Learn Hardcore Swahili: Baada ya umeme kukatika, tungoje dakika tano kabla ya kufungua friji. - After the electricity goes out, let’s wait five minutes before opening the fridge.

Baada is a noun meaning “the after.” To link it to what comes after it, Swahili uses the genitive connector ya: literally “the after of …,” i.e., “after …”
Same idea with kabla ya (“the before of …,” i.e., “before …”).
Examples:
- Baada ya kazi = after work
- Kabla ya chakula = before the meal

Why is it Baada ya umeme kukatika and not something like a full clause with tense markers?

After baada ya, Swahili commonly uses the infinitive/verb-noun form (ku-
- verb) to express “after X happening.”
In umeme kukatika, the noun umeme functions as the subject of the infinitive kukatika (“to be cut/go off”). So the phrase means “after the electricity going off,” which is how Swahili structures it.

Is there another correct way to say “after the power goes out”?

Yes. Two frequent options:

Baada ya umeme kukatika (your sentence)
Baada ya kukatika kwa umeme (uses kwa to mark the genitive/possessive relation) Both are natural. The first is a bit more compact in everyday speech.

Could I use ukikatika or ulipokatika instead, and what’s the difference?

If you switch to a finite clause, you typically drop baada ya and use a conditional/temporal form:
- Umeme ukikatika, … = When/if the power goes out, …
- Umeme ulipokatika, … = When the power went out (specific past event), …
So:
- General rule/instruction: Umeme ukikatika, tungoje …
- Specific past scenario: Baada ya umeme kukatika tulingoja … or Umeme ulipokatika, tulingoja …

What’s the difference between -kata and -katika, and why use kukatika here?

-kata = to cut (transitive: someone cuts something). Example: Walikata umeme = They cut the power.
-katika = to be cut, to snap, to break off, to get interrupted (intransitive). Example: Umeme umekatika = The power is out.
We use kukatika with umeme because the power “gets cut/goes off” (no explicit agent).

Does katika also mean “in/inside”? How do I tell it apart from the verb?

Yes, katika is also a very common preposition meaning “in/inside.” You tell them apart by form:

Preposition: katika nyumba = in the house.
Verb (infinitive): kukatika = to be cut/break (note the infinitive ku-). Context will make it clear which one is meant.

What form is tungoje? Why not just use the plain present?

Tungoje is 1st person plural subjunctive/hortative: tu- (we) + verb stem (ngoja) + subjunctive ending -e → “let’s wait.”
It’s the natural way to propose a joint action (“let’s …”). A plain present tunasubiri would mean “we are waiting,” which doesn’t express the instruction/suggestion.

Could I say tusubiri instead of tungoje?

Yes. Kusubiri and kungoja both mean “to wait.” So:

Tusubiri dakika tano … = Let’s wait five minutes …
Tungoje dakika tano … = Let’s wait five minutes … Both are fine; ngoje/ngojea can feel a touch more conversational. Use either.

Why is it kabla ya kufungua and not some other structure?

After kabla ya (“before”), Swahili typically uses the infinitive: kabla ya
- ku-
  - verb = “before doing X.”
Alternative (very common too): use a finite clause with a “not-yet/perfect negative” feel:
- Kabla hatujafungua friji, … = Before we have opened the fridge, … Both are good; the kabla ya + infinitive pattern is simpler for learners.

Should it be kufungua friji or kuifungua friji?

Kufungua friji = to open the fridge (explicit object follows the verb). This is the standard choice here.
Kuifungua uses the object marker -i- (class 9/10) meaning “open it.” You use an object marker when the object is pronominal (not repeated) or for topicalized/very specific objects. With the noun friji stated right after, the object marker is usually omitted: kufungua friji is best.

Why is it dakika tano and not “tano dakika”?

In Swahili, numerals generally follow the noun:

dakika tano = five minutes
siku tatu = three days
vitabu viwili = two books Only in counting or lists do numbers stand alone (e.g., tano = five).

Do numbers agree with the noun class here? Why no prefix on tano?

Numerals 1–5 can take noun-class agreement, but how that looks depends on the class.
For class 9/10 nouns like dakika, the numeral often appears in its plain form for 3–5: dakika tatu, dakika nne, dakika tano (no visible class prefix).
With 1–2 you’ll notice changes: e.g., nyumba mbili (two houses, class 9/10). With other classes you see clear agreement: vitabu viwili, magari matano, watu watano.

What noun classes are umeme and friji, and does that matter here?

Umeme is typically class 11/14 (mass noun with u-). It doesn’t take a plural; you’d talk about “a lot of electricity” as umeme mwingi.
Friji is a borrowed noun, most often treated as class 9/10 (plural can be the same form or sometimes mafriji in class 6). Adjectives agree accordingly: friji mpya, mafriji mapya.
In this sentence, the class mainly affects potential agreement (e.g., object marker -i- for class 9/10 if you pronominalize “fridge”: kuifungua = to open it).

Is there any nuance difference between “after” and “when” structures here?

Baada ya umeme kukatika, … frames the action as something to do after the outage—slightly sequence-oriented.
Umeme ukikatika, … is more condition/trigger-oriented (“when/if the power goes out, …”). Both are idiomatic for giving instructions; choose the one that fits your tone (sequence vs. trigger).

Any notes on vocabulary choices like friji vs jokofu?

Friji is the everyday loanword for “fridge” in much of East Africa.
Jokofu is the more standard/older Swahili term; plural majokofu.
Both are understood; friji is very common in casual speech, jokofu may sound a bit more formal/standard.