Tutaweka godoro sakafuni kwa wageni.

Tutaweka breaks down like this:

• tu- = we
• -ta- = future tense marker, will
• weka = verb root, put/place

So tutaweka literally means we will put/place.

Swahili often packs the subject and tense into the verb, so you do not need a separate word for we.

Because Swahili usually includes the subject inside the verb.

In tutaweka, the part tu- already means we.
So saying a separate pronoun like sisi is usually unnecessary unless you want extra emphasis.

• Tutaweka godoro sakafuni kwa wageni. = We will put a mattress on the floor for the guests.
• Sisi tutaweka godoro sakafuni kwa wageni. = We will put a mattress on the floor for the guests.
  This sounds more emphatic.

Godoro means mattress.

Its plural is magodoro = mattresses.

So:

• godoro = one mattress
• magodoro = more than one mattress

In this sentence, godoro is singular, so it means a mattress or the mattress, depending on context.

The ending -ni is a very common locative ending in Swahili. It often gives the sense of:

• in
• at
• on

So:

• sakafu = floor
• sakafuni = on the floor / at the floor area

In natural English, sakafuni here is best understood as on the floor.

This is one thing English speakers often notice: Swahili does not always need a separate preposition like on if the locative form already gives that meaning.

Grammatically, the locative -ni can cover several location meanings, and the exact English translation depends on context.

With sakafu (floor), the natural translation is usually on the floor.

So although -ni is flexible, you should understand sakafuni here as on the floor, not literally inside the floor.

Kwa is a very common preposition that can mean things like:

• for
• to
• at
• from
  depending on context

Here, kwa wageni means for the guests.

• wageni = guests
• kwa wageni = for the guests

This shows who will benefit from the action. The mattress is being put on the floor for them.

Wageni is the plural form of mgeni.

• mgeni = guest / visitor / stranger
• wageni = guests / visitors

This is a noun from the m-/wa- noun class, which often has:

• singular m-
• plural wa-

So:

• mgeni → one guest
• wageni → multiple guests

Swahili does not use articles the way English does.

So godoro can mean:

• a mattress
• the mattress

And wageni can mean:

• guests
• the guests

The exact choice in English depends on context.
This is very normal in Swahili, and learners quickly get used to it.

The basic word order here is very natural:

• Tutaweka = verb
• godoro = object
• sakafuni = location
• kwa wageni = beneficiary

So the sentence flows as:

We will put + a mattress + on the floor + for the guests

Swahili word order is somewhat flexible, but this version is straightforward and neutral.
You may sometimes hear other orders for emphasis, but this sentence is a very standard way to say it.

In some contexts, kwa can refer to someone's place, especially with people, such as:

• kwa mwalimu = at the teacher's place
• kwa mama = at mother's place

But in this sentence, kwa wageni is best understood as for the guests, because it follows naturally from the idea of preparing a mattress for them.

So context matters, but here the intended meaning is the beneficiary meaning: for the guests.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Too-tah-WEH-kah goh-DOH-rah sah-kah-FOO-nee kwah wah-GEH-nee

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• Swahili vowels are usually very consistent:
  • a as in father
  • e as in bed or they without much glide
  • i as in machine
  • o as in more without a strong glide
  • u as in rule
• Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable:
  • tu-ta-WE-ka
  • go-DO-ro
  • sa-ka-FU-ni
  • wa-GE-ni

Not naturally, if you mean put a mattress on the floor.

• weka = put/place
• laza usually relates more to lay something down or make someone/something lie down

For a simple idea of placing a mattress somewhere, weka is the most natural choice.
So Tutaweka godoro sakafuni kwa wageni is a good, idiomatic sentence.

A very literal breakdown is:

• Tutaweka = we-will-put
• godoro = mattress
• sakafuni = on/at the floor
• kwa wageni = for the guests

So the overall structure is:

We will put mattress on-the-floor for guests.

Then natural English turns that into something like:

We will put a mattress on the floor for the guests.