Learn Hardcore Swahili: Sherehe itakayoanza jioni italeta furaha sokoni. - The celebration that will start in the evening will bring happiness at the market.

sherehe itakayoanza jioni – uses the suffix-type relative within the verb (-kayo-). This is more compact and quite natural.
sherehe ambayo itaanza jioni – uses ambayo as a separate relative pronoun (which / that), then a normal verb (itaanza).

Meaning: both are the party that will start in the evening.

In many everyday contexts, the verb‑internal relative (like itakayoanza) is a bit more typical in Swahili, especially in written or more formal style, but both forms are well understood.

What is the grammatical role of itakayoanza jioni in the sentence?

Itakayoanza jioni is a relative clause that modifies sherehe:

sherehe – the noun (head)
itakayoanza jioni – relative clause describing that noun (which will start in the evening)

So sherehe itakayoanza jioni = the party which will start in the evening.

Within that relative clause:

itakayoanza – verb (will start)
jioni – time adverbial (in the evening)

Why is it jioni without a preposition like “in” before it?

Swahili often uses simple time nouns without a preposition where English requires in, on, at.

jioni – literally evening, but in context it functions as in the evening.
asubuhi – (in) the morning
usiku – at night

So itakayoanza jioni is naturally understood as which will start in the evening. You don’t say katika jioni here.

What does sokoni mean, and how is it different from soko?

soko – market (basic noun)
sokoni – at the market / in the market

The ending -ni is a locative suffix, often meaning in / at / on:

nyumba → nyumbani (at home)
shule → shuleni (at school)
soko → sokoni (at the market)

So italeta furaha sokoni = it will bring happiness to/at the market.

Why is the verb italeta used, and what does each part mean?

Italeta means it will bring.

Breakdown:

i- – subject marker (class 9) referring back to sherehe
-ta- – future tense marker (will)
-leta – verb root (bring)

So the sentence is:

Sherehe … italeta furaha sokoni.
The party … will bring happiness to the market.

Why does italeta start with i- and not a- or zi-?

The first letter of the verb is the subject agreement with the noun class:

sherehe belongs to noun class 9/10, which uses:
- i- for singular (class 9)
- zi- for plural (class 10)

Here we are talking about one party, so:

sherehe (sg) → verb takes i- → italeta (it will bring)

If it were plural (several parties), you would say:

sherehe (pl, “parties”) → zitaleta furaha sokoni (they will bring happiness to the market)

Is sherehe singular or plural here, and how can I tell?

In form, sherehe looks the same in singular and plural. It’s a class 9/10 noun.

You know it’s singular here because the verb agrees with it using i-:

sherehe itakayoanza jioni – the party which will start in the evening
sherehe zitakazoanza jioni – the parties which will start in the evening

So itakayoanza and italeta show that sherehe is singular in this sentence.

What is furaha exactly? Is it countable like “a happiness” or “happinesses”?

Furaha means happiness / joy and is generally treated as a mass / abstract noun, not normally counted:

furaha – happiness, joy (no plural form in ordinary usage)

You don’t usually say furaha moja (one happiness) in normal speech. If you really needed a countable idea, you’d use different words like mambo ya kufurahisha (things that bring joy), furaha nyingi (a lot of happiness), etc.

In this sentence, italeta furaha sokoni = will bring happiness to the market.

Why does furaha come before sokoni, and can the order be changed?

Swahili basic word order is Verb – Object – (Other complements), a bit like English:

italeta – will bring (verb)
furaha – happiness (direct object: what is being brought)
sokoni – location (where)

So italeta furaha sokoni mirrors will bring happiness to the market.

You would not normally say italeta sokoni furaha; that sounds marked or odd. The natural order is object first, then place/time information.

What is the function of -kayo- in itakayoanza, and can I use the same pattern with other nouns?

-kayo- is the relative marker for class 9 (and 10) in this tense. It marks “which / that” inside the verb itself.

Pattern (future relative, class 9):

subject marker i-
future -ta-
relative -kayo-
verb root

Examples:

sherehe itakayoanza jioni – the party which will start in the evening
habari itakayokuja kesho – the news which will come tomorrow
barua itakayofika leo – the letter that will arrive today

So yes, you can use the same pattern with other class 9 nouns, adjusting the verb root as needed.

Could the sentence be rearranged as Sherehe italeta furaha sokoni itakayoanza jioni?

No, that rearrangement is not natural and would confuse the structure.

In standard Swahili:

The relative clause should stay right after the noun it describes:
sherehe itakayoanza jioni (the party which will start in the evening)

Then comes the main verb:

sherehe itakayoanza jioni italeta furaha sokoni

If you move itakayoanza jioni to the end, it no longer clearly attaches to sherehe and the sentence becomes awkward or unclear.