Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mkutano utafanyika Alhamisi asubuhi kabla ya darasa kuanza. - The meeting will take place on Thursday morning before class begins.

Mkutano (meeting) is a class 3 noun.
Class 3 uses the subject marker u- in the present and future.
So we get: u- (subject marker) + -ta- (future) + -fanyika (take place) → utafanyika.

I- is the subject marker for class 9/10 nouns (like meza “table”, ndizi “banana”), so itafanyika would agree with a different noun class, not with mkutano.

What exactly does utafanyika mean, and how is it built?

Utafanyika breaks down like this:

u- = subject marker for class 3 (agrees with mkutano)
-ta- = future tense marker (“will”)
-fanyika = verb stem meaning “to happen / take place / be held”

So literally, mkutano utafanyika = “the meeting will happen / will take place / will be held.”

Why use fanyika (“take place”) instead of just saying the meeting “will be” something?

In Swahili, -fanyika is the usual verb for events like meetings, exams, ceremonies, etc., when you mean “will take place” or “will be held”.

Some natural patterns:

Mkutano utafanyika... = The meeting will take place…
Mtihani utafanyika... = The exam will take place…
Sherehe itafanyika... = The celebration will take place…

Using kuwa (“to be”), as in mkutano utakuwa Alhamisi, is possible but means more “the meeting will be on Thursday” in a looser sense. Utafanyika emphasizes the event actually happening / being held at that time.

Why is there no word for “on” before Alhamisi asubuhi?

Swahili usually does not use a separate preposition like “on” with days and parts of the day. You just put the time expression after the verb.

So:

Mkutano utafanyika Alhamisi asubuhi
= The meeting will take place on Thursday morning.

Similarly:

Nitakuja Jumatatu jioni.
= I will come on Monday evening.

The idea of “on” is included in the structure; you don’t add a separate word for it.

Why is it Alhamisi asubuhi (Thursday morning) and not asubuhi ya Alhamisi?

Both orders are grammatically possible, but they feel different:

Alhamisi asubuhi (day → part of day) is the most natural and common way to say “Thursday morning.”
asubuhi ya Alhamisi literally “the morning of Thursday” is also understandable, but it’s less common and sounds more formal or stylistic.

Swahili tends to go from larger time unit to smaller:

Januari mwaka 2025 (January 2025)
Jumamosi usiku (Saturday night)
Alhamisi asubuhi (Thursday morning)

Should Alhamisi and asubuhi always be capitalized?

Usage can vary in real-life texts, but a good guideline:

Days of the week (e.g. Jumatatu, Jumanne, Alhamisi) are usually capitalized, just like in English.
Parts of the day (e.g. asubuhi, mchana, jioni, usiku) are usually not capitalized, unless they start a sentence or are in a title.

So writing Mkutano utafanyika Alhamisi asubuhi is perfectly normal.

What does asubuhi cover? Is it exactly the same as “morning”?

Asubuhi generally corresponds to “morning”, but as in English, the exact time range is flexible. Roughly:

asubuhi = morning
mchana = (early) afternoon / daytime
jioni = late afternoon / early evening
usiku = night

Context will determine how early in the day asubuhi is. It could be anything from very early morning up to late morning.

What does kabla ya mean, and why do we need the ya?

Kabla ya is a fixed expression meaning “before” (in time):

kabla = before (earlier in time)
ya = connector that has become part of the phrase

In modern Swahili, you can treat kabla ya as a single preposition meaning “before,” used before either a noun or a verb:

kabla ya chakula = before the food / before eating
kabla ya kuondoka = before leaving
kabla ya darasa kuanza = before the class starts

You will see kabla alone in some older or more literary forms, but in everyday modern usage, kabla ya is what you want.

Why is it kabla ya darasa kuanza and not kabla ya darasa lianze?

Both structures are possible, but they’re different:

kabla ya darasa kuanza
- darasa kuanza literally: “the class (its) starting”
- kuanza is the infinitive (“to start” / “starting”).
- So the phrase is like “before the class starting” → “before the class starts.”
kabla darasa lianze (or kabla darasa halijaanza, etc.)
- This uses a fully conjugated verb with a special “before” construction and is more complex grammatically.
- It’s correct but more advanced and less neutral than kabla ya darasa kuanza for learners.

Kabla ya + [noun] + ku-verb is a very common and relatively simple pattern to say “before [noun] [verb]s”:

kabla ya mtoto kulala = before the child sleeps
kabla ya kazi kuanza = before work starts
kabla ya filamu kuanza = before the movie starts

What is the role of ku- in kuanza here?

The ku- in kuanza marks the infinitive / verbal noun, similar to “to start” or “starting” in English.

anza = verb root “start”
kuanza = to start / starting

In darasa kuanza, the infinitive kuanza functions like a noun phrase together with darasa:
“the class [to start] / the class starting”.

That whole phrase is what kabla ya is attached to:
kabla ya [darasa kuanza] = before [the class starts].

Does darasa mean “class” (group of students), “lesson,” or “classroom”?

Darasa can mean all of these, depending on context:

Class (group of students / grade)
- darasa la tatu = third grade / third class
Lesson / period
- tuna darasa la Kiswahili = we have a Swahili class/lesson
Classroom (room) in some contexts.

In kabla ya darasa kuanza, the most natural reading is “before the lesson / class period starts.” The context would make it clear whether this is a specific lesson or “class” in a broader sense.

Can the time phrase move? Could I say Alhamisi asubuhi mkutano utafanyika…?

Yes. Time expressions are quite flexible in Swahili. All of these are grammatical, with small differences in emphasis:

Mkutano utafanyika Alhamisi asubuhi kabla ya darasa kuanza.
(Neutral; common order: verb + time + “before…”)
Alhamisi asubuhi mkutano utafanyika kabla ya darasa kuanza.
(Puts a bit more emphasis on Thursday morning.)
Kabla ya darasa kuanza, mkutano utafanyika Alhamisi asubuhi.
(Puts emphasis on the “before class starts” condition.)

All three can be used; the original word order is probably the most typical and neutral.

Could I replace kabla ya darasa kuanza with something using a preposition like “before class” in English?

Swahili doesn’t use a direct one-word equivalent of English “before” followed by a bare noun like “before class” or “before work” in the same way. Common patterns are:

kabla ya darasa kuanza = before the class starts
kabla ya kazi kuanza = before work starts
kabla ya chakula = before the meal / before eating

You can also say:

kabla ya masomo = before studies / before classes (in general)

But the structure kabla ya + [noun] ku-verb (e.g. kabla ya darasa kuanza) is very natural for “before [noun] starts / happens.”