Kesho jioni, tutakutana sokoni.

Tomorrow evening, we will meet at the market.

Breakdown of Kesho jioni, tutakutana sokoni.

• sisi: we
• kwenye: at
• soko: the market
• kutana: to meet
• kesho jioni: tomorrow evening

Questions & Answers about Kesho jioni, tutakutana sokoni.

What does the time phrase Kesho jioni mean exactly?

It means tomorrow evening.

• Kesho = tomorrow
• Jioni = evening/late afternoon (roughly late afternoon to dusk, often about 4–7 pm, varies by region/context)

Is the comma after Kesho jioni necessary? Can the time go elsewhere in the sentence?

The comma is optional—it just helps readability. Time expressions are often placed at the beginning, but you can move them:

• Kesho jioni tutakutana sokoni.
• Tutakutana kesho jioni sokoni.
• Fronting for emphasis is also possible: Sokoni, tutakutana kesho jioni.

How is the verb tutakutana formed?

It’s a single verb with prefixes and a stem:

• tu- = we (subject marker)
• -ta- = future tense
• -kutana = meet (each other) So, tutakutana = “we will meet.” The ending -ana signals a reciprocal action (each other).

What’s the difference between tutakutana and tutaonana?

• Tutakutana = we will meet (come together, usually by arrangement).
• Tutaonana = we will see each other (emphasizes the seeing, often used casually like “see you”).
  Both are common; tutakutana is a bit more about the actual meeting.

Do I need to say sisi for “we,” as in Sisi tutakutana?

No. The subject marker tu- already encodes “we.”

• Neutral: Tutakutana…
• With emphasis/contrast: Sisi tutakutana… (e.g., “We (as for us) will meet…”)

What does the -ni in sokoni do?

-ni is a locative suffix that means “at/in/to/from (the place).”

• soko = market
• sokoni = at/in/to/from the market (the exact preposition is inferred from context)

Could I say kwenye soko or katika soko instead of sokoni?

Yes:

• sokoni is very idiomatic and compact.
• kwenye soko and katika soko are also correct and common.
  Meaning differences are minimal here; style and flow usually decide.

Where is the word “the”? Why does sokoni translate as “at the market”?

Swahili has no articles (no “a”/“the”). Definiteness is inferred from context. Sokoni can map to “at a market” or “at the market” depending on what’s understood between speakers.

Does sokoni mean “at,” “in,” or “to” the market?

It can be any of those, depending on the verb and context:

• Static location: Tunafanya kazi sokoni = We work at the market.
• Destination: Anaenda sokoni = He/She is going to the market. In your sentence, with “meet,” it’s read as “at (the market).”

How would I include the person we’re meeting, like “meet Asha at the market”?

Use na (with):

• Kesho jioni, nitakutana na Asha sokoni. = Tomorrow evening, I will meet Asha at the market. For “we will meet each other,” you don’t need na because -ana already covers reciprocity.

How do I say the negative: “Tomorrow evening, we will not meet at the market”?

• Kesho jioni, hatutakutana sokoni.
  Breakdown: ha- (neg.) + tu- (we) + -ta- (future) + -kutana (meet).

How do I say it in the past: “Yesterday evening, we met at the market”?

• Jana jioni, tulikutana sokoni.
  Breakdown: tu- (we) + -li- (past) + -kutana (meet).

Is jioni the same as “night”? What if I want “tomorrow night”?

• Jioni = evening/late afternoon.
• Usiku = night.
  So: Kesho usiku, tutakutana sokoni. = Tomorrow night, we’ll meet at the market.

How do you pronounce these words?

• Kesho: KE-sho (stress on the second-to-last syllable; Swahili generally stresses the penultimate syllable)
• jioni: ji-O-ni (stress on “O”)
• tutakutana: tu-ta-ku-TA-na (stress on “TA”)
• sokoni: so-KO-ni (stress on “KO”)