Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.

When we finish the work, we will rest in the living room.

Breakdown of Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.

• sisi: we
• kazi: the work
• kupumzika: to rest
• sebuleni: in the living room
• tutakapomaliza: when we finish

Questions & Answers about Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.

What does the verb tutakapomaliza actually consist of, piece by piece?

Tutakapomaliza is one long verb made of several parts stuck together:

• tu- = we (subject prefix, 1st person plural)
• -ta- = future tense marker (will)
• -kapo- = a relative/time marker meaning when/at the time that
• -maliza = finish

So literally, tutakapomaliza (kazi) is like saying:

“we-will-when-finish (work)” → when we finish (work) / when we will have finished (work)

Why do we use tutakapomaliza instead of just tutamaliza?

• Tutamaliza kazi = We will finish the work.

  • This is a simple statement about the future.

• Tutakapomaliza kazi = When we (will have) finished the work…

  • This doesn’t just say that we’ll finish; it sets up the time for something else to happen after that.

In your sentence:

Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.
When we finish work, we will rest in the living room.

The first verb (tutakapomaliza) is a time clause (a “when” clause), not the main action. That’s why it uses the -kapo- form instead of just tutamaliza.

Could we say Tukimaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni instead? Is it the same?

You can say it, and it’s very natural:

• Tukimaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.

Here tukimaliza is:

• tu- = we
• -ki- = “when/if/as soon as” (a common linker for time or condition)
• -maliza = finish

Meaning: When we finish work, we’ll rest in the living room.

Difference in feel:

• Tukimaliza… is very common and a bit simpler; it often feels like “when/once we finish” in a fairly general or immediate way.
• Tutakapomaliza… is a bit more explicitly future-oriented and a bit more formal/precise, like “when we will have finished / at the time when we finish …”

In many everyday situations, both are acceptable and will be understood the same way.

Why is the future marking (-ta-) used both in tutakapomaliza and in tutapumzika? In English we usually don’t say “when we will finish…”

In English, we typically say:

• When we finish work, we will rest… (no “will” in finish)

But in Swahili, it is completely normal for both clauses to be clearly marked as future:

• Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.

Both verbs talk about the future, so both get -ta-:

• tutakapomaliza → when we will (have) finished
• tutapumzika → we will rest

Swahili doesn’t follow the English rule of no “will” after “when”. Each verb is marked for its own tense.

What does tutapumzika break down into?

Tutapumzika has three parts:

• tu- = we (subject prefix)
• -ta- = future tense (will)
• pumzika = rest

So tutapumzika literally means:

“we-will-rest” → we will rest

What exactly does sebuleni mean, and why does it end with -ni?

The base noun is:

• sebule = sitting room / living room / lounge

When you add -ni to many place-related nouns, it often means “in/at/to that place”.

So:

• sebule → the living room (as a thing)
• sebuleni → in the living room / in the sitting room

Thus:

tutapumzika sebuleni = we will rest in the living room.

Could I move sebuleni earlier or change the word order, like Tutapumzika sebuleni tutakapomaliza kazi?

Yes, Swahili word order is fairly flexible here.

Both of these are possible:

1. Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.
2. Tutapumzika sebuleni tutakapomaliza kazi.

They mean essentially the same thing: We’ll rest in the living room when we finish work.

• Putting the “when…” clause first (version 1) is a very common pattern.
• Putting it second (version 2) is also correct and natural in speech; the comma is usually dropped in writing when the “when” clause comes second.

Meaning doesn’t really change; it’s just what you want to emphasize first.

Why is there a comma between Tutakapomaliza kazi and tutapumzika sebuleni?

The comma separates the time clause from the main clause:

• Tutakapomaliza kazi → When we finish work (time clause)
• tutapumzika sebuleni. → we will rest in the living room. (main clause)

In English we also usually use a comma if a “when” clause comes first:

• When we finish work, we’ll rest in the living room.

In Swahili the comma is helpful but not absolutely required in informal writing. It just makes the sentence clearer to read.

Do we need to add something like halafu (then) in this sentence?

You don’t need to. The sequence is already clear:

Tutakapomaliza kazi, tutapumzika sebuleni.
When we finish work, we will rest in the living room.

If you want to make the “then” more explicit, you could say:

• Tutakapomaliza kazi, halafu tutapumzika sebuleni.
  (literally: When we finish work, then we will rest in the living room.)

This is still correct, just a bit more wordy. The original sentence is already complete and natural without halafu.

Could we drop the word kazi if it’s clear from context what we’re finishing?

Yes, if it’s obvious from the situation what you’re talking about, you can say just:

• Tutakapomaliza, tutapumzika sebuleni.
  When we finish, we’ll rest in the living room.

However:

• Tutakapomaliza kazi… is more specific: it tells you it’s the work you’re finishing.
• Without kazi, tutakapomaliza just means when we finish (whatever we’re doing).

So using or omitting kazi depends on how specific you need to be.