Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mpokezi alituarifu kwamba mkutano utaanza saa nne, kisha akatupa vitambulisho. - The receptionist informed us that the meeting would start at ten, then gave us IDs.

kwamba introduces a content clause (“that …”). In speech it’s often optional: Alituarifu mkutano utaanza … is fine. You can also use kuwa with virtually the same meaning: alituarifu kuwa …. Using kwamba is a bit more formal/explicit and common in writing.

Why is it mkutano utaanza with u-? Shouldn’t future be ta-?

The future marker is -ta-, but you still need the noun-class subject marker before it. mkutano is class 3 (m-/mi-), whose singular subject marker is u-. So:

u-ta-anza = “it (class 3) will start.” If the subject were class 1 (a person), you’d get a-ta-…, class 2 would be wa-ta-…, etc.

Does saa nne mean 4 o’clock?

In Swahili time (common in East Africa), hours are counted from roughly 6:00. So:

saa nne = 10:00. To disambiguate you can add parts of the day: saa nne asubuhi (10 a.m.), saa nne usiku (10 p.m., though many would say saa nne usiku = 10 p.m. using the night context). For 4:00 p.m. you’d say saa kumi.

Why say both kisha and use aka- in akatupa? Isn’t that redundant?

kisha means “then/after that.”
aka- is the narrative/consecutive marker meaning “and then (he/she) …” tying a new event to a prior one. Using both is common and emphasizes sequence: “…, then he went on to give us …”. You could drop one:
…, kisha alitupa vitambulisho.
…, akatupa vitambulisho. All are acceptable; with aka-, make sure there’s a prior past/perfect event in context.

Could I start a sentence with akatupa without any prior context?

Usually no. aka- assumes a preceding event (often in past/perfect) to chain onto. If it’s the first event or you’re not continuing a sequence, use a normal past: alitupa.

Does akatupa mean “he threw us …”? I thought -tupa = throw.

Two different analyses exist in writing as akatupa: 1) a-ka-tu-pa = he then gave us (root -pa = give; object marker -tu- = us). This is what we have here: “… then he gave us badges.” 2) a-ka-tupa = he then threw (root -tupa = throw away). That reading would not include the object marker -tu-. Context and object structure disambiguate. If someone literally threw something to us, Swahili would more likely use the applicative: akatutupia ….

Is alituarifu different from alituambia or alitudhulisha/kujulis? Which should I use?

Common options:

alituarifu = informed us (more formal/official).
alituambia = told us (neutral, very common).
alitudokezea = hinted to us (if implying a hint).
alitujulisha = let us know/informed us (also common, slightly softer than arifu). All are fine; choose based on tone. For everyday speech, alituambia or alitujulisha are very natural.

Why is the future kept as utaanza after a past verb? Shouldn’t it be “would start”?

Swahili often does not backshift tense in reported speech. Alituarifu kwamba mkutano utaanza … is normal and implies the future remains valid. If you want “would start” (future-in-the-past/neutral about current validity), you can use the conditional: … kwamba mkutano ungeanza saa nne. Both are acceptable; they differ in nuance.

What noun class is mkutano, and what’s its plural?

mkutano is class 3 (m-/mi-). Plural: mikutano (class 4). Hence agreement like mkutano utaanza, mikutano itaanza.

What about vitambulisho? How does its agreement work?

Singular: kitambulisho (class 7, ki-). Plural: vitambulisho (class 8, vi-).

One badge/ID: kitambulisho
Many: vitambulisho Verbal agreement would use ki-/vi- as subject markers where relevant.

How does the double-object structure work in akatupa vitambulisho?

The verb -pa (give) is inherently ditransitive:

Indirect object (recipient) can be pronominalized with an object marker: a-ka-tu-pa = he then gave us …
The thing given appears as the direct object: vitambulisho. Standard Swahili allows only one object marker; the other object appears as a full noun phrase.

Could I say akatupatia vitambulisho instead?

Yes. -pa + applicative -ia → -patia, often meaning “give to/for (someone).” With an object marker: akatupatia vitambulisho = he then gave us badges. It’s common and perfectly natural.

What exactly is mpokezi? Is there a plural?

mpokezi literally “receiver,” commonly “receptionist.” It’s class 1 (person). Plural: wapokezi. It’s derived from -pokea (receive), with an agentive pattern similar to forms like mlezi (carer) from -lea.

Is the comma before kisha required?

No strict rule, but it’s helpful. It marks the clause boundary and the temporal shift. You’ll also see it without a comma in running text: … saa nne kisha akatupa …