Learn Hardcore Swahili: Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, watoto watakaa kimya kimya. - When the teacher comes into the classroom, the children will sit quietly.

a- = subject marker for he/she (3rd person singular)
-ta- = future tense marker
-ka- = linker/connector often used in future-related clauses
-po- = relative marker meaning “when / at the time that” (locative “when/where”)
-kuja = verb stem “to come”

So a-ta-ka-po-kuja → atakapokuja literally:
“when he/she will come” → “when he/she comes.”

Why does the sentence start with Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani instead of putting mwalimu first?

In Swahili the verb already shows who the subject is (through the subject marker a- in atakapokuja), so the subject noun mwalimu does not have to come first.

Both are grammatically correct:

Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, …
Mwalimu atakapokuja darasani, …

Starting with the verb (Atakapokuja…) puts more focus on the time/event (“when (he) comes into the classroom”), while starting with Mwalimu… puts slightly more focus on the teacher. The difference is mainly one of emphasis and style, not grammar.

Can I move the “when”-clause to the end, like: Watoto watakaa kimya kimya atakapokuja mwalimu darasani?

Yes. You can put the “when”-clause either at the beginning or at the end:

Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, watoto watakaa kimya kimya.
Watoto watakaa kimya kimya atakapokuja mwalimu darasani.

Both mean the same thing.
Placing the clause at the beginning often sounds a bit more formal or more narrative, but both word orders are natural.

What is the difference between darasa and darasani?

darasa = class / classroom (the noun itself)
darasani = in the classroom / in class

The -ni at the end is a locative suffix meaning “in/at/on”.
So darasani literally means “at/in the class(room).”

Does atakapokuja mean “when” or “if” the teacher comes?

In this sentence atakapokuja most naturally means “when”:

Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, watoto watakaa kimya kimya.
When the teacher comes into the classroom, the children will keep very quiet.

It implies that the speaker expects the teacher really will come.

In some contexts, future -takapo- forms can be translated as “if” in English, but the basic idea is a future time (“at the time when X happens”), not a pure condition. Here, “when” is the best translation.

What is the difference between atakapokuja and akija?

Both can be translated as “when he comes,” but they have different nuances:

akija
- Formed from a- (he/she) + -ki- (subordinate marker) + -ja (come)
- Often used for general or repeated situations, or as a more neutral “when/if he comes”.
- Example: Akija hapa, huleta zawadi. = When(ever) he comes here, he brings gifts.
atakapokuja
- Built around future tense (-ta-) plus -po, so it clearly points to a specific future time.
- Sounds more like “when he will come / when he comes (on that future occasion).”

In your sentence, atakapokuja fits well because we are talking about a particular future event: that (future) moment when the teacher comes into the classroom.

What exactly does watakaa mean here? Does kukaa always mean “to sit”?

Watakaa comes from ku-kaa, whose basic meanings include:

to sit
to stay / remain / live / reside

So watakaa can mean:

“they will sit”
also “they will stay / remain”, depending on context.

In watakaa kimya kimya, the meaning is closer to “they will remain / keep quiet” rather than focusing on the physical act of sitting. English doesn’t use “sit” this way, but Swahili often uses kukaa for “stay/remain in a state”:

anakaa kimya = he stays/keeps quiet
anakaa nyumbani = he stays at home / lives at home

Why do we say watakaa kimya kimya instead of just watakaa kimya?

You can say watakaa kimya, and it is correct: “they will be quiet.”

Repeating the word gives extra emphasis:

kimya = quiet, silent
kimya kimya = very quiet, completely silent, in total silence

So:

watakaa kimya = they will be quiet
watakaa kimya kimya = they will be totally quiet / very, very quiet

Reduplication (repeating a word) is a common way in Swahili to intensify or make an adverbial meaning: pole → polepole, taratibu → taratibutaratibu, etc.

Is kimya kimya behaving like an adjective or an adverb here?

In form, kimya is an adjective (“quiet, silent”), but in the structure kukaa kimya / kukaa kimya kimya, it works like an adverbial phrase describing how they will stay:

watakaa kimya kimya = they will stay (in complete silence) / they will be very quiet

So here it functions adverbially, modifying the verb watakaa (“will stay/remain”). You can think of it as meaning “quietly / in silence.”

Could we use another verb like watanyamaza instead of watakaa kimya kimya?

Yes, you could say:

Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, watoto watanyamaza.
= When the teacher comes into the classroom, the children will become quiet / stop talking.

Differences in nuance:

watanyamaza – focuses on stopping speaking / falling silent at that moment.
watakaa kimya kimya – focuses on remaining in a state of quietness (not talking, not making noise).

In context, watakaa kimya kimya suggests the children will stay very quiet, not just momentarily stop talking.

How does subject agreement work in watoto watakaa?

Swahili verbs must agree with their subjects through a subject marker attached to the verb.

watoto = children (noun class 2, plural of mtoto)
The subject marker for this class (people, plural) is wa-.

So:

wa- (they) + -ta- (future) + -kaa (stay/sit)
→ watakaa = “they will sit / they will stay.”

This wa- agrees with the noun watoto:

watoto watakaa
(children) (they-will-stay)

Why is there a comma in Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani, watoto watakaa kimya kimya? Is this required in Swahili?

The comma separates two clauses, just as in English:

Atakapokuja mwalimu darasani – subordinate clause (“when the teacher comes into the classroom”)
watoto watakaa kimya kimya – main clause (“the children will keep very quiet”)

In writing, a comma is standard (and helpful) when the “when/if” clause comes first.
If you put the main clause first, many writers leave the comma out, just like in English:

Watoto watakaa kimya kimya atakapokuja mwalimu darasani.

So the comma is mostly about clarity and style, not a strict grammatical requirement of the language system itself.