Mjomba alisema kwamba nguzo hizi zikisimama sawasawa, fundi ataweka vigae kesho asubuhi bila kuchelewa.

Kwamba means that and introduces a reported statement or clause after verbs like say, know, or think.

So:

• Mjomba alisema kwamba ... = Uncle said that ...

In everyday Swahili, kwamba is sometimes omitted if the meaning is still clear, but including it makes the sentence more explicit and natural in formal or careful speech.

Mjomba usually means maternal uncle—literally, your mother’s brother. In real usage, though, it can also be used more loosely for uncle depending on family and context.

So a learner may see it translated simply as uncle, but the more specific family sense is often there in the background.

Because nguzo belongs to a noun class where the singular and plural often look the same.

So:

• singular: nguzo
• plural: nguzo

You tell whether it is singular or plural from the agreement words around it:

• nguzo hizi = these pillars/posts → plural
• zi- in zikisimama also shows plural agreement

If it were singular, you would expect something like:

• nguzo hii
• ikisimama

In Swahili, demonstratives usually come after the noun.

So the normal order is:

• nguzo hizi = these pillars
• mtu huyu = this person
• vitabu hivi = these books

That is different from English, where this/these comes before the noun.

Zikisimama can be broken down like this:

• zi- = subject marker for the noun class of nguzo here
• -ki- = conditional/time marker, often if/when
• simama = stand

So zikisimama means something like:

• if they stand
• when they stand
• if they are standing properly, depending on context

Since the subject is nguzo hizi, the zi- agrees with that plural noun.

It can mean either, depending on context.

The -ki- form often expresses:

• a condition: if
• a time relationship: when
• sometimes something like once

So nguzo hizi zikisimama sawasawa could be understood as:

• if these pillars stand properly
• when these pillars are standing properly
• once these pillars are properly upright/aligned

English usually forces you to choose one, but Swahili can leave that slightly broader.

Here sawasawa means something like:

• properly
• correctly
• evenly
• straight
• as they should

With simama, it suggests that the pillars are standing in the right way—properly aligned, upright, or correctly set.

Sawasawa is a very common word in Swahili and can also mean okay, fine, or all right in other contexts.

Ataweka breaks down like this:

• a- = he/she
• -ta- = future tense
• weka = put/place/set/install

So ataweka means:

• he/she will put
• he/she will place
• he/she will install

In this sentence, the subject is fundi, so ataweka means the worker/craftsman will install/place.

Fundi is a very useful Swahili word meaning a skilled worker, craftsman, technician, or artisan. The exact English word depends on context.

In a construction sentence like this, fundi could mean something like:

• builder
• mason
• technician
• workman
• tiler

As for the: Swahili usually does not use articles like a/an/the. Context tells you whether fundi means:

• a worker
• the worker

English needs an article, but Swahili normally does not.

Vigae is the plural form. The singular is kigae.

So:

• kigae = one tile
• vigae = tiles

This is a class 7/8 noun pair:

• singular prefix: ki-
• plural prefix: vi-

That is why the word changes from kigae to vigae.

Yes, the order is normal.

• kesho = tomorrow
• asubuhi = morning

Together:

• kesho asubuhi = tomorrow morning

Swahili often puts time expressions after the verb phrase, just as here:

• fundi ataweka vigae kesho asubuhi

That sounds natural.

Bila means without.

After bila, Swahili commonly uses the infinitive form of a verb:

• kuchelewa = to be late / to delay

So:

• bila kuchelewa = without being late / without delay

This is a very common pattern:

• bila kusema = without speaking
• bila kuona = without seeing
• bila kusubiri = without waiting

Yes. Swahili allows some flexibility in word order, as long as the agreement stays correct.

For example, the reported content could still begin with the condition:

• Mjomba alisema kwamba nguzo hizi zikisimama sawasawa, fundi ataweka vigae kesho asubuhi bila kuchelewa.

That is already what you have.

You could also rephrase the reported statement in other ways, but this version is natural because it presents the condition first and then the result.

The comma separates the conditional clause from the main clause:

• nguzo hizi zikisimama sawasawa = the condition
• fundi ataweka vigae ... = the main result

So the sentence structure is basically:

• If/when these pillars are standing properly, the worker will install the tiles tomorrow morning without delay.

The comma helps the reader see that structure more clearly.