Learn Hardcore Swahili: Afadhali tuanze mkutano saa tatu, si saa mbili. - It’s better that we start the meeting at nine, not eight.

It expresses preference or recommendation, roughly “it’s better/preferable (that) …”. After afadhali, you typically use the subjunctive form of the verb to state what’s preferred (here: tuanze). You can also see it written as Ni afadhali…, but the ni is optional and doesn’t change the meaning.

Why does tuanze end with -e instead of -a?

Because it’s the subjunctive/hortative form: subject prefix + verb stem + -e. Tuanze = “let’s start.” Other examples: Twende (let’s go), Tule (let’s eat). The negative is also subjunctive: Tusianze (let’s not start).

Could I use bora or ni afadhali instead of afadhali?

Yes:

Afadhali tuanze…
Ni afadhali tuanze…
Bora tuanze… They all mean “it’s better/preferable (that) we start…”. Bora can sound a bit more colloquial in some contexts; ni afadhali is a bit more formal. All are common and acceptable.

What is si doing here? Why not sio/siyo?

Si is the negative copula “is not,” used before nouns, numbers, and time expressions: si saa mbili = “not at two.” Variants sio/siyo are widely heard (especially in Kenya); they’re understood and fine in everyday speech. In careful standard writing, si is the default. Note: si can also be a verb negative prefix (e.g., siendi “I’m not going”), but here it’s the standalone negative “is not.”

Why is there no “at” before the time?

Swahili doesn’t use a separate preposition before clock times. Saa tatu by itself means “at three o’clock” (in the Swahili time system; see below). You wouldn’t say “kwa saa tatu” for “at three.”

Does saa tatu mean 3:00 or 9:00?

In everyday East African usage, Swahili counts hours from roughly 7:00. So:

saa moja = 7:00
saa mbili = 8:00
saa tatu = 9:00 Rule of thumb: add 6 hours to get “Western” clock time. Context and words for time of day (next question) help clarify.

How do I specify morning/evening to avoid confusion?

Add a time-of-day word:

asubuhi (morning): saa tatu asubuhi = 9:00 a.m.
mchana (midday/afternoon)
jioni (evening)
usiku (night): saa tatu usiku = 9:00 p.m.
alfajiri (dawn)

Do I have to repeat saa before mbili? Could I say “saa tatu, si mbili”?

You can drop the second saa in speech: saa tatu, si mbili is understood. Repeating it (saa tatu, si saa mbili) is a bit clearer and more natural in careful writing.

Is kuanza being used transitively here? Should it be anzisha?

Kuanza can be intransitive (“to start”) or transitive (“to start [something]”) in everyday Swahili, so tuanze mkutano is fine. Kuanzisha means “to initiate/set up/establish” (to cause something to start). You could say Tuanzishe mkutano, but it can sound more like “let’s initiate/launch the meeting.” Tuanze mkutano is the neutral “let’s start the meeting.”

Why mkutano and not mikutano?

Mkutano is singular “meeting” (noun class m-/mi-). The plural is mikutano “meetings.” Examples:

Singular as subject: Mkutano unaanza. (The meeting is starting.)
Plural as subject: Mikutano inaendelea. (The meetings are ongoing.)

Could I make “the meeting” the subject instead?

Yes: Afadhali mkutano uanze saa tatu, si saa mbili. Here uanze uses the class 3 subject marker u- (“the meeting should start”). Both versions are natural; the original focuses on “us” acting, this one on the meeting starting.

Should “let’s” take the -eni ending like other imperatives? Why not tuanzeni?

No. The -eni ending is for second person plural imperatives (e.g., Anzeni! “you all start!”). “Let’s …” uses first person plural subjunctive: tu- + stem + -e → tuanze. There’s no form tuanzeni.

Is the comma necessary before si saa mbili? Could I use a different connector?

The comma just sets off the contrast. You could write:

Afadhali tuanze mkutano saa tatu; si saa mbili.
Afadhali tuanze mkutano saa tatu, ila si saa mbili.
Afadhali tuanze mkutano saa tatu badala ya saa mbili. All are acceptable; badala ya explicitly means “instead of.”

How can I say “exactly at,” “about,” or give minutes?

Exactly: saa tatu kamili (exactly 9:00).
About/around: karibu saa tatu, kama saa tatu.
Minutes: saa tatu na robo (9:15), saa tatu na nusu (9:30), saa nne kasorobo (a quarter to ten).