Skuta iko nje ya ofisi.

The scooter is outside the office.

Breakdown of Skuta iko nje ya ofisi.

• kuwa: to be
• ofisi: the office
• nje ya: outside of
• skuta: the scooter

Questions & Answers about Skuta iko nje ya ofisi.

Why is it iko here and not yuko or kiko?

Because skuta (scooter) is a non-human noun that most speakers put in noun class 9 (the N-class). For location, class 9 singular takes the subject marker i-, giving iko/ipo/imo.

• yuko is for class 1 (people): e.g., Mwalimu yuko nje (The teacher is outside).
• kiko is for class 7 (ki-/vi- nouns): e.g., Kikombe kiko mezani (The cup is on the table). So: Skuta iko nje ya ofisi is the right agreement.

Should it be ipo instead of iko?

Both are acceptable, but they have a nuance:

• iko (…ko) = neutral/general location.
• ipo (…po) = a specific/definite spot (often “right there” at a known place).
• imo (…mo) = inside something. Since “outside the office” is a specific spot, many speakers prefer ipo: Skuta ipo nje ya ofisi. But iko is also fine. Don’t use imo, because “outside” isn’t inside anything.

Why do we need ya after nje? Can I say “nje ofisi”?

Use nje ya X to say “outside of X.” The word nje behaves like a noun (“outside”) and needs the genitive linker ya to attach the reference noun: nje ya ofisi (outside the office). Without ya, it’s ungrammatical.

• No reference needed: Yuko nje (He/She is outside).
• With a reference: Yuko nje ya nyumba (He/She is outside the house).

Does ya agree with ofisi or with nje?

It agrees with nje, which is a class 9 noun. Class 9 takes the possessive/genitive form ya, so you always get nje ya …, regardless of what follows:

• nje ya nyumba, nje ya gari, nje ya shule (always ya).

Can I say Skuta ni nje ya ofisi?

No. ni is for equating/identifying (X is Y), not for location. For location you need the “be-located” verb (…ko/…po/…mo). Say Skuta iko/ipo nje ya ofisi.

What’s the difference between ofisi and ofisini? Which one goes after nje ya?

• ofisi = “office” (the bare noun).
• ofisini = “at/in the office” (noun + locative -ni). After nje ya, use the bare noun: nje ya ofisi (outside of the office). Saying nje ya ofisini sounds redundant/odd. Compare:
• Skuta iko ofisini = The scooter is at/in the office.
• Skuta iko nje ya ofisi = The scooter is outside the office.

How would I make it plural if there are several scooters?

Most speakers keep skuta in class 9/10 (same form for singular and plural). The verb agreement changes to class 10 in the plural:

• Singular: Skuta iko/ipo nje ya ofisi.
• Plural: Skuta ziko/zipo nje ya ofisi.

How do I ask “Where is the scooter?” and answer with this pattern?

• Question: Skuta iko wapi? (or Skuta ipo wapi?)
• Answer: Iko/ipo nje ya ofisi.

How do I say “this office/that office” since Swahili has no articles?

Use demonstratives after the noun:

• hii = this (near me), hiyo = that (near you), ile = that (far from both). Examples:
• Skuta ipo nje ya ofisi hii (outside this office).
• Skuta ipo nje ya ofisi ile (outside that office).

Is skuta the usual word? How does it differ from pikipiki and bodaboda?

• skuta = scooter (Vespa-style or modern scooter; also used for electric scooters: skuta ya umeme; for kick scooters you may hear skuta ya kusukuma).
• pikipiki = motorcycle/motorbike (generic).
• bodaboda = motorcycle taxi service (East Africa). So a scooter parked outside an office is naturally skuta.

Can I front the place phrase for emphasis?

Yes. You can topicalize the location:

• Neutral: Skuta iko/ipo nje ya ofisi.
• Emphatic: Nje ya ofisi, skuta iko/ipo.

How do I change tense or negate it?

• Past: Skuta ilikuwa nje ya ofisi. (or more explicitly locative: Skuta ilikuwepo nje ya ofisi.)
• Future: Skuta itakuwa nje ya ofisi.
• Negative present:
  • If you used iko: Skuta haiko nje ya ofisi.
  • If you used ipo: Skuta haipo nje ya ofisi.