MC ataongoza sherehe jioni.

The MC will lead the celebration in the evening.

Breakdown of MC ataongoza sherehe jioni.

• sherehe: the celebration
• kuongoza: to lead
• jioni: in the evening
• MC: the MC

Questions & Answers about MC ataongoza sherehe jioni.

What does each part of the verb ataongoza mean?

It’s built from smaller pieces:

• a- = 3rd person singular subject marker for a human (he/she)
• -ta- = future tense
• -ongoza = verb root “lead/guide” (the infinitive is kuongoza) So ataongoza = “he/she will lead.”

Why is the subject marker a- used with “MC”?

In Swahili, people typically belong to noun class 1 (m-/wa-), which takes a- for a singular subject. Even though “MC” is an English abbreviation, it refers to a person, so the verb agrees with class 1: a- for singular (he/she), wa- for plural (they).

Where did the ku- go from “kuongoza”?

ku- is the infinitive marker. In finite verb forms you drop ku- and add subject and tense markers: a + ta + ongoza → ataongoza.

Do I need a word for “in” before jioni (“evening”)?

No. Time-of-day words like asubuhi (morning), mchana (afternoon), jioni (evening), usiku (night) function as adverbials by themselves. So “in the evening” is just jioni (not “katika jioni”).

Where can I put jioni in the sentence?

Common positions:

• End: MC ataongoza sherehe jioni.
• Beginning for emphasis: Jioni, MC ataongoza sherehe. Both are natural.

Does jioni mean “this evening” specifically?

By itself it’s just “in the evening.” To be specific:

• leo jioni = this evening (today evening)
• kesho jioni = tomorrow evening
• jana jioni = yesterday evening

Is sherehe singular or plural?

It’s class 9/10 (N class), where singular and plural often look the same. Context decides. You can make it explicit:

• Singular: sherehe moja (one ceremony)
• Plural: sherehe nyingi (many ceremonies)

How do I say “The MCs will lead the ceremony in the evening”?

Use the plural subject marker wa-: MC wataongoza sherehe jioni.

Can I add an object marker for “ceremony” and say MC ataiongoza sherehe jioni?

You can, but use it for a definite, already-known object or topicalization. -i- is the class 9 object marker for sherehe:

• Neutral/new info: MC ataongoza sherehe jioni.
• Definite/emphatic/topicalized: MC ataiongoza sherehe (hiyo) jioni.

How do I say “The MC will not lead the ceremony this evening”?

Negative future uses ha- with the 3rd singular: MC hataongoza sherehe leo jioni.

How do I ask “Will the MC lead the ceremony in the evening?”?

Two common ways:

• Je, MC ataongoza sherehe jioni?
• MC ataongoza sherehe jioni? (yes/no question by intonation)

Can I use the present tense for a scheduled future event?

Yes, colloquially. MC anaongoza sherehe jioni can mean “The MC is leading the ceremony this evening” (scheduled). The simple future ataongoza is also perfectly natural.

How would I say “will be leading” (future progressive)?

You can say:

• Atakuwa akiongoza sherehe jioni.
• Also heard: Atakuwa anaongoza sherehe jioni.

What’s the pronunciation of each word?

• MC: said like English letters “em-see” (often “em-si”).
• ataongoza: a-ta-on-GO-za (stress on the second-to-last syllable: “ngo”).
• sherehe: she-RE-he (stress on “re”).
• jioni: ji-O-ni (stress on “o”). Swahili generally stresses the second-to-last syllable.

Is “MC” normal in Swahili? Are there Swahili alternatives?

Yes, MC is widely used. Common Swahili terms:

• mshereheshaji = master of ceremonies/host (very common)
• mtangazaji = presenter/announcer (broader)
• mwenyekiti = chairperson (for meetings)

How do I specify gender if needed?

Swahili verb agreement doesn’t mark gender. To be explicit:

• MC wa kike / mshereheshaji wa kike = female MC
• MC wa kiume / mshereheshaji wa kiume = male MC

How do I make “the ceremony” specific without English articles?

Use demonstratives after the noun (class 9 forms):

• sherehe hii = this ceremony
• sherehe hiyo = that ceremony (near you/previously mentioned)
• sherehe ile = that ceremony (over there) Example: MC ataongoza sherehe hiyo jioni.

What’s the difference between kuongoza, kusimamia, and kuendesha in this context?

• kuongoza = to lead/guide (be in charge at the front, direct proceedings)
• kusimamia = to supervise/oversee (ensure things run properly)
• kuendesha = to run/manage/operate (handle the running/hosting) All can fit, but kuongoza is the default for “lead (a ceremony).”

How would I specify a clock time?

Add a time expression: MC ataongoza sherehe saa moja jioni. Note: in East Africa, Swahili time counts from sunrise, so saa moja jioni corresponds to 7:00 p.m. in the 12-hour clock.