Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kesho asubuhi, lori litawasili sokoni. - Tomorrow morning, the truck will arrive at the market.

Kesho asubuhi = tomorrow morning. In Swahili, time expressions usually come first (just like English “Tomorrow morning, …”) to establish when something happens.

How is the verb litawasili formed?

Break litawasili into three parts:
• li- = subject marker for class 5 singular nouns (e.g. lori)
• ta- = future tense marker
• -wasili = verb root “arrive”
So li-ta-wasili literally means “it will arrive.”

Why isn’t there a separate subject pronoun like yeye in litawasili?

Swahili verbs include the subject in their prefix. The li- in litawasili tells you “it” (the truck) is the subject. Adding yeye (he/she) would be redundant.

What noun class is lori, and how would the sentence change in the plural?

lori (truck) belongs to noun class 5.
• Singular: lori, verb prefix li- → litawasili
• Plural: malori, verb prefix ya- → yatasili or yatafika
So “trucks will arrive at the market” becomes Malori yatasili sokoni.

Why is soko written as sokoni, and what does -ni do?

Adding -ni to a noun marks the locative (“in/at …”).
• soko = market
• sokoni = in/at the market

Could I use a different verb, like itafika, instead of litawasili?

Yes. litawasili comes from Arabic kuwasili, while itafika (from kusafika) is purely Bantu. Both mean “it will arrive.” You’d form it the same way: li-ta-fika (e.g. Kesho asubuhi lori litafika sokoni).

Is the comma after asubuhi required?

No. The comma indicates a pause but isn’t mandatory. You can write Kesho asubuhi lori litawasili sokoni with the same meaning.

Where do locative phrases like sokoni usually appear in Swahili sentences?

Locative phrases (noun + -ni) typically follow the verb (or object) to show where an action happens. The usual order is Subject–Verb–Locative, as in lori litawasili sokoni.