Learn Hardcore Swahili: Ukungu ukitoweka, tutapiga picha za machweo kando ya mto. - When the fog clears, we will take sunset photos by the river.

-ki- is the conditional marker meaning “if/when.”
ukitoweka = u- (subject marker agreeing with ukungu) + -ki- (conditional) + towek- (disappear) + -a (final vowel).
So it means “if/when it disappears,” with “it” referring back to ukungu.

Why is it ukitoweka and not something like utatoweka?

In the conditional introduced by -ki-, you don’t add tense markers to that verb. So you use the bare stem with -ki-: u-ki-toweka, not u-ta-toweka.
utatoweka means “it will disappear” (plain future), which isn’t how Swahili normally builds the “if/when X happens” clause.

Does ukitoweka mean “if” or “when”?

It can cover both, depending on context:
- “When” if the speaker expects the fog to clear.
- “If” if it’s uncertain.
For a more explicit “if,” Swahili often uses kama: Kama ukungu utatoweka, ..., but the -ki- form is very common and natural.

Could I say ukungu unapotoweka instead of ukungu ukitoweka?

Yes. unapo- marks “when/at the time that,” often with a more “time-point” or ongoing feel.
Nuance:
- ukitoweka = “if/when it disappears” (more conditional or general).
- unapotoweka = “when it is (in the process of) disappearing” (temporal focus).

Why are there two u’s in a row: Ukungu ukitoweka?

First Ukungu is the noun “fog.”
The second u- in ukitoweka is the subject agreement for that noun. Swahili repeats the subject agreement on the verb, even when the noun subject is right before it.

What noun class is ukungu, and how does agreement show up?

ukungu is an u- class noun (often treated as class 14, a mass/abstract class).
Its subject agreement on verbs is u-, which you see in u-ki-toweka.
Many u- class nouns behave similarly: verb subject marker u-, possessive/associative often wa (e.g., ukungu wa asubuhi “morning fog”).

Why is it tutapiga and not tupige?

tutapiga = tu- (we) + -ta- (future) + piga (hit/do). It states a future action that will happen when/if the condition is met.
tupige is subjunctive (“let’s take/that we take”) and would express a suggestion or wish, not a straightforward future result.

Does piga picha really mean “hit pictures”? Why that verb?

Literally, piga means “hit/strike,” but it forms many idioms:
- piga picha = take photos
- piga simu = make a phone call
- piga story = chat
So tutapiga picha is the standard way to say “we’ll take photos.”

Why is it picha za machweo and not picha ya machweo?

picha is a class 9/10 noun; its plural is also picha.
The associative/“of” marker agrees with the head noun (picha), not with machweo:
- Class 9 (singular) takes ya: picha ya ...
- Class 10 (plural) takes za: picha za ...
Here, za shows we’re talking about multiple pictures.

Is machweo plural? What if I mean a single sunset?

machweo is class 6 and is often used collectively; it can refer to “sunset(s)” in general.
For a single event, many speakers still use machweo from context, or say machweo ya jua (the sunset of the sun), or rephrase: jua linapozama (when the sun sets).
A rare singular chweo exists but is uncommon in everyday speech.

Could I drop za and say picha machweo?

No. The associative “of” relation needs the agreement marker. Use picha za machweo (“pictures of sunsets”).

Can I put the conditional clause at the end: Tutapiga picha ... ukungu ukitoweka?

Yes. Both orders are fine:
- Ukungu ukitoweka, ...
- ..., ukungu ukitoweka.
The meaning and tone are the same; punctuation adjusts accordingly.

Is the comma after ukitoweka required?

It’s standard to separate a fronted conditional clause with a comma in written Swahili, much like English. If the conditional comes second, you may or may not use a comma depending on length and style.

What exactly does kando ya mto mean? Is it “by,” “beside,” or “on the bank”?

kando ya means “by/at the side/along the edge of.”
With mto (“river”), kando ya mto naturally means “on/along the riverbank” or simply “by the river.”
Near-synonyms:
- pembeni ya mto = beside the river
- ufukweni mwa mto / kandoni mwa mto = on the riverbank (slightly more formal/literary)
- kwenye mto = in/on the river (i.e., at/in the water), different meaning

Why is it kando ya mto with ya and not wa mto?

The agreement in kando ya ... is controlled by kando. kando takes the associative ya, so you get kando ya mto (“the side/edge of the river”). This is a fixed, idiomatic pattern.

Could I use a different verb than toweka for the fog clearing?

Yes, depending on nuance:
- ukungu ukiisha = when the fog is over/has ended
- ukungu ukiondoka = when the fog lifts/goes away
- ukungu ukipungua = when the fog decreases/lets up
toweka is fine for “disappears/clears.”

How would I say “after the fog disappears” instead of “if/when”?

Use a temporal expression:
- Baada ya ukungu kutoweka, tutapiga picha ...
- Or a relative-time form: Tutapiga picha ... ukungu utakapokuwa umetoweka. (more formal/explicit: “when it will have disappeared”)

Is there an object marker in tutapiga for picha?

No. picha appears as a full noun object after the verb. Object markers are used when the object is pronominalized or topicalized; here the direct object is expressed overtly, so no object marker is needed.