Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kesho nitakuwa nimekamilisha mfumo mpya wa kompyuta ofisini. - Tomorrow I will have completed the new computer system at the office.

Kesho is a time adverb meaning tomorrow. In Swahili, time words often come before the verb phrase to set the temporal context. Starting with Kesho (“Tomorrow…”) signals right away when the action will occur. You could also move it to the end (e.g., Nitakuwa nimekamilisha mfumo mpya wa kompyuta ofisini kesho), but initial placement is more natural.

What is the role of the prefix ni- in nitakuwa and nimekamilisha?

The prefix ni- marks the subject I (first person singular). It attaches to the tense/aspect marker and the verb stem.
• In nitakuwa, ni- + future marker -ta- + verb kuwa = “I will be.”
• In nimekamilisha, ni- + perfect marker -me- + verb kamilisha = “I have completed.”

Why are there two verbs (nitakuwa and nimekamilisha) instead of just one?

This construction expresses the future perfect (“will have done”). Swahili forms the future perfect by combining:

The future of -kuwa (“to be”)—here nitakuwa (“I will be”)
The perfect of the main verb—here nimekamilisha (“I have completed”)
Together they mean “I will have completed.”

Why not just use nitakamilisha? What’s the difference between nitakamilisha and nitakuwa nimekamilisha?

• Nitakamilisha is the simple future: “I will complete.”
• Nitakuwa nimekamilisha is the future perfect: “I will have completed,” implying the action will already be done by that future point (tomorrow).

How is the perfect aspect formed in Swahili, as in nimekamilisha?

You insert the perfect marker -me- between the subject prefix and the verb stem:
• Subject prefix: ni- (I)
• Perfect marker: -me-
• Verb stem: kamilisha (complete)
= ni-me-kamilisha (“I have completed”).

Why is the adjective mpya placed after the noun mfumo, and not before?

In Swahili the standard word order for nouns and adjectives is NOUN + ADJECTIVE. So mfumo mpya = system new (i.e. “new system”). Placing mpya before mfumo would be ungrammatical.

What does mfumo mpya wa kompyuta literally mean, and why is wa used between mfumo mpya and kompyuta?

Literally it’s “system new of computer”.
• mfumo mpya = “new system”
• wa is the genitive/linking particle equivalent to English “of.”
• kompyuta = “computer.”
Together, mfumo mpya wa kompyuta = “new computer system.”

What is ofisini, and how is that locative form created?

ofisi means office. Adding the locative suffix -ni to a noun expresses “at/in/on” that place. So:
• ofisi + -ni = ofisini, meaning “at the office.”

Why is kompyuta singular here, and how would you pluralize it if needed?

Kompyuta is a borrowed noun typically treated as class 9/10 with the same form in singular and plural. Here it’s left singular because you’re referring to the concept “computer system” in general. If you wanted to emphasize multiple individual computers you could add a plural marker like kompyuta nyingi (“many computers”), but kompyuta itself does not change form.