Learn Hardcore Swahili: Je, umewahi kuonja chai ya nazi sokoni? - Have you ever tasted coconut tea at the market?

Je is a neutral yes/no question marker. Putting Je at the beginning signals that what follows is a question. It doesn’t change word order; it just flags the sentence as interrogative.

Do I have to use Je here?

No. You can simply ask: Umewahi kuonja chai ya nazi sokoni? Je is optional in everyday speech, though it’s common in writing and careful speech.

Why is there a comma after Je, and is the question mark required?

The comma after Je is a stylistic pause; many writers include it, some don’t.
The question mark is standard in modern Swahili writing for questions. In speech, rising intonation does the job.

What exactly does umewahi mean, and how is it built?

Umewahi breaks down as:

u- = you (2nd person singular subject prefix)
-me- = perfect aspect (roughly “have/has” up to now)
wahi = the verb kuwahi (“to be in time; to have the occasion to”) Together, umewahi often means have you ever (had the occasion) to… in experiential questions.

Is umewahi the same as umeshawahi or umeshaonja?

umewahi = have you ever (at least once in your life up to now).
umeshawahi = very common colloquial variant meaning the same as umewahi (some consider it a bit redundant but it’s widely used and natural).
umeshaonja = have you already tasted (emphasis on “already,” not “ever in your life”). Use this when the context is specific and recent, not about lifetime experience.

How would I answer “Yes, I have” or “No, I never have”?

Yes, I have: Ndiyo, nimewahi (kuionja). / Ndiyo, nimeshawahi (kuionja).
No, I never have: La, sijawahi (kuionja).
Not yet (but maybe someday): Bado (sijajaribu/sijawahi).

Why use kuonja with tea? Shouldn’t it be kunywa (to drink) or kujaribu (to try)?

kuonja = to taste (sample a small amount, often for the first time).
kunywa = to drink (consume a beverage).
kujaribu = to try/attempt (not specifically by mouth). Here, kuonja fits best for “Have you ever tried (tasted) coconut tea?” If you mean “drink regularly,” use kunywa. If you mean “try” in a general sense, kujaribu is fine: Umejaribu chai ya nazi?

What does chai ya nazi literally mean, and why ya?

It literally means tea of coconut, i.e., coconut tea. Ya is the genitive “of” agreement for the head noun chai, which is class 9/10. The connector agrees with the head noun (chai), not with nazi.

How would the connector change with other nouns?

It follows the noun class of the head noun:

kitabu (class 7): kitabu cha mwanafunzi (the student’s book)
maziwa (class 6): maziwa ya ng’ombe (cow’s milk)
uji (class 11/14): uji wa mahindi (maize porridge) For chai (class 9/10), the correct connector is ya: chai ya nazi.

What does sokoni mean exactly?

Sokoni = at/in the market. It’s soko (market) + the locative suffix -ni, which makes a place form. It often replaces a preposition in Swahili.

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

Yes:

sokoni (at the market) is concise and very common.
kwenye soko and katika soko are also correct and a bit more explicit. Meaning is the same here.

Can I move sokoni to another position?

Yes. Adverbials like sokoni are flexible:

Je, umewahi kuonja chai ya nazi sokoni?
Je, sokoni umewahi kuonja chai ya nazi?
Umewahi kuonja chai ya nazi sokoni? All are acceptable; the default is to place it near the end.

Is there any difference between kuonja chai ya nazi and kunywa chai ya nazi here?

Yes:

kuonja… = taste/try a small amount (experience once).
kunywa… = drink (as an act; could imply more than a sip or regular consumption). The original sentence asks about ever tasting/trying it, not necessarily drinking a whole cup.

Is Je the same as the -je question ending I’ve seen, like Unasemaje?

They’re different:

Sentence-initial Je introduces a yes/no question.
The suffix -je attaches to a verb/noun to ask “how/what about…?” (e.g., Unasemaje? = How do you say it?/What do you say?). You wouldn’t use -je in this sentence.

Any regional notes on umewahi vs umeshawahi?

Both are understood across East Africa. Many speakers (especially in Kenya) use umeshawahi very commonly for “ever.” In more formal or careful Standard Swahili, umewahi is perfectly clear and slightly leaner.

Any pronunciation tips for umewahi and kuonja?

umewahi: pronounce wa as in “wɑ,” with a clear h; stress tends to fall on wa: u-me-WA-hi.
kuonja: uo is a true vowel sequence [ku-ɔn-ja], and nj is a palatal nasal + j sound (like “n” + “j” together): koo-ON-jah (without adding a “d” sound).