Question 1

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before Likizo?

Accepted Answer

Swahili does not use definite or indefinite articles. A bare noun like likizo can mean “a vacation,” “the vacation,” or just “vacation” depending on context. If you really need to specify “this vacation” or “that vacation,” you add a demonstrative:  
- Likizo hii – “this vacation”  
- Likizo hiyo – “that vacation”

Question 2

What does itaanza mean, and how is it built?

Accepted Answer

itaanza is the 3rd-person-singular future form of -anza (“to start”). It breaks down as:  
  • i- — subject prefix for class 5 nouns (like likizo)  
  • -ta- — future-tense marker (“will”)  
  • -anza — verb root “start”  
Put together: i + ta + anza = itaanza (“it will start”).

Question 3

Why is the subject prefix i- on itaanza instead of li-, matching likizo?

Accepted Answer

Class 5 nouns (like likizo) normally take a li- subject prefix. However, when the noun itself begins with li-, Swahili drops the duplicate l to avoid li-li—. So li-ta-anza becomes i-ta-anza. This is a regular phonological adjustment.

Question 4

What are the pieces of wiki ijayo, and how do they mean “next week”?

Accepted Answer

- wiki “week” (borrowed from English, class 9)  
- ijayo “that which is coming”  
   • i- — relative/adjectival prefix for class 9  
   • ja — root “come” (in the sense of “next”)  
   • -yo — relative ending  
Together wiki ijayo literally means “the week that is coming,” i.e. “next week.”

Question 5

Why do we say ujao in mwaka ujao (“next year”) instead of ijayo?

Accepted Answer

You must match the relative/adjectival prefix to the noun’s class:  
- mwaka (“year”) is class 3, whose relative prefix is u- → u + ja + -o = ujao  
- mwezi (“month”) is also class 3 → mwezi ujao (“next month”)  
- siku (“day”) is class 9 → siku ijayo (“next day”)

Question 6

How would I say “next month,” “next day,” or “next Monday” in Swahili?

Accepted Answer

Just replace wiki with the target noun and use the correct class prefix on ja-o:  
  • “next month” → mwezi ujao (class 3)  
  • “next day”   → siku ijayo (class 9)  
  • “next Monday” → Jumatatu ijayo (treating Jumatatu as class 9)

Question 7

Can I move wiki ijayo to the front of the sentence? What’s the normal word order?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Swahili is basically S-V-O, but time or place phrases can come first for emphasis. So both are fine:  
  • Likizo itaanza wiki ijayo. (Subject–Verb–Time)  
  • Wiki ijayo likizo itaanza. (Time–Subject–Verb)

Likizo itaanza wiki ijayo.

Breakdown of Likizo itaanza wiki ijayo.

Questions & Answers about Likizo itaanza wiki ijayo.

More from this lesson

Master Swahili — from Likizo itaanza wiki ijayo to fluency