Sisi tunacheza jioni nyumbani.

We are playing at home in the evening.

Breakdown of Sisi tunacheza jioni nyumbani.

• sisi: we
• nyumba: the home
• kwenye: at
• kucheza: to play
• katika: in
• jioni: the evening

Questions & Answers about Sisi tunacheza jioni nyumbani.

Why is the pronoun Sisi included if tunacheza already indicates "we"?

In Swahili, the verb tunacheza already has the prefix tu- showing "we," so technically Sisi is not strictly necessary. However, including Sisi emphasizes or clarifies the subject. It’s often used for emphasis or to avoid ambiguity, especially in conversation.

What does the prefix tu- in tunacheza represent?

The prefix tu- indicates the subject "we." Swahili verbs use subject prefixes: ni- for "I," u- for "you," a- for "he/she," tu- for "we," m- for "you plural," and wa- for "they."

Why do we say nyumbani instead of just nyumba to mean "at home"?

Nyumba is "house" or "home," while nyumbani adds the locative suffix -ni to indicate "at the house/home." In Swahili, the -ni suffix can mean a place or location where an action is taking place.

How precisely does jioni translate in English?

In Swahili, jioni refers to the late afternoon or early evening hours, roughly from late afternoon until dusk. It’s more precise than just "evening" because it starts a bit earlier, but "evening" is a good general translation.

Why is tunacheza used here instead of tunacheza something else like a direct object?

Cheza can mean "to play," "to dance," or sometimes "to perform." In this sentence, it’s left open-ended—maybe you’re playing games, dancing, or just generally "playing around." If you wanted to specify an object (like a game or a sport), you’d typically include it after the verb, for example, Tunacheza mpira ("We are playing ball/soccer").