door, which in natural English is door frame.

The word ya is a connector that often corresponds to English of.

So:

• fremu = frame
• mlango = door
• fremu ya mlango = door frame

The form ya agrees with the noun class of fremu. This agreement is very normal in Swahili possessive/genitive constructions.

Yes. Swahili uses many loanwords, and fremu is a borrowed word based on English frame.

That is very normal. Swahili includes vocabulary from many sources, especially:

• Arabic
• English
• Portuguese
• German
• local African languages

Even if a word is borrowed, it still behaves like a Swahili word in the sentence.

Lakini means but.

It links the two parts of the sentence:

• Fundi alipeleka fremu ya mlango karakana
• lakini nguzo ile bado iko nje

So it introduces a contrast:

• one thing was taken away,
• but another thing is still outside.

In Swahili, demonstratives like this and that usually come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• nguzo ile = that post/pillar
• literally: post that

This is the normal Swahili order.

Compare:

• mtu huyu = this person
• kitabu kile = that book
• nguzo ile = that post

Ile means that, and it agrees with the noun nguzo.

Swahili demonstratives change depending on the noun class, so there is not just one universal word for that.

Here:

• nguzo belongs to the N-class (class 9/10)
• the matching demonstrative is ile

So nguzo ile = that post/pillar

Iko is the form that agrees with the noun nguzo.

Here, iko means something like it is / it is located.

The i- part is the subject agreement for the noun class of nguzo. So:

• nguzo ile bado iko nje
  = that post is still outside

This kind of agreement is very important in Swahili. Different noun classes take different subject markers.

For example:

• mtu yuko = the person is...
• kitabu kiko = the book is...
• nguzo iko = the post is...

In Swahili, location is often expressed with forms like iko, uko, yuko, kiko, etc., depending on noun class.

So iko nje means it is outside or it is located outside.

This is more specifically about location/existence than simply using an English-style general is.

That is why iko nje sounds very natural here.

Bado means still.

So:

• nguzo ile bado iko nje
  = that post is still outside

It often comes before the verb or verbal expression:

• bado iko = is still there / is still located
• bado anakuja = he/she is still coming
• bado sijamaliza = I still haven’t finished

Nje means outside.

In sentences like this, it behaves like a locative adverb or location word:

• iko nje = it is outside

You do not need an extra word for outside here. Swahili naturally says:

• iko ndani = it is inside
• iko nje = it is outside

So nje is functioning as the location.

Nguzo can mean post, pole, pillar, support, or upright structural piece.

The best English translation depends on the situation. In a construction or carpentry context, it may refer to:

• a post
• a support
• a pillar

So in this sentence, it is likely some structural piece related to the door area or building work.

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

That means a noun like fundi can mean:

• a worker
• the worker

and the exact meaning comes from context.

The same is true for:

• fremu = a frame / the frame
• nguzo = a post / the post
• karakana = a workshop / the workshop

In this sentence, context tells you how definite each noun is.

Yes. Karakana can mean garage, workshop, or repair shop, depending on context.

So if the situation is about vehicles or repairs, garage may fit well. If it is about building materials or carpentry, workshop may sound better in English.

This is common in Swahili: one word may cover a wider range than a single English word.

Yes, it is very normal.

The basic structure is:

• Fundi = subject
• alipeleka = verb
• fremu ya mlango = object
• karakana = destination
• lakini = but
• nguzo ile = subject of second clause
• bado iko nje = predicate

A few important word-order points are:

• demonstratives usually come after the noun: nguzo ile
• possession/association uses ya: fremu ya mlango
• locations often come after the verb: iko nje

So overall, the sentence is very natural Swahili.

Yes, there are other natural ways to express a similar idea, depending on style and emphasis.

For example, speakers might say things with slightly different structure or wording, but nguzo ile bado iko nje is already a very normal way to say that post is still outside.

What matters most for a learner is recognizing:

• nguzo ile = that post
• bado = still
• iko = it is / it is located
• nje = outside

So even if you later meet small variations, this sentence gives you a solid model.