Mpini wa sufuria hii ni moto; tumia kitambaa kabla ya kuishika.

Mpini means handle, such as the handle of a pot, pan, or tool.

It is a singular noun in the m-/mi- noun class:

• singular: mpini
• plural: mipini

In this sentence, mpini is the subject: Mpini wa sufuria hii ni moto = The handle of this pot is hot.

Yes. Here wa works like of, linking mpini and sufuria:

• mpini wa sufuria = the handle of the pot

More literally, wa is a connector that agrees with the noun before it. Since mpini belongs to the m-/mi- class, the connector is wa.

You will see similar patterns with other noun classes:

• kitabu cha mwanafunzi = the student’s book
• mlango wa nyumba = the door of the house

So wa here is not random; it agrees with mpini.

In Swahili, demonstratives usually come after the noun:

• sufuria hii = this pot
• kitabu hiki = this book
• mtoto huyu = this child

So unlike English, Swahili normally says noun + this/that rather than this + noun.

In your sentence:

• sufuria hii = this pot

Because demonstratives in Swahili agree with the noun class of the noun they describe.

Sufuria belongs to the N class (often called 9/10), and one common this form for that class is hii.

Examples:

• sufuria hii = this pot
• ndizi hii = this banana
• nyumba hii = this house

Compare with other classes:

• mtoto huyu = this child
• mti huu = this tree
• kitabu hiki = this book

So hii is there because it matches sufuria.

Moto can mean:

• fire
• hot

The meaning depends on context.

In ni moto, it means is hot:

• Mpini wa sufuria hii ni moto = The handle of this pot is hot

This is a very common pattern in Swahili:

• ni = is/are
• adjective or descriptive word after it

For example:

• chai ni tamu = the tea is sweet
• maji ni baridi = the water is cold

So here moto is not a fire; it is describing heat.

Tumia is the imperative form of the verb -tumia, meaning use.

So:

• tumia = use!

It is a direct command addressed to one person, but in Swahili this form is also often used in general instructions, warnings, labels, and recipes.

In this sentence:

• tumia kitambaa = use a cloth

Swahili does not normally use articles like a, an, or the the way English does.

So:

• kitambaa can mean a cloth, the cloth, or just cloth
• the exact meaning comes from context

In this sentence, English naturally translates it as:

• use a cloth

But Swahili simply says:

• tumia kitambaa

This is very normal.

Kabla ya means before.

Examples:

• kabla ya chakula = before food / before the meal
• kabla ya kwenda = before going

The ya is part of the usual construction. It links kabla to whatever follows it.

In your sentence:

• kabla ya kuishika = before holding it / before touching it

So it is best to learn kabla ya as a set phrase meaning before.

Because -i- inside kuishika is an object marker meaning it.

Breakdown:

• ku- = infinitive marker, like to
• -i- = it (referring to sufuria or more naturally the hot handle/pot)
• -shika = hold / touch / grasp

So:

• kushika = to hold
• kuishika = to hold it

That is why the sentence means:

• before holding it not just
• before holding

The object marker must agree with the noun class of the thing being referred to.

Here, the thing being referred to is sufuria (or the handle as part of that object in context), and sufuria is in the N class. A common object marker for that class is -i-.

So:

• sufuria hii → object marker -i-
• kuishika = to hold it

Compare:

• kitabu → -ki-
• mtoto → -m-
• viatu → -vi-

This agreement system is one of the key features of Swahili grammar.

Literally, -shika means hold, grasp, or take hold of.

But in safety instructions like this, English may translate it more naturally as:

• before touching it or
• before handling it

So the core meaning is grasp/hold, but the practical sense in context can be a bit broader.

The semicolon links two closely related parts:

1. Mpini wa sufuria hii ni moto
   = The handle of this pot is hot

2. tumia kitambaa kabla ya kuishika
   = use a cloth before holding it

It works like a pause stronger than a comma, but it keeps the two ideas together as one warning or instruction.

You could also see these as two separate sentences in everyday writing. The semicolon is just a stylistic punctuation choice.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• Mpini ≈ m-PEE-nee
• wa ≈ wah
• sufuria ≈ soo-foo-REE-ah
• hii ≈ HEE-ee
• ni ≈ nee
• moto ≈ MOH-toh
• tumia ≈ too-MEE-ah
• kitambaa ≈ kee-tahm-BAH-ah
• kabla ≈ KAHB-lah
• ya ≈ yah
• kuishika ≈ koo-ee-SHEE-kah

A few useful pronunciation notes:

• Swahili vowels are usually pure and consistent: a, e, i, o, u
• stress is often on the second-to-last syllable
• mp at the beginning of mpini is pronounced, not silent

This sentence is a good example of Swahili agreement.

Key nouns:

• mpini = handle → m-/mi- class
• sufuria = pot → N class
• kitambaa = cloth → ki-/vi- class

Agreement you can see:

• wa in mpini wa sufuria agrees with mpini
• hii in sufuria hii agrees with sufuria
• -i- in kuishika refers back to sufuria in the N class

So even in one short sentence, Swahili is showing agreement in several places. This is very normal and very important in the language.