Sawazisha meza hii kidogo; mguu mmoja ni mfupi.

Sawazisha means make level / straighten / even out / adjust. In this sentence, it means something like level this table a bit or adjust this table slightly.

It is a command form addressed to one person. The basic idea comes from -sawaz-, which has to do with being even, level, or balanced. The ending -isha is a very common Swahili pattern that often gives a causative sense: make something become X. So sawazisha is literally along the lines of make it level/even.

In Swahili, commands usually do not include a separate word for you. The subject is simply understood.

So:

• Sawazisha meza hii = Adjust/level this table
• The you is implied, just like in English commands such as Sit down, Come here, or Open the door.

If you wanted to command more than one person, the form would change:

• Sawazisheni meza hii = You all, level this table

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

So:

• meza hii = this table
• literally: table this

This is normal Swahili word order. The demonstrative also has to agree with the noun class of the noun. Meza belongs to the N-class (class 9/10), so the correct form is hii.

Compare:

• kitabu hiki = this book
• mti huu = this tree
• meza hii = this table

Kidogo means a little, slightly, or a bit.

Here it modifies the command:

• Sawazisha meza hii kidogo = Adjust this table a bit

So the speaker is not asking for a big change, just a small one.

You will often see kidogo used this way as an adverb:

• Subiri kidogo = Wait a bit
• Sogeza kidogo = Move a little
• Punguza kidogo = Reduce it a bit

That’s right: mguu mmoja ni mfupi gives the reason for the command. Swahili does not always need an explicit word like because if the connection is already clear from context or punctuation.

So this sentence works like:

• Adjust this table a bit; one leg is short.

The semicolon shows that the second clause explains the first.

You could also say it with an explicit connector, for example:

• Sawazisha meza hii kidogo, kwa sababu mguu mmoja ni mfupi.
• Adjust this table a bit, because one leg is short.

But the original sentence is shorter and very natural.

Mguu mmoja means one leg.

In Swahili, numbers often come after the noun, and some of them change to agree with the noun class. Mguu belongs to the m-/mi- class (class 3/4 in the singular/plural pattern), so -moja becomes mmoja.

So:

• mguu mmoja = one leg
• literally: leg one

Compare with other noun classes:

• mtu mmoja = one person
• kitabu kimoja = one book
• meza moja = one table

So the form of one changes depending on the noun.

Here, ni is the linking word meaning is.

So:

• mguu mmoja ni mfupi = one leg is short

The adjective is mfupi because adjectives in Swahili often agree with the noun class of the noun they describe. Since mguu is a singular class-3 noun, -fupi takes the prefix m-, giving mfupi.

So:

• mguu mfupi = a short leg
• mguu mmoja ni mfupi = one leg is short

If the noun changed, the adjective form could change too:

• miguu mifupi = short legs

Two different noun classes appear in this sentence, and they affect agreement.

1. meza

• meza is in class 9/10
• That is why the demonstrative is hii
• So: meza hii = this table

2. mguu

• mguu is singular class 3
• That is why you get:
  • mmoja for one
  • mfupi for short

So Swahili agreement is not random: the forms of words around the noun change to match its noun class.

That is why the sentence has:

• meza hii
• mguu mmoja
• ni mfupi

To make it more polite, you can add tafadhali:

• Tafadhali, sawazisha meza hii kidogo; mguu mmoja ni mfupi.
• Please adjust this table a bit; one leg is short.

If you are speaking to more than one person, use the plural imperative:

• Sawazisheni meza hii kidogo; mguu mmoja ni mfupi.
• You all, adjust this table a bit; one leg is short.

You can also combine both:

• Tafadhali, sawazisheni meza hii kidogo; mguu mmoja ni mfupi.