Kabla ya kuingia ofisini, tunapaswa kubisha na kusema “hodi” kwa sauti tulivu.

In Swahili, kabla (“before”) is normally followed by ya when it comes before a noun or a verbal noun (the ku- form of a verb).

• kabla ya kuingia = before entering
• kabla ya kazi = before work

Here kuingia (to enter/entering) acts like a verbal noun, so ya is needed to link kabla to it.

Using kabla kuingia without ya would be considered incorrect or at least very non‑standard in this structure. The natural pattern is:

kabla ya + ku-verb
kabla ya kuondoka, kabla ya kula, kabla ya kuingia, etc.

Kuingia is the infinitive/base form of the verb “to enter”.

• Root: -ingia = enter
• Infinitive prefix: ku- = “to / ing”

So:

• kuingia = to enter / entering
• kunywa (ku- + -nywa) = to drink
• kusoma (ku- + -soma) = to read / to study

In this sentence, kuingia is used after kabla ya, so it works like “before entering the office”.

The ending -ni is a locative suffix. It often means “in/at/to (the place)”.

• ofisi = office (as a thing)
• ofisini = in the office / to the office / at the office

So kuingia ofisini is literally “to enter the office (into the office)”. Swahili often uses -ni to mark locations:

• nyumba → nyumbani (home, at home)
• shule → shuleni (school, at school)
• kanisa → kanisani (church, at church)

You can say kuingia ofisi, but kuingia ofisini is more natural when talking about entering into that place.

Tunapaswa breaks down like this:

• tu- = we (subject prefix for 1st person plural)
• -na- = present tense marker (general present / habitual)
• -paswa = root meaning “to be required/obliged”

So tunapaswa literally means “we are required (to)” and is usually translated as “we should / we ought to / we’re supposed to”.

Strength of meaning:

• Often somewhere between “should” and “must”, depending on tone and context.
• You could also hear tunatakiwa with a very similar meaning.

Yes, in this context kubisha means “to knock (on the door)”.

• Verb root: -bisha
• Infinitive: kubisha = to knock (usually on a door/gate to announce yourself)

In everyday Swahili:

• kubisha hodi = to knock and call out hodi (a very common phrase)
• In this sentence, we split the actions: kubisha na kusema hodi = knock and say “hodi”.

So kubisha is the physical knocking, and hodi is the spoken call to ask permission to enter.

Na means “and”, and here it links two separate actions:

• kubisha = to knock
• kusema “hodi” = to say “hodi”

So:

• kubisha na kusema “hodi” = to knock and say “hodi”

You cannot simply stack two infinitives as kubisha kusema here; that would sound wrong/unclear. Instead, you either:

• Join them with na:
  tunapaswa kubisha na kusema “hodi”
• Or repeat the subject and tense in a fuller sentence:
  tunapaswa kubisha na tunapaswa kusema “hodi” (more formal/heavy)

Hodi is a special Swahili call used when you arrive at someone’s house, room, or office and want to enter.

Culturally:

• You stand at the door/entrance and say hodi (often while knocking).
• The person inside answers (for example karibu “come in”) to give permission.
• It’s roughly like saying “Knock knock, may I come in?” but in one short word.

Important points:

• Hodi is not a general greeting like “hello”.
• You wouldn’t say hodi when you meet someone in the street; it’s specifically for entering someone’s space (house, office, room, etc.).

Kwa is a very flexible preposition. One of its common uses is to express manner—how something is done.

• kwa sauti tulivu = with a calm voice / in a calm voice

Other similar patterns:

• kusema kwa sauti ya juu = to speak in a loud voice
• kuimba kwa furaha = to sing with joy / joyfully
• kuandika kwa uangalifu = to write carefully

So here kwa marks the way in which we say hodi: we say it in a calm voice.

In Swahili, descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

• sauti tulivu = calm voice (literally “voice calm”)
• mtu mzuri = good person
• nyumba kubwa = big house

So tulivu follows sauti.

Also note:

• sauti is a noun in the N-class (same singular and plural form), and tulivu is an adjective that doesn’t change form for singular/plural here, so:
  • sauti tulivu can mean “a calm voice” or “calm voices”, depending on context.

All of these are understandable, but there are small nuances:

• kuingia ofisini
  Most natural and common. The -ni already suggests “into the office”, so no extra preposition is needed.

• kuingia katika ofisi / kuingia kwenye ofisi
  More explicitly “enter into the office”. Grammatically fine, but often feels heavier or more formal. You might see katika/kwenye used more when you need extra clarity or emphasis.

In everyday speech, kuingia ofisini is usually preferred.

Both are correct but structured differently.

1. Kabla ya kuingia ofisini

   • Uses the infinitive kuingia as a verbal noun.
   • Literally: “Before entering the office.”
   • Very common and neutral.

2. Kabla hatujaingia ofisini

   • Uses a full verb with subject and tense:
     • ha- = negative
     • -tu- = we
     • -jaingia = (perfect aspect) “have entered”
   • Literally: “Before we have entered the office.”

Meaning-wise, they usually translate the same. The hatujaingia version is a bit more explicit about who hasn’t done the action yet and sometimes feels slightly more emphatic or formal. For everyday speech, kabla ya kuingia ofisini is very common and natural.

The comma after ofisini marks the end of the “before …” time clause:

• Kabla ya kuingia ofisini, (time clause)
• tunapaswa kubisha na kusema “hodi” kwa sauti tulivu. (main clause)

Yes, you can reverse the order without changing the meaning:

• Tunapaswa kubisha na kusema “hodi” kwa sauti tulivu kabla ya kuingia ofisini.

Swahili is flexible about putting time expressions like kabla ya…, baada ya…, leo, kesho either at the beginning or the end of the sentence, as long as the structure remains clear.