Learn Hardcore Swahili: Kesho nitavaa sketi ya kijivu; afadhali iwe na koti jeupe. - Tomorrow I will wear a gray skirt; it’s better with a white jacket.

Saying sketi kijivu is heard in casual speech, but sketi ya kijivu is the clearer, more standard phrasing. You’ll also hear the longer sketi ya rangi ya kijivu (“a skirt of the color grey”), but the first is more concise.

Why is it ya in sketi ya kijivu? Could it be wa, la, or something else?

The connector agrees with the noun class of sketi, which is in the N-class (class 9/10). The associative connector (“of/’s”) for class 9/10 singular is ya (plural would be za). So:

sketi ya kijivu (singular)
sketi za kijivu (plural)

Why is it koti jeupe and not koti nyeupe?

Color adjectives like “white” come from the root -eupe and take a class-specific prefix. Koti is class 5 (JI/MA), whose adjective form for “white” is jeupe (plural class 6: meupe):

singular: koti jeupe (a white coat)
plural: makoti meupe (white coats)

By contrast, N-class nouns (class 9/10) use nyeupe:

sketi nyeupe (a white skirt)

What exactly does afadhali mean, and why does the sentence use iwe after it?

afadhali means “it’s preferable/better (if/that)…”
It typically introduces a desired or recommended situation, and it’s very natural to follow it with a verb in the subjunctive.

Here, iwe is the subjunctive of kuwa (to be) with a non-human/noun-class subject: “(that) it be.” So:

Afadhali iwe na koti jeupe = “It would be better if it had/was with a white coat.”

Where does iwe come from, and what does the initial i- stand for?

iwe = i- (subject prefix) + -we (subjunctive form of “be” from kuwa)
The i- is the subject prefix for class 9/10, matching the understood subject (here, the outfit/skirt). So iwe literally means “(it) be.”

Why does the phrase use iwe na? What does kuwa na mean?

kuwa na literally means “to be with,” and it functions as “to have.” In the subjunctive:

iwe na = “(that it) be with/have”

So afadhali iwe na koti jeupe effectively means “better if it has a white coat,” i.e., “I’d prefer it with a white coat.”

Could I just join the clothing items in one clause, like: Kesho nitavaa sketi ya kijivu na koti jeupe?

Yes. That’s a very natural way to say “Tomorrow I’ll wear a grey skirt and a white coat.” The original sentence splits the preference into a second clause using afadhali, but a single clause with na is perfectly fine and common.

Is the semicolon necessary in Swahili, or could I use something else?

The semicolon is fine, especially in formal writing, to link two closely related thoughts. You could also use:

A period: Kesho nitavaa sketi ya kijivu. Afadhali iwe na koti jeupe.
A conjunction: Kesho nitavaa sketi ya kijivu, na afadhali iwe na koti jeupe.
Other linkers: …; hivyo/ingekuwa bora iwe na koti jeupe.

If the subject were plural, how would iwe change?

For a plural N-class subject (class 10), the subjunctive subject prefix is zi-:

singular (class 9): iwe = “(it) be”
plural (class 10): ziwe = “(they) be”

Example: Afadhali ziwe na… = “It would be better if they had…”

What are the plurals for sketi and koti, and how do the modifiers change?

sketi is N-class (class 9/10): singular = sketi, plural = sketi (same form)
- connectors: ya (sg), za (pl) → sketi ya/za kijivu
- “white” with N-class = nyeupe → sketi nyeupe (both sg/pl)
koti is class 5; plural is class 6: koti → makoti
- “white” with class 5/6 = jeupe/meupe → koti jeupe, makoti meupe

Could I say Afadhali nivae… instead of using iwe?

Yes, that shifts the preference to what you (the speaker) should do:

Afadhali nivae sketi ya kijivu na koti jeupe. = “I’d rather wear a grey skirt and a white coat.” Using iwe focuses on the outfit’s state (“better if it is/has…”), while nivae focuses on your action (“better if I wear…”). Both are natural; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Why is “grey” handled as kijivu (a separate word) while “white” becomes jeupe/nyeupe and changes form?

Swahili uses two main strategies for colors:

True adjectives that agree with noun class: -eupe (white), -eusi (black), -ekundu (red), etc. These take class prefixes (e.g., mweupe, nyeupe, jeupe).
Color nouns that follow the associative “of”: kijivu (grey), kijani (green), zambarau (purple), kahawia (brown), etc. These are typically used as X ya Y (“X of Y/color”), e.g., sketi ya kijivu.

You’ll also hear some of the color nouns used directly after the noun in casual speech (e.g., nguo kijivu), but the associative construction is the textbook-safe choice.

Does kuvaa mean “to wear” or “to put on”?

Both, depending on context:

Action of putting on: Ninavaa koti sasa. = I’m putting on a coat now.
State of wearing: Nimevaa sketi ya kijivu. = I’m wearing a grey skirt. Future covers both: Kesho nitavaa… = Tomorrow I’ll wear/put on…

Where can I place Kesho in the sentence?

It’s flexible. All are acceptable:

Kesho nitavaa sketi ya kijivu…
Nitavaa kesho sketi ya kijivu…
Nitavaa sketi ya kijivu kesho… Initial position is the most common for time adverbs, but moving it is fine for emphasis or rhythm.