Learn Hardcore Swahili: Yaya wetu atamchukua mtoto saa kumi; afadhali tumalize mapema. - Our nanny will pick up the child at four; better we finish early.

In Swahili, yaya means a nanny/house helper who looks after children. It’s often female in real life, but grammatically it’s just a class-1 noun (human), so it can refer to a male or female caregiver. English translations vary: nanny, babysitter, au pair, house help.

Why is it yaya wetu and not wetu yaya? How do possessives work?

Possessives follow the noun in Swahili. The possessive base for “our” is -etu, and it must agree with the noun class:

yaya wetu = our nanny (class 1/2 uses the w- agreement)
Compare: kitabu chetu (our book, class 7/8 uses ch-/vy-), nyumba yetu (our house, class 9/10 uses y-/z-). So the order is noun + possessive, and the possessive takes a class-specific agreement prefix.

How is atamchukua built morphologically?

a-ta-m-chuku-a

a-: 3rd person singular subject “he/she”
-ta-: future tense
-m-: 3rd person singular object “him/her” (for class 1/2 humans like mtoto)
chuku-: verb root from chukua “take”
-a: final vowel Meaning: “he/she will take/pick him/her (up).”

Do I have to include the object marker m- when I also name the object mtoto?

It depends on specificity and animacy:

With a specific, human object (like a particular child), many speakers include the object marker: atamchukua mtoto. This “doubles” the object and is natural in East African Swahili.
If the object is non-specific or newly introduced, you can omit it: atachukua mtoto “(she) will take a child.”
If the object is pronominal (no noun stated), you must use the marker: atamchukua “(she) will take him/her.”

Does saa kumi mean 10 o’clock or 4 o’clock?

In the Swahili time system, hours are counted from roughly sunrise/sunset. saa kumi is the “tenth hour,” which corresponds to 4 o’clock in the Western system. Quick mapping (12-hour idea):

saa moja = 7 o’clock
saa mbili = 8
…
saa kumi = 4
saa kumi na moja = 5
saa kumi na mbili = 6 Without context, saa kumi can be 4 a.m. or 4 p.m.; people add time-of-day words to clarify.

How do I indicate AM/PM or time of day with saa kumi?

Add a time-of-day word:

saa kumi asubuhi = 4 a.m.
saa kumi alfajiri = around dawn (often ~4–5 a.m.)
saa kumi jioni/alasīri = 4 p.m. (alasiri = mid/late afternoon; jioni = late afternoon/evening) You’ll hear some regional variation between alasiri and jioni for the late afternoon.

How do I say 4:30, 4:15, or 3:45 in this system?

4:30 = saa kumi na nusu
4:15 = saa kumi na robo
3:45 (i.e., a quarter to 4) = saa tisa kasorobo You can also use minutes: saa kumi na dakika kumi (4:10).

Why is it tumalize (with -e) and not tumaliza?

tumalize uses the subjunctive mood (final vowel -e) after expressions of preference or advisability like afadhali “it would be better.” It translates naturally as “we should/let’s finish.”

tumaliza (final -a) would be an indicative form (“we finish/are finishing”), which doesn’t fit the “it would be better that…” meaning.

What does afadhali contribute? Is it like “let’s”?

afadhali means “it would be better / preferably.” It introduces a recommendation or preference. With the subjunctive tumalize, the clause means “we’d better finish / let’s finish.” So the combination expresses advice or a mild imperative: better to finish early.

Can I use other words instead of afadhali?

Yes:

Bora tumalize mapema. (Very common and a bit more informal: “Better we finish early.”)
Ni heri tumalize mapema. (Also “it’s preferable,” often a bit stronger or more formal.) All of these typically take the subjunctive on the following verb.

Does chukua really mean “pick up” as in collect a person, not just “take”?

Yes. chukua is “take,” but with people and context it often means “pick up/collect.” For example, kumchukua mtoto shuleni = to pick up the child at school.

Is the spelling chukua or chukuwa?

Standard spelling is chukua. You may hear some speakers say “chukuwa,” but it’s considered non‑standard in writing.

Why is there a semicolon between the clauses? Could I use a period or a connector?

The semicolon links two closely related statements. You could also write:

Yaya wetu atamchukua mtoto saa kumi. Afadhali tumalize mapema.
Or use a connector: … saa kumi, kwa hiyo afadhali tumalize mapema. All are acceptable stylistically.

What exactly does mapema mean? Are there alternatives?

mapema means “early / ahead of time.” Alternatives:

mwanzo mapema (very early, colloquial emphasis)
hivi karibuni means “soon,” not “early,” so it’s not a synonym here. You can also say kabla ya saa kumi “before four o’clock” for a precise deadline.

How would this change if it were more than one child?

Plural “children” is watoto (class 2). Agreement changes in the object marker:

Singular: atamchukua mtoto (“she will pick up the child”)
Plural: atawachukua watoto (“she will pick up the children”) Here the object marker changes from m- (singular) to wa- (plural).

How do I negate the suggestion, e.g., “we’d better not finish early”?

Use the negative subjunctive with tusi-:

Afadhali tusimalize mapema. = “It’d be better if we didn’t finish early.” Structure: tusi-
- verb stem + -e (negative subjunctive final vowel is still -e).