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Tunafika kazini saa tatu kila siku.

Tunafika kazini saa tatu kila siku.
We arrive at work at nine every day.
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Questions & Answers about Tunafika kazini saa tatu kila siku.

What is the breakdown of tunafika?
tunafika consists of the subject prefix tu- (we), the present-tense marker -na-, and the verb root fika (arrive). Together it literally means “we arrive” and is used for a habitual or ongoing action.
What tense or aspect does the -na- marker indicate in tunafika?
The infix -na- is the present-tense (or present-habitual) marker in Swahili, covering both “I am doing” and “I do regularly.” Here it shows that arriving at work is a regular routine.
Why isn’t there an English-style preposition like “at” before kazini?
Swahili expresses location with suffixes rather than separate prepositions. kazi means “work,” and the locative suffix -ni turns it into kazini, “at work.”
What does saa tatu mean, and why no “at” or other particle?
saa is “hour” or “o’clock,” so saa tatu literally means “hour three” or “three o’clock.” In Swahili you state time as saa + numeral without any extra word.
How can I specify “3 PM” or “3 AM” if needed?

Add a time-of-day adverb after your time expression:

  • saa tatu asubuhi (3 AM)
  • saa tatu alasiri (3 PM)
  • saa tatu jioni (3 in the evening)
  • saa tatu usiku (3 at night)
What does kila siku mean, and why use the singular siku?
kila means “every” and always takes a singular noun: kila siku = “every day.” If you wanted “all days” you’d say siku zote, but that has a slightly different nuance (“all the days”).
Can I add the pronoun sisi before tunafika for clarity?
Yes—sisi tunafika kazini… is grammatically correct, but the prefix tu- already marks “we,” so the standalone sisi is redundant unless you want extra emphasis or contrast.
Is it possible to rearrange the elements—for example, putting kila siku before saa tatu?
Swahili word order is fairly flexible, but the neutral pattern here is Verb–Locative–Time–Frequency. You might hear Tunafika kazini kila siku saa tatu, but it’s more typical to keep saa tatu immediately after the verb phrase and kila siku at the end.
How would I express this sentence in the past tense?

Replace the present-tense marker -na- with the past-tense marker -li-:
Tulifika kazini saa tatu kila siku.
That means “we arrived at work at three o’clock every day.”