Learn Hardcore Swahili: Japokuwa bado ni asubuhi, watoto wanacheza nje. - Although it is still morning, the children are playing outside.

Japokuwa is a subordinating conjunction meaning although or even though. You use it to introduce a clause that contrasts with what follows. In the example, Japokuwa bado ni asubuhi sets up a surprising situation (“even though it’s still morning”), and the main clause (watoto wanacheza nje) gives the unexpected result.

Can I use ingawa instead of japokuwa? Are there any differences?

Yes—ingawa also means although and is very common in everyday Swahili. The two are largely interchangeable.
• Japokuwa often feels a bit more formal or literary and carries an implicit sense that the action in the subordinate clause actually happened.
• Ingawa is neutral and slightly more colloquial.
You would not use lakini for this kind of clause, because lakini is a coordinating conjunction (it means but) and does not directly introduce a subordinate clause.

What is the role of bado in bado ni asubuhi?

Bado means still or yet, indicating that a state or action continues. In bado ni asubuhi, it tells us it’s still morning (the morning hasn’t ended yet). When you use bado with verbs or the copula ni, it usually comes immediately before them (e.g. bado anasoma = “he’s still studying”).

Why do we need the copula ni here? When is ni required?

In Swahili, ni is the copula that links a subject to a noun or pronoun predicate. Time words like asubuhi, usiku, mchana need ni to form sentences like Ni asubuhi (“It’s morning”). Without ni you’d have no link between the implied subject (it) and the noun asubuhi. By contrast, simple adjectival predicates can sometimes drop ni, but noun or pronoun predicates generally require it.

How is wanacheza formed? What do wa-, -na-, and -cheza represent?

Wanacheza breaks down as follows:
• wa- = subject prefix for noun class 2 (the plural class for people, here watoto “children”).
• -na- = present tense marker (often called the present‐habitual or continuous marker).
• -cheza = verb root meaning play.
Put together, wanacheza literally means they play or they are playing.

Is wanacheza present continuous or habitual? How can I know which?

Swahili’s -na- marker covers both what in English we call present continuous (“are playing right now”) and present habitual (“play regularly”). Context tells you which:
• If you mention a time frame or add words like sasa (“now”) or hivi sasa (“right now”), it’s clearly continuous.
• In our sentence, morning is ongoing and the children are outside at this moment, so you’d translate wanacheza as “are playing.”

What part of speech is nje, and can it appear elsewhere in the sentence?

Nje is a locative adverb meaning outside. It tells you where the action happens. Typically it follows the verb (as in wanacheza nje), but you can also front it for emphasis (Nje wanacheza watoto). You can’t treat it like a noun, though—if you need to say “outside of the house,” you’d use nje ya nyumba.

What noun class does asubuhi belong to? Can we pluralize it?

Asubuhi (“morning”) is in noun class 9 (the class often used for uncountable or mass nouns, including many time words). Class 9/10 nouns don’t change form in the plural. So asubuhi can refer to one specific morning (“this morning”) or mornings in general (“mornings are cool”); there is no separate plural form.

Can we put the main clause before the subordinate clause, for example Watoto wanacheza nje japokuwa bado ni asubuhi? Do we need a comma?

Yes, Swahili allows you to invert the order:
Watoto wanacheza nje japokuwa bado ni asubuhi.
When the subordinate clause follows, a comma is less obligatory, though you may still use one for clarity:
Watoto wanacheza nje, japokuwa bado ni asubuhi.
Modern written Swahili often borrows English-style punctuation, but in informal contexts you’ll see the comma dropped.