Learn Hardcore Swahili: Mama alinunua saa ya mkononi ili ajue ni saa ngapi bila kutazama saa ya ukutani kila mara. - Mother bought a wristwatch so that she knows what time it is without looking at the wall clock all the time.

saa ya ukuta – literally “clock of the wall” (grammatical, but sounds less natural)
saa ya ukutani – “clock that is on the wall” (what people actually say)

Using -ni makes it clear you’re talking about the location (a clock hanging on the wall), which matches the idea of a wall clock.

Why do we repeat saa in saa ya mkononi and saa ya ukutani? Could we drop the second saa?

In full form:

saa ya mkononi = wristwatch
saa ya ukutani = wall clock

In the sentence, both phrases are clear and natural with saa stated:

saa ya mkononi
saa ya ukutani

In some contexts, once it’s clear you’re talking about a clock, speakers might shorten informally:

ya ukutani (referring back to a clock just mentioned)

But in a standalone sentence like this, keeping saa in both phrases is normal and clearer, especially for learners.

What does ili mean here, and how is it used?

ili means “so that / in order that / in order to”.

It introduces a purpose clause:

Mama alinunua saa ya mkononi ili ajue…
= “Mother bought a wristwatch so that she may know…”

Key point:

After ili, the verb usually takes the subjunctive form, expressing intention or purpose:
- ajue (so that she may know)
- aone (so that he may see)
- ufahamu (so that you may understand)

So structure:

[Main action] + ili + [subjunctive verb]
“X did Y so that Z may happen.”

Why is it ajue and not anajua or ajua?

The verb kujua = to know.

anajua = she/he knows (present indicative)
ajue = that she/he may know (subjunctive)

After ili, Swahili normally uses the subjunctive to express purpose or intention:

ili aende – so that he may go
ili uone – so that you may see
ili ajue – so that she may know

Forming the subjunctive (for most verbs):

Start with the present tense subject prefix (a-, u-, ni-, etc.)
Use the verb stem
Change the final -a to -e

Examples:

anaenda → aende
unasoma → usome
ninakula → nile

With kujua:

stem is -jua
subjunctive: ajue (not ajua)

What does ni saa ngapi mean exactly, and how does this structure work?

Ni saa ngapi literally: “it is hour(s) how many?”

ni = “is” (copula)
saa = hour / time / o’clock
ngapi = how many

In everyday Swahili, ni saa ngapi? is the normal question “What time is it?”

In the sentence:

ili ajue ni saa ngapi…
= “so that she may know what time it is…”

So ni saa ngapi is a fixed, very common pattern for asking the time.

Why do we need ni in ni saa ngapi? Could we just say saa ngapi?

ni is the copula “is/are”.

Ni saa tatu. – It is three o’clock.
Ni saa ngapi? – It is what time? → What time is it?

Without ni, saa ngapi can still be understood in context, but:

Ni saa ngapi? is the full, standard question.
Just saying Saa ngapi? is more like a short, elliptical form, used informally when context is very clear (e.g. you point at a clock and ask).

In a complete sentence like this, ni saa ngapi is the natural, standard form.

What does bila kutazama mean, and why is the verb in the ku- form?

bila = without
kutazama = to look at / to watch

So bila kutazama = “without looking (at)”.

Swahili often uses bila + infinitive (ku-verb) to express "without doing X":

bila kula – without eating
bila kuzungumza – without speaking
bila kutazama – without looking

The ku- form is the infinitive / verbal noun form (“to look / looking”), which is the normal form used after bila.

What does kila mara mean, and can it go anywhere else in the sentence?

kila = every
mara = time / occasion

So kila mara = every time / all the time / constantly.

In the sentence:

… bila kutazama saa ya ukutani kila mara.
= “…without looking at the wall clock all the time.”

Position:

Current position (at the end) is very natural.
You could also say:
- … bila kila mara kutazama saa ya ukutani.
  This is grammatically okay, but sounds heavier; most speakers prefer it at the end here.

Putting kila mara at the end nicely emphasizes the idea of repeatedness/constant repetition.

Why is it alinunua and not amenunua or ananunua?

All three are past-ish, but slightly different:

alinunua – simple past, completed, narrative:
“she bought” (at some time in the past, finished)
amenunua – recent / resultative past (in many dialects):
“she has bought / she has just bought / she has now bought”
ananunua – present (or ongoing)
“she is buying / she buys”

In this context, we are describing a general, completed action in the past (why she bought a wristwatch), so alinunua is the natural choice:

Mama alinunua saa ya mkononi…
“Mother bought a wristwatch…”

Why doesn’t the sentence say saa yake ya mkononi (“her wristwatch”)? How is possession understood?

Swahili can mark possession in two ways:

Noun–of–noun:
- saa ya mkononi – wristwatch (type of watch)
- saa ya ukutani – wall clock (type of clock)
With a possessive pronoun:
- saa yake – her/his watch
- saa yangu – my watch

In this sentence:

saa ya mkononi is describing the kind of watch (a wristwatch), not explicitly who owns it.
From context (Mama alinunua…), it’s understood she bought it for herself, even without yake.

You could say:

Mama alinunua saa yake ya mkononi…
“Mother bought her wristwatch…”

This is grammatically fine, but not necessary; the simple saa ya mkononi already works well and sounds natural.

Could we say ili ajue saa instead of ili ajue ni saa ngapi?

No, ili ajue saa by itself is incomplete and unnatural; it would be like saying “so that she may know hour/time” with no detail.

You need something that specifies what about the time:

ili ajue ni saa ngapi – so that she may know what time it is
ili ajue saa ya kuondoka – so that she may know the time to leave
ili ajue saa ya mkutano – so that she may know the meeting time

So ni saa ngapi is the part that carries the meaning “what time it is,” and it can’t be dropped here.