Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tutakutana saa ngapi kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili? - At what time shall we meet tomorrow before the Swahili class?

So tu-ta-kutana literally is we–will–meet.
You do not need a separate word for will in Swahili; the -ta- inside the verb does that job.

Why is the verb kutana used here instead of kuonana, and what is the difference between them?

Both can be translated as to meet, but they have slightly different nuances:

kutana = to meet, to come together, to gather. It emphasizes the act of arranging to be in the same place.
- Tutakutana → We will meet (we will get together).
kuonana = to see each other (reciprocal of kuona, to see). It emphasizes mutual seeing.
- Tutaonana → We will see each other.

In many everyday situations, they can both be used and will sound natural. In a planned meeting context (like before class), tutakutana sounds very appropriate because it focuses on the arrangement to meet.

What does saa ngapi literally mean, and how does it work as what time?

saa ngapi is:

saa = hour / o’clock / time (in the clock sense)
ngapi = how many (used with plural or countable things)

Literally, saa ngapi is how many hours? or what hour?.
In usage, it simply means what time (on the clock)?

Examples:

Tutakutana saa ngapi? → What time will we meet?
Treni inaondoka saa ngapi? → What time does the train leave?

Why is the question word ngapi (how many) in the middle of the sentence and not at the end?

In Swahili, question words usually stay in the position where the missing information would normally appear.
Here, the missing information is the time of the meeting, so the question phrase saa ngapi stands where a normal time phrase would go.

Compare:

Statement: Tutakutana saa tatu kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili.
(We will meet at three o’clock tomorrow before the Swahili class.)
Question: Tutakutana saa ngapi kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili?
(We will meet what time tomorrow before the Swahili class?)

Only tatu (three) is replaced by ngapi; the overall word order stays the same.
Swahili does not need to move the question word to the beginning like English often does.

Could the sentence start with Kesho, and would the meaning change?

Yes, you can move kesho to the front without changing the basic meaning:

Kesho tutakutana saa ngapi kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili?

This is very natural. Putting kesho at the beginning can slightly emphasize tomorrow, but the content remains the same. Time expressions (like leo, jana, kesho, specific times, etc.) are quite flexible in position in Swahili.

What exactly does kesho mean, and does it ever change form?

kesho means tomorrow. It is an adverb of time and:

It does not change form for tense, number, or person.
It can appear in different positions:
- Tutakutana kesho.
- Kesho tutakutana.

Unlike many nouns, kesho does not take agreement prefixes or endings; it stays as kesho.

What does kabla ya mean, and is ya always necessary after kabla?

kabla ya means before (in the sense of before [something]).

kabla = before
ya = a connector often used after kabla to link it to a noun or verb phrase

In standard Swahili, when kabla is followed by a noun or verb phrase, you normally include ya:

kabla ya darasa = before class
kabla ya chakula = before food / before the meal
kabla ya kuondoka = before leaving

You will sometimes hear kabla without ya in casual speech, but kabla ya is the grammatically complete and safer form to use, especially in writing or formal situations.

What does darasa la Kiswahili literally mean, and why is it la instead of ya?

darasa la Kiswahili literally means class of Swahili or Swahili class.

darasa = class (a classroom session or course) – this is a noun in noun class 5
la = of for nouns in class 5 (agreement marker for possession/association)
Kiswahili = the Swahili language

Swahili expresses of by agreeing with the first noun’s class:

Class 5 (like darasa) uses la:
- darasa la Kiswahili = Swahili class
- gari la mwalimu = the teacher’s car
Class 9/10 (like safari, ndizi) would use ya:
- safari ya jana = yesterday’s trip
- ndizi ya mtoto = the child’s banana

So it is darasa la Kiswahili, not darasa ya Kiswahili, because the agreement follows the class of darasa.

Why is the language called Kiswahili here and not just Swahili?

In Swahili itself:

Kiswahili = the Swahili language
Mswahili = a Swahili person (singular)
Waswahili = Swahili people (plural)

The prefix ki- often marks language or manner:

Kiingereza = English (language)
Kifaransa = French (language)
Kichina = Chinese (language)

In English, people often say Swahili for the language, dropping the ki-. But in Swahili grammar, you normally use Kiswahili when you mean the language, as in darasa la Kiswahili.

Do I have to use la between darasa and Kiswahili, or can I just say darasa Kiswahili?

You need the linking word la.
Saying darasa Kiswahili is not standard; it sounds incomplete or foreign-influenced.

Correct patterns:

darasa la Kiswahili = Swahili class
kitabu cha Kiswahili = Swahili book (book of Swahili)
mwalimu wa Kiswahili = Swahili teacher (teacher of Swahili)

The connector (la / cha / wa / ya, etc.) shows the relationship between the two nouns and agrees with the first noun’s class.

How is Tutakutana different from Tukutane, and could I use Tukutane saa ngapi kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili?

Yes, you could use Tukutane, but it slightly changes the tone.

Tutakutana = we will meet (simple future statement / question about an arrangement).
- Tutakutana saa ngapi…? = What time will we meet…?
Tukutane is the subjunctive form, often used to make a suggestion or invitation:
- Tukutane kesho. = Let’s meet tomorrow.
- Tukutane saa ngapi kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili?
  → At what time shall we meet tomorrow before the Swahili class? / What time should we meet…?

So:

Tutakutana…? = neutral question about a future plan.
Tukutane…? = more like proposing or negotiating a time: Shall we meet at what time…?

How would I answer this question using a specific time in Swahili, considering Swahili clock conventions?

Swahili commonly uses a 6‑hour shifted clock (in many East African contexts), where:

saa moja = 7:00 (local time)
saa mbili = 8:00
… and so on, up to saa kumi na mbili = 6:00.

So a natural answer might be:

Tutakutana saa mbili na nusu kesho kabla ya darasa la Kiswahili.
→ We will meet at half past eight (by Western clock), tomorrow before the Swahili class.

Structure:

saa mbili = 8 o’clock (Western)
na nusu = and a half (30 minutes)

In practice, some people also use a Western-style 1–12 system, especially in mixed or urban contexts, but it is important to be aware of this traditional Swahili time system when talking about clock times.

Why is there no separate word for do or does in this question, like in English What time do we meet…?

Swahili does not use auxiliary verbs like do or does to form questions.

The verb itself carries the tense, subject, and sometimes aspect.
To make a question, you usually:
- keep the same verb form as a statement, and
- add a question word (like ngapi, nani, wapi) or change intonation, or add je.

Compare:

Statement: Tutakutana saa tatu kesho.
Question: Tutakutana saa ngapi kesho?

No extra helper verb is needed. The sentence is recognized as a question because of the question word (ngapi) and the question mark / tone.