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Questions & Answers about Harusi itaanza jioni.
What does each part of the verb itaanza mean?
It’s built from three pieces:
- i- = subject prefix agreeing with the noun class of harusi (class 9, N-class)
- -ta- = future tense marker
- -anza = verb stem “start”
So i-ta-anza → “will start.” The double “aa” in itaanza is normal because -ta-
- -anza meet.
Why is the subject prefix i- and not a-?
a- is for class 1 (human singular, e.g., “mtu”). Harusi is an N-class noun (class 9), which takes i- in the singular. If it were plural (class 10), the verb would use zi-: Harusi zitaanza jioni (“Weddings will start in the evening”).
Do I need a preposition before jioni?
No. Time-of-day words like asubuhi, mchana, alasiri, jioni, usiku act as adverbs on their own. Say Harusi itaanza jioni, not “katika jioni” or “kwa jioni.”
Can I move jioni to a different position?
Yes. Default is sentence-final: Harusi itaanza jioni. To emphasize the time, you can front it: Jioni, harusi itaanza. Both are natural; the end position is most common.
How do I say “The wedding will not start in the evening”?
Harusi haitaanza jioni. Negative future = ha- + subject marker (i-) + -ta- + verb: hai-ta-anza → haitaanza.
What’s the difference between itaanza and inaanza?
- itaanza = will start (future)
- inaanza = is starting / starts (present) For scheduled events, Swahili commonly uses the future: Harusi itaanza jioni (“The wedding will start this evening”). You can use inaanza if the start is imminent or currently unfolding: Harusi inaanza jioni (“The wedding starts this evening”).
Roughly what time does jioni cover?
It generally means “evening,” roughly late afternoon to early night (about 4–7 p.m.), after alasiri (late afternoon) and before usiku (night). Exact ranges vary by region.
Is harusi singular or plural? How do I show plural on the verb?
Harusi is class 9/10; many N-class nouns have the same form for singular and plural. Use context or numbers to show plural, and switch the verb’s subject marker:
- Singular: Harusi itaanza jioni. (i-)
- Plural: Harusi zitaanza jioni. (zi-)
How do adjectives agree with harusi?
Adjectives take N-class agreement: harusi nzuri (“a beautiful wedding”), plural harusi nzuri (“beautiful weddings”). Don’t use mzuri here; use nzuri for N-class.
Is there a common alternative to kuanza here?
Yes: Harusi itafanyika jioni (“The wedding will take place in the evening”). Kuanza = “to start/begin,” kufanyika = “to take place/happen.”
What does harusini mean, and is it related?
Harusini = “at the wedding” (locative suffix -ni). It’s about place, not time. Your sentence is about time (jioni), so you wouldn’t use harusini there.
Can I drop the noun and just say “It will start in the evening”?
Yes, if context is clear: Itaanza jioni. Swahili allows subject drop because the verb already carries the subject marking (here, i- for an N-class singular noun understood from context).