Learn Hardcore Swahili: Leo asubuhi, Asha pekee atakuja darasani. - This morning, only Asha will come to the classroom.

Here pekee means “only,” restricting the subject. So: “Only Asha will come to class.” It does NOT mean “alone.” If you want “Asha will come alone,” say Asha atakuja peke yake (or Asha atakuja mwenyewe).

Why is pekee placed after the noun? Could I put it before, like “pekee Asha”?

In Swahili, pekee follows the noun it limits: Asha pekee. Putting it before (e.g., “pekee Asha”) is not idiomatic. For strong focus you can use a cleft: Ni Asha pekee ndiye atakayekuja darasani (“It is only Asha who will come to class”).

Can I use tu instead of pekee to say “only”?

Yes. Asha tu atakuja darasani also means “Only Asha will come to class.” Nuance:

pekee explicitly means “only/unique,” a bit more formal/clear.
tu is a clitic meaning “only/just,” very common and slightly lighter. Avoid doubling them as Asha pekee tu; it’s usually redundant.

Where exactly do I put tu to control what is being limited?

Place tu right after the element you’re limiting:

Asha tu atakuja darasani = Only Asha will come.
Asha atakuja darasani tu = Asha will come only to class (not elsewhere).
Leo asubuhi tu, Asha atakuja… = Only this morning will Asha come.

How is atakuja formed?

It’s subject prefix + tense + verb:

a- (3rd person singular “he/she”)
-ta- (future)
kuja (come) So a-ta-kuja = “he/she will come.” Negative future: hata‑
- verb → hatakuja (“he/she will not come”).

Could I use the present, anakuja, instead of the future? What’s the difference?

atakuja is the neutral future (“will come”).
anakuja is present/progressive (“is coming”), but it can refer to a near or scheduled future in context. With a time adverb like leo asubuhi, atakuja is safest and most neutral. Anakuja leo asubuhi is also heard, especially for planned schedules.

Why is it darasani and not darasa?

-ni is a locative suffix meaning “in/at/to.” darasani = “in/at/to the classroom/class.” Bare darasa is just the noun “class/classroom/grade” without the locative sense.

Does darasani mean “to class” or “in class”?

Both, depending on the verb:

With motion: Asha atakuja darasani = Asha will come to class.
With location: Asha yuko darasani = Asha is in class.

Can I say kwenye darasa or katika darasa instead?

Yes:

kwenye darasa (everyday, very common)
katika darasa (more formal) But the short, idiomatic choice is often darasani. If you mean “at school,” use shuleni.

Do I need a separate pronoun for “she,” like yeye?

No. The subject prefix a- already encodes “he/she.” Use yeye only for emphasis or contrast, e.g., Yeye pekee atakuja darasani (“She alone/only she will come to class”), or better: Asha pekee ndiye atakayekuja…

How can I strongly focus that it’s only Asha?

Use a cleft with ni … ndiye … plus a relative verb:

Ni Asha pekee ndiye atakayekuja darasani. This is a very clear, emphatic “It is only Asha who will come to class.”

Does pekee change with noun class or number?

No, pekee is invariable:

Asha pekee…
Wanafunzi pekee… (Only the students…)
Kitabu pekee… (The only book…)
Vitabu pekee… (Only the books…)

If the subject is plural, how does the verb change?

Use the plural subject prefix wa-:

Wanafunzi pekee watakuja darasani = Only the students will come to class.

Where can I put the time phrase leo asubuhi? Is the comma necessary?

Time expressions can go at the start or end:

Leo asubuhi, Asha pekee atakuja darasani.
Asha pekee atakuja darasani leo asubuhi. The comma is optional; it just mirrors English-style punctuation.

Is asubuhi ya leo acceptable instead of leo asubuhi?

Yes. Asubuhi ya leo is slightly more formal/literary. Leo asubuhi is the most common everyday order. Both mean “this morning.”

Can I drop the -ni and say Asha atakuja darasa?

That’s unusual. For the sense of going to/being in a place, use the locative -ni (or a preposition like kwenye/katika). So prefer darasani (or kwenye darasa).

How do I say “No one else will come” to paraphrase the idea?

Hakuna mwingine atakayekuja darasani leo asubuhi.
Or: Wengine hawatakuja darasani leo asubuhi; Asha pekee atakuja.

Is pekee the same as pweke?

No. pekee = “only/unique.” pweke = “lonely/solitary” (a different word): Asha yuko pweke (“Asha is lonely/feels alone”). For “alone/by oneself,” use peke yake/mwenyewe.