Gesi iko jikoni.

Gas is in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Gesi iko jikoni.

• kuwa: to be
• kwenye: at
• jiko: the kitchen
• gesi: the gas

Questions & Answers about Gesi iko jikoni.

Why is iko used in this sentence instead of just saying “gesi jikoni” or using “ni”?

In Swahili you generally need a verb to express “to be” when talking about location. Here we use iko, which is the present-tense locative form of kuwa (“to be”). You can’t drop it (unlike in English where you might say “gas, kitchen”). Saying gesi jikoni without iko would sound incomplete, and ni is the simple copula used for definitions (e.g. Gesi ni nishati “Gas is energy”), not for location.

What exactly is iko made of? How is it formed?

Iko is built from two pieces:

1. i- – the subject‐prefix (subject marker) for class 9/10 nouns like gesi
2. -ko – the locative suffix meaning “at/in/on that place”
   Put together, i- + ‑ko = iko, literally “it-is-at”.

Why iko and not uko or kipo? I’ve seen those forms too.

Those are the same -ko locative clitic attached to different subject‐prefixes. You choose the prefix based on the noun class:

• uko = u- (class 3 e.g. mti “tree”) + -ko (“tree is at”)
• kipo = ki- (class 7 e.g. kiti “chair”) + -po (alternative locative clitic for class 7)
• iko = i- (class 9/10 e.g. gesi) + -ko
  So uko, kipo, iko all mean “is at/in/on”, just for different noun classes.

What’s the difference between the locative endings -ko, -po, and -mo?

They’re three related locative clitics that attach to subject-prefixes:

• -mo: “inside” (interior)
• -ko: general location
• -po: a more neutral/general marker, often near the speaker
  In everyday use -ko and -po often overlap, so you’ll hear iko jikoni or ipo jikoni almost interchangeably. -mo has a stronger “inside” nuance (e.g. umo majini “in the water”).

How is jikoni formed? Where does the -ni come from?

Jikoni = jiko (“stove,” “kitchen”) + -ni (the locative suffix on nouns). Adding -ni to a noun means “in/on/at [that noun].”
So:
jiko (stove/kitchen) → jikoni (“in the stove/kitchen”).

I thought jiko meant “stove.” Does jikoni mean “on the stove” rather than “in the kitchen”?

Originally jiko referred to the cooking hearth or stove, but in modern Swahili it often means “kitchen.” In context jikoni is best understood as “in the kitchen.” If you really meant “on the stove,” you could clarify with kwa jiko (“on the stove”) or say jiko + another clarifier.

Can I also say katika jikoni instead of using jikoni with iko?

Yes. katika is a preposition meaning “in/inside.” You can say:
“Gesi iko katika jikoni.”
This is perfectly grammatical. Just note that –ni on jiko already marks “in,” so zikoni + katika is a bit redundant but still used for emphasis or style.

How do I turn this into a yes/no question? “Is the gas in the kitchen?”

You have two common options:

1. Add je at the start:
   Je, gesi iko jikoni?
2. Rely on intonation alone:
   Gesi iko jikoni?
   Either way, rising pitch at the end signals a question.

How do I say “The gas is not in the kitchen”?

Negate the verb by using ha- as the negative subject marker and keeping the locative ending. For class 9 you get:
Gesi haiko jikoni.
You can also use haipo jikoni with -po if you prefer that locative clitic.

Which noun class is gesi in, and how can I tell?

Gesi is in class 9 (singular) / 10 (plural) because:

• It begins with the prefix ge-, typical of borrowed mass nouns in class 9/10.
• It takes the subject marker i- (class 9/10) in verbs like iko.
  Mass nouns and many loanwords (kilo, kilo, simu, suti, etc.) behave like class 9/10.

Why is “gas” spelled gesi in Swahili?

When English or other foreign words enter Swahili, they’re adapted to fit Swahili phonology:

• Add a short vowel after final consonants (no word ends in a bare consonant).
• Use Swahili phonemes (no /æ/ or /ɡæs/ exactly).
  Hence gas → gesi (pronounced [ˈɡe.si]).