Katibu ametumia stapla kufunga nakala mbili za mkataba.

Ametumia can be broken down like this:

• a- = 3rd person singular subject prefix, he/she
• -me- = perfect marker
• -tumia = use

So ametumia means he/she has used or, in natural English, often just used.

Because Swahili does not normally mark he vs she in the verb. The subject prefix a- can refer to either.

So Katibu ametumia... can mean:

• The secretary has used...
• He/she has used...

You usually understand the gender from context, or it simply does not matter.

Both can often be translated as used, but they are not exactly the same.

• ametumia = perfect; often suggests a completed action with some current relevance, or something that has happened
• alitumia = simple past; a more straightforward past event

So:

• Katibu ametumia stapla... = the secretary has used / used
• Katibu alitumia stapla... = the secretary used

In many everyday contexts, the English translation may look very similar, but the Swahili tense choice adds a nuance.

Because kutumia means to use, and the thing being used is its direct object.

So:

• ametumia stapla = has used a stapler

Swahili does not need a preposition here. It works like English use something.

Kufunga is an infinitive, formed with ku- plus the verb root funga.

Here it shows purpose:

• ametumia stapla kufunga... = used a stapler to fasten...

This is very similar to English to fasten in used a stapler to fasten the copies.

Not exactly. Kufunga is a broader verb. Depending on context, it can mean things like:

• to close
• to shut
• to fasten
• to tie
• to lock

In this sentence, because the tool is a stapla, the meaning becomes something like to fasten together / staple.

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

So:

• nakala moja = one copy
• nakala mbili = two copies

The word nakala itself stays the same, and the number word tells you whether it is singular or plural.

In Swahili, the noun normally comes before the number.

So the normal order is:

• nakala mbili = two copies

not:

• mbili nakala

Also, numbers from one to five usually agree with the noun class. Here mbili is the correct form with nakala.

This is the associative/genitive construction, often translated as of.

The pattern is:

• noun + agreement form of -a
  • another noun

Here:

• nakala mbili za mkataba = two copies of the contract

It is za because it agrees with nakala in the plural.

Compare:

• nakala ya mkataba = a copy of the contract
• nakala mbili za mkataba = two copies of the contract

So the agreement is with nakala, not with mkataba.

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

So a noun like katibu can mean:

• a secretary
• the secretary

and mkataba can mean:

• a contract
• the contract

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Yes. It is a loanword, borrowed from English stapler and adapted to Swahili spelling and pronunciation patterns.

This is very common in Swahili, especially for modern or office-related items. So stapla is a natural kind of word to see in a sentence like this.