Learn Hardcore Swahili: Meli yetu itawasili saa kumi na moja jioni, ikiwa injini yake haitaharibika. - Our ship will arrive at five in the evening if its engine does not break down.

It’s the future tense of the verb wasili (“arrive”). We attach the subject prefix i- for class 5 (because meli “ship” is class 5), then the future marker -ta-, and the verb root -wasili. So i + ta + wasili = itawasili (“it will arrive”).

Why is the time expressed as saa kumi na moja jioni without a preposition like “at” or a connector?

In Swahili telling the time is done with saa (“hour/o’clock”) + cardinal number + time-of-day noun. You don’t need “at” or “za.”
Here:
• saa = “hour/o’clock”
• kumi na moja = “eleven”
• jioni = “evening/PM”
So saa kumi na moja jioni = “11 PM.” You could say saa kumi na moja za jioni in very formal style, but everyday speech drops the za.

What is ikiwa and why is it used here?

ikiwa means “if” (it can also mean “when” in some contexts). It’s formed from the verb kuwa (“to be”) with the conditional marker -ki-. It introduces a subordinate conditional clause. So ikiwa injini yake haitaharibika = “if its engine doesn’t break down.”

How is haitaharibika constructed, and what tense is it?

haitaharibika is the negative future tense of haribika (“to break down/be ruined”). For negative future we use:
• ha- = negative subject prefix for class 9 (injini)
• -ta- = future tense marker
• haribik = verb root
• -a = final vowel
Put together: ha + ta + haribik + a = haitaharibika (“it will not break down”).

Why is injini yake used, and what noun class does injini belong to?

injini (“engine”) is a class 9 noun. The possessive pronoun for 3rd person singular in class 9/10 is yake (“its/his/her”). So injini yake means “its engine” (referring back to the ship).

Can the conditional clause come at the beginning of the sentence instead?

Yes. Swahili allows flexible word order for subordinate clauses. You could say:
Ikiwa injini yake haitaharibika, meli yetu itawasili saa kumi na moja jioni.
The meaning stays the same: “If its engine doesn’t break down, our ship will arrive at 11 PM.”

Is there a difference between using jioni and usiku here?

Yes. jioni generally covers the early evening period (around sunset up to about 9 PM), while usiku covers late evening/night. By saying jioni, the speaker emphasizes arrival in the evening rather than the late night.