Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kesho, mimi ninataka kununua pete sokoni. - Tomorrow, I want to buy a ring at the market.

You don’t have to say mimi. The subject marker ni- on ninataka already means “I.” Adding mimi makes it emphatic or contrastive, as in “Tomorrow, I (as opposed to others) want to buy a ring.” Both are correct:

Without emphasis: Kesho, ninataka kununua pete sokoni.
With emphasis: Kesho, mimi ninataka kununua pete sokoni.

Why is it present tense (ninataka) when the sentence mentions kesho (tomorrow)? Should it be future?

Swahili often uses the present tense with a time word to talk about future plans. Kesho, ninataka… means you have the desire now to do the buying tomorrow. If you want a plain future action, use the future tense on the main verb: Kesho, nitanunua pete sokoni (“I will buy a ring tomorrow”). Using nitaka would mean “I will want,” which is a different (and rare) meaning.

Can I shorten ninataka to nataka?

Yes. Nataka is very common and perfectly acceptable, especially in speech and everyday writing. Both ninataka and nataka are understood the same way here.

What does ninataka break down into?

ni- = I (subject marker, 1st person singular)
-na- = present tense marker (non-past, often “am/is/are …-ing”)
taka = want So ni-na-taka = “I want.”

Why is there ku- in kununua?

ku- marks the infinitive (“to …”). kununua = “to buy.” After verbs like taka (want), weza (can), paswa (should), you keep ku-: nataka kununua, naweza kununua, napaswa kununua. Before vowel-initial stems, you usually still write ku- (e.g., kuandika, kuoga, kuona). A few words have a conventionalized kw-, e.g., kwenda (“to go”).

What exactly does sokoni mean, and why no preposition like “at/to”?

sokoni is soko (market) + the locative suffix -ni. This suffix covers “in/at/to” depending on the verb. So:

Ninanunua pete sokoni = “I buy a ring at the market.”
Naenda sokoni = “I’m going to the market.”

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

Yes:

sokoni = very natural, compact, often preferred.
kwenye soko = neutral, widely used in modern speech.
katika soko = a bit more formal or “in/within the market.” All are correct; choose based on style and nuance.

Is word order flexible? Could I move kesho or sokoni?

Yes. Time words are often fronted:

Kesho, ninataka kununua pete sokoni.
Ninataka kununua pete kesho sokoni.
Kesho sokoni, ninataka kununua pete. Default and most natural is usually time near the start and place near the end: “… pete sokoni.”

Do I need an article for “a ring”? How do I show “a” vs “the”?

Swahili has no articles. pete can be “a ring” or “the ring,” depending on context. To be explicit:

“one ring” = pete moja
“that ring” = pete ile/hiyo (depending on distance/context)
“this ring” = pete hii

Is pete singular or plural? How do I talk about multiple rings?

pete belongs to noun class 9/10 and has the same form in singular and plural. Use numbers or context to show plurality:

one ring = pete moja
two rings = pete mbili
new rings = pete mpya (adjectives also show class agreement: mpya for class 9/10)

If “the ring” is already known, how do I say “I want to buy it” with an object marker?

Use the object marker for class 9 (-i-) on the verb that does the buying, i.e., the infinitive:

Kesho, ninataka kuinunua sokoni. (“Tomorrow, I want to buy it at the market.”) The object marker attaches to -nunua: ku- + i + nunua → kuinunua. Don’t put the object marker on taka here, because the ring is the object of “buy,” not of “want.”

Is the comma after Kesho required?

No. It’s optional and just reflects a natural pause. Both are fine:

Kesho, mimi ninataka…
Kesho mimi ninataka…

How do I make this more polite, like “I would like to buy a ring …”?

Use the conditional:

Kesho, ningependa kununua pete sokoni.
Kesho, ningetaka kununua pete sokoni. These are softer and more polite than ninataka.

How do I say I will actually do it (not just want to), e.g., “I will buy a ring tomorrow at the market”?

Use the future on the main verb:

Kesho, nitanunua pete sokoni. You can also include movement if relevant:
Kesho, nitakwenda sokoni kununua pete.

Could I drop mimi and also use the shorter verb form?

Yes. A very natural everyday version is:

Kesho, nataka kununua pete sokoni.