Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.

I will study Swahili at the college.

Breakdown of Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.

• mimi: I
• Kiswahili: Swahili
• kusoma: to study
• chuo: the college
• katika: at

Questions & Answers about Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.

Do I have to say Mimi if nitasoma already means “I will study”?

No, you don’t have to.

In nitasoma, the ni- already shows that the subject is “I”, so you can simply say:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.

Using Mimi is optional and usually adds emphasis, like:

• Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.
  → As for me / I (not someone else) will study Swahili at college.

So:

• Neutral: Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.
• Emphatic/contrasting: Mimi nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.

What parts make up the verb nitasoma?

Nitasoma is one word but made from several parts:

• ni- = subject marker for “I”
• -ta- = future tense marker
• -soma = verb root meaning “read / study”

So:

• ni + ta + soma → nitasoma = “I will read / I will study.”

Other examples:

• utasoma = you (sing.) will study (u- + ta + soma)
• watasoma = they will study (wa- + ta + soma)

Does nitasoma mean “I will study” or “I will read”?

It can mean both, depending on the object and context.

• With a book / newspaper / letter, it usually means “read”:
  
  • Nitasoma kitabu. → I will read a book.
• With a subject / course / language, it usually means “study”:
  
  • Nitasoma Kiswahili. → I will study Swahili.

So kusoma is a general verb for reading and studying, and the object tells you which meaning fits.

Why is Kiswahili capitalized, and what does the Ki- mean?

1. Capitalization
   In Swahili, language names are often written with a capital letter, especially in formal writing, just like English English, French, Swahili. So Kiswahili is capitalized.

2. The prefix Ki-
   Ki- marks noun class 7, which among other things is used for languages and ways/manners. For Swahili-related words:

   • Mswahili = a Swahili person
   • Waswahili = Swahili people
   • Kiswahili = the Swahili language
   • Uswahili = Swahili culture/way of life

So Kiswahili literally belongs to the pattern where Ki- often indicates language.

Why don’t we use an object marker in the verb, like nitakisoma Kiswahili?

You can say nitakisoma Kiswahili, but it has a different feel.

• Nitasoma Kiswahili.
  → Normal, neutral: I will study Swahili.

• Nitakisoma Kiswahili.
  → The verb has -ki-, the object marker for class 7 (same class as Kiswahili).
  → This usually means “I will study it, Swahili”, when Swahili is already known in the conversation and you’re emphasizing it.

General rule:

• If the object is new information or just being mentioned normally, you usually don’t use the object marker.
• If the object is already known, definite, or you want to emphasize it, you can use the object marker.

So your sentence without the object marker is the most natural basic form.

What is the difference between katika and kwenye here? Can I replace katika chuo with kwenye chuo?

Both are possible:

• katika chuo
• kwenye chuo

They usually both mean “in / at the college”, and in many contexts they’re interchangeable.

Subtle differences:

• katika sounds a bit more formal / written, and often translates to “in / within”.
• kwenye is very common in everyday speech and can often be “in / at / on” depending on context.

In your sentence:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili kwenye chuo.

Both are grammatically fine; in casual conversation kwenye is probably more frequent.

Could I say chuoni instead of katika chuo?

Yes. Chuoni is the locative form of chuo and is very natural here.

• chuo = college / institute (basic noun)
• chuoni = “at the college” / “in college” (with the locative -ni ending)

So you could say:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni.

This is very common and sounds natural and fluent, often more so than katika chuo in everyday speech. All of these are correct:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili kwenye chuo.

Why do we say chuo and not shule? What’s the difference?

• shule = school (general, often primary or secondary school)
• chuo = college / institute / (higher) training institution
• chuo kikuu = university (literally “big college”)

So:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili shuleni. → I will study Swahili at school.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni. → I will study Swahili at college / an institute.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo kikuu. → I will study Swahili at the university.

Your sentence suggests a college or training institute, not just any school.

Can I change the word order, like Kiswahili nitasoma katika chuo?

Yes, Swahili word order is flexible for emphasis, as long as the verb agrees correctly.

Some possibilities:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo.
  → Neutral: I will study Swahili at college.

• Kiswahili nitasoma katika chuo.
  → Emphasis on Kiswahili (as opposed to another subject):
  It’s Swahili that I will study at college.

• Katika chuo nitasoma Kiswahili.
  → Emphasis on at college (as opposed to somewhere else).

What you generally don’t do is randomly move Mimi to the end for no reason; e.g.
Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo mimi sounds marked and usually only works in a very specific contrastive/emphatic context.

How would I say “I am going to study Swahili at college” (with a sense of intention/plan), not just a simple future?

Swahili often uses -ta- for a simple future, but you can express “going to” / intention in a few ways:

1. Still very natural, and often used like “going to”:

   • Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni.
     (Context and tone can make this feel like a planned action.)

2. More explicitly “going to study”:

   • Nitakwenda kusoma Kiswahili chuoni.
     → I will go to study Swahili at college.

   • Nina mpango wa kusoma Kiswahili chuoni.
     → I have a plan to study Swahili at college.

In everyday speech, nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni is often enough to imply a plan, similar to English “I’m going to study Swahili at college” depending on context.

Is there a more natural or common way a native speaker might say this same idea?

Your sentence is correct, but common, very natural versions would be:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni.
• Nitasoma Kiswahili katika chuo kikuu. (if you mean university)
• Nitasoma Kiswahili kwenye chuo.

Dropping Mimi and using chuoni is especially typical:

• Nitasoma Kiswahili chuoni.

That’s a short, idiomatic way many native speakers would say it.