Learn Hardcore Swahili: Binamu yake anasema watarudi mapema ili wapike chakula cha usiku. - Her cousin says they will return early so they can cook dinner.

binamu = “cousin”
yake = “his” or “her” (third-person singular possessive)
Together binamu yake means “his cousin” (or “her cousin”, determined by context).

Why is the verb anasema in the present tense when it talks about a future event?

In Swahili the reporting verb stays in present tense.

a-na-sema = he/she says (subject prefix a-, present marker -na-, root sema)
What follows can refer to the past, present or future; the subordinate clause carries its own tense.

How is the form watarudi built, and why not atarudi?

watarudi = subject prefix + tense marker + verb root

wa- = “they” (third-person plural)
-ta- = future tense marker
rudi = “return”
So watarudi means “they will return.”
atarudi would mean “he/she will return” (prefix a- for singular).

What role does mapema play in the sentence?

mapema means “early.” It’s an adverb modifying watarudi, so watarudi mapema = “they will return early.”

What is the function of ili here?

ili is a conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order that.” It introduces a purpose clause explaining why they’ll return early.

Why is wapike in the subjunctive (ending in -e) rather than the indicative or future?

After ili Swahili verbs take the subjunctive mood, which uses the final vowel -e.

Infinitive: kupika (“to cook”)
Subjunctive (they): wa-pik-e = “(so that) they cook” or “they may cook.”

What does chakula cha usiku mean, and is there another way to say “dinner”?