Learn Hardcore Swahili: Tulipofika sokoni, mama alinunua samaki. - When we arrived at the market, mother bought fish.

Tulifika sokoni = “We arrived at the market.”
This is a complete, independent statement.
Tulipofika sokoni = “When we arrived at the market…”
This introduces a time clause and normally needs another clause to complete the idea.

The little piece -po- in tulipofika changes it from a simple past verb into a “when/where” clause:

tulifika → “we arrived” (main clause)
tulipofika → “when we arrived” (dependent clause, like English “when…”)

So tulipofika sokoni, mama alinunua samaki is structurally like:
“When we arrived at the market, mom bought fish.”

What exactly does the -po- part mean, and are there similar forms?

-po- is a locative/temporal marker that often means “when” or “where (at a specific time/place)”.

There are three common related markers used in this position:

-po- → specific time/place:
- Tulipofika sokoni = “When (at the moment) we arrived at the market…”
-ki- → “when/while/if” in a more general or conditional sense:
- Tukifika sokoni, mama atanunua samaki. = “When we arrive at the market, mom will buy fish.”
-ko-, -mo-, -po- can also be used for different types of “where” (general, inside, specific place).

In this sentence, -po- gives the idea of “at that particular moment we arrived”, so it fits a past, one-time event very well.

What tense is tulipofika, and what tense is alinunua?

Both verbs use the simple past tense:

tulipofika
- tu- = we
- -li- = past tense
- -po- = when
- fika = arrive
alinunua
- a- = he/she (here: “she”, referring to mama)
- -li- = past tense
- nunua = buy

So both actions are in the past. The structure implies sequence:

Tulipofika sokoni – when we arrived at the market
mama alinunua samaki – mom bought fish (after that arrival)

What does sokoni mean exactly, and how is it formed?

Sokoni means “at the market / in the market”.

It is formed like this:

soko = market
-ni = locative suffix, meaning “in/at/on”

So:

soko → “market”
sokoni → “at the market / in the market”

The -ni suffix often replaces English prepositions like “at, in, on”.

Examples:

nyumba → “house”
nyumbani → “at home / to home”
kanisa → “church”
kanisani → “at church”

Could I say katika soko instead of sokoni? Is there any difference?

You can say katika soko, but there is a nuance:

sokoni (with -ni) is the most natural and common way to say “at the market / in the market”.
katika soko literally means “in the market”, and sounds a bit more formal or literal, and slightly less idiomatic in everyday speech.

In everyday conversation, sokoni is what you will almost always hear in a sentence like this.

Does mama here definitely mean “my mother”? Why isn’t it mama yangu?

Mama literally means “mother”, but in real usage it can mean:

my mother, if I’m talking about “mom” and it’s clear from context,
someone’s mother,
or a woman / lady (especially an older woman), depending on the situation.

In many stories or everyday conversation, people say just mama to mean “my mom” when it’s obvious they are talking about their own mother. Adding yangu just makes it explicit:

mama → (context-dependent: “mother / mom / a woman”)
mama yangu → “my mother” (unambiguous)

So in this sentence, it’s natural to understand mama as “(my) mom”, but grammatically it’s just “mother” without a possessive word.

Why is there no word for “she” before alinunua?

In Swahili, the subject is built into the verb using a subject prefix, so you usually don’t need a separate pronoun like “she”.

In alinunua:

a- = he/she (3rd person singular, for people)
-li- = past tense
nunua = buy

So alinunua already means “she bought” (or “he bought”), without needing an extra yeye.

You can say Yeye alinunua samaki, but that usually adds emphasis, like “She (as opposed to someone else) bought fish.” In neutral sentences, you normally just use the verb form alinunua.

Why are there no words like “the” or “some” for market and fish?

Swahili does not have articles like English “a, an, the”.

soko / sokoni can mean “a market” or “the market”
samaki can mean “a fish”, “the fish”, or “(some) fish”

Definiteness and quantity are usually clear from context, or are shown with other words if needed:

samaki mmoja = one fish
samaki kadhaa = several fish
samaki wengi = many fish

In this sentence, samaki is naturally understood as “fish” in general (probably some fish the mother bought), without specifying quantity.

Is samaki singular or plural? How do you say “fish” vs “fishes” in Swahili?

Samaki is special: it is the same form for singular and plural.

samaki = a fish
samaki = fish / fishes

It belongs to noun class 9/10, where many nouns do not change form between singular and plural. You understand the number from context or extra words:

samaki mmoja = one fish
samaki wawili = two fish
samaki wengi = many fish

So in mama alinunua samaki, it could be “mom bought fish” (some amount of fish), or “a fish”, depending on the context.

Can I change the word order, like putting the time clause at the end: Mama alinunua samaki tulipofika sokoni?

Yes, Swahili allows some flexibility with clause order.

Tulipofika sokoni, mama alinunua samaki.
→ Very natural; the “when…” clause comes first.
Mama alinunua samaki tulipofika sokoni.
→ Also possible; the “when…” clause comes after the main clause.

However:

Putting tulipofika sokoni first is more common and often sounds clearer and smoother, especially in spoken Swahili.
When you put it at the end, you usually don’t need a comma in Swahili, and it will still be heard as “when we arrived at the market”, not as a completely separate sentence.

Both orders are grammatically acceptable; the choice is mainly about style and emphasis.

Is the comma after sokoni required in Swahili?

The comma is not strictly required by Swahili grammar, but it is often used:

to mark the pause between the “when…” clause and the main clause,
and to make the sentence easier to read, especially for learners.

In actual writing you may see either:

Tulipofika sokoni mama alinunua samaki.
Tulipofika sokoni, mama alinunua samaki.

Both are acceptable; the meaning is the same. The comma simply reflects the natural pause that speakers make.