Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mimi nitamwita Juma mara tu nitakapofika nyumbani. - I will call Juma as soon as I arrive home.

In Swahili the subject is usually marked by a prefix on the verb (here ni- in nitamwita). Adding Mimi is optional and is used for emphasis or contrast (“Me, I will call Juma…”). You can drop Mimi and just say Nitamwita Juma… with no change in basic meaning.

What are the parts of nitamwita, and how do they work?

Nitamwita breaks down as:

ni- = subject prefix for “I”
ta- = future-tense marker (“will…”)
mw- = object prefix for “him/her” (refers to Juma)
-ita = verb root “call” or “invite”
Put together, nitamwita literally means “I will call him.”

What does mara tu mean, and why use those two words?

Mara on its own is a noun meaning “time” or “instance.” Adding tu (“only” or “just”) turns it into the idiomatic phrase mara tu, meaning “as soon as” or “the moment that.” It emphasizes that one action follows immediately after another.

Why is there a ka in nitakapofika?

The -ka- infix is the relative‐clause marker. In subordinate clauses describing “when/once something happens,” Swahili inserts -ka- between the tense marker and the verb root. So in nitakapofika we have:

ni- = subject “I”
ta- = future “will”
-ka- = linker for “when/once”
fika = “arrive”
Altogether, nitakapofika = “when I will arrive” or “once I arrive.”

Could I say nikifika instead of nitakapofika?

No. Nikifika would be present/future-habitual (“when I arrive/arrive often”) without making it a clear subordinate time clause. To express “as soon as I arrive,” you need ni-ta-ka- + root. Dropping ta- or ka- changes or breaks the meaning.

Why is nyumbani used for “home”? What does the -ni ending do?

Nyumba means “house.” Adding the locative suffix -ni turns it into “at the house” or “at home.” So nyumbani = “at home.” In Swahili, many nouns take -ni to indicate location (“in,” “on,” or “at”).

What word order rules explain why Juma appears at the end?

When you use an object prefix (here mw- for “him”), you often follow it with the explicit noun for clarity or emphasis. The pattern is:
verb prefix + verb root + explicit object noun.
Hence ni-ta-mw-ita Juma > nitamwita Juma. The object noun naturally comes after the complete verb.

Could I remove the object prefix and just say Nita-ita Juma?

If you drop the prefix mw-, you must still mark the subject: ni-ta-ita Juma = nitaita Juma. That also means “I will call Juma,” but you lose the direct object prefix. Both are grammatically correct, though using mw- is more concise.