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Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.

Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.
Tomorrow evening, we will meet at our home.
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Questions & Answers about Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.

What does each word in Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu literally mean?

Word-by-word:

  • kesho – tomorrow
  • jioni – evening / in the evening
  • tutakutana – we will meet (each other)
    • tu- = we (subject prefix)
    • -ta- = future tense marker (will)
    • -kutana = meet (each other)
  • nyumbani – at home / in the house
    • nyumba = house, home
    • -ni = locative ending (in/at) → nyumbani = at home
  • kwetu – at our place / our home
    • kwa = at, to (someone’s place)
    • -etu = our

So the structure is basically:
Tomorrow evening, we-will-meet at-home at-our-place.

Why doesn’t the sentence say sisi tutakutana for “we will meet”? Where is “we”?

In Swahili, the “we” is built into the verb:

  • tu- at the beginning of tutakutana already means we.
  • Because the subject is marked on the verb, a separate pronoun (sisi = we) is usually unnecessary.

You only add sisi for emphasis or contrast, e.g.:

  • Sisi tutakutana nyumbani kwetu – We (as opposed to others) will meet at our home.

In normal, neutral sentences, tutakutana alone is the natural way to say we will meet.

How does tutakutana express the future “will meet”? Can you break down the verb form?

Yes. tutakutana is built like this:

  • tu- = we (subject prefix)
  • -ta- = future tense marker (will)
  • -kutana = meet (verb root, “to meet each other”)

So:

  • tutakutana = tu- (we) + -ta- (will) + -kutana (meet)
    → we will meet

Other examples with -ta-:

  • nitaenda – I will go (ni-
    • -ta-
      • -enda)
  • utaona – you will see (u-
    • -ta-
      • -ona)
What’s the difference between tutakutana and tutaonana? Can both mean “we’ll meet”?

Both can be used when arranging to see someone, but there is a nuance:

  • tutakutana – literally we will meet (each other)

    • Focuses on the act of meeting / getting together.
    • Common when arranging a meeting or appointment.

  • tutaonana – literally we will see each other

    • Slightly more about seeing one another than formally meeting.
    • Often used more loosely, like “we’ll see each other” / “see you then”.

In a context like this sentence, either:

  • Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.
  • Kesho jioni, tutaonana nyumbani kwetu.

would be understood as We’ll meet tomorrow evening at our place, with only a slight difference in feel.

Why is it kesho jioni (tomorrow evening) and not jioni kesho or jioni ya kesho?

All of these are possible, but kesho jioni is the most natural, everyday way:

  • kesho jioni – tomorrow evening (very common, neutral)
  • jioni kesho – also understandable, but less common / less idiomatic
  • jioni ya kesho – literally “the evening of tomorrow”; grammatical but sounds a bit heavier or more formal in many everyday contexts.

The usual pattern in Swahili for time expressions is:

  • kesho asubuhi – tomorrow morning
  • kesho mchana – tomorrow afternoon
  • kesho usiku – tomorrow night

So kesho jioni follows that normal pattern.

Can kesho jioni go at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning?

Yes. Swahili word order is quite flexible with time expressions. All of these are possible:

  • Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.
  • Tutakutana kesho jioni nyumbani kwetu.
  • Tutakutana nyumbani kwetu kesho jioni.

They all mean essentially the same thing. Differences:

  • Putting kesho jioni at the start makes the time more prominent.
  • Putting nyumbani kwetu right after the verb can make the place feel slightly more emphasized.

But in everyday speech, they are all acceptable and natural.

Why is it nyumbani and not just nyumba? What does the -ni ending do?

The -ni ending turns a noun into a place (a locative):

  • nyumba – a house, a building
  • nyumbani – at home / in the house

So nyumbani already includes the meaning at/in. That’s why you don’t say katika nyumba here; nyumbani alone is enough:

  • niko nyumbani – I am at home
  • anaenda nyumbani – he/she is going home

In this sentence:

  • tutakutana nyumbani = we will meet at home.
What is the difference between nyumbani kwetu, nyumba yetu, and just kwetu?

They all relate to “our home/place,” but with slightly different flavors:

  1. nyumbani kwetu

    • Literally: at home, at our place
    • Very natural and common for at our home.
    • Emphasizes the idea of home as a place we live.

  2. nyumba yetu

    • Literally: our house (the building itself)
    • Refers more to the physical house as a thing.
    • You can say: Tutakutana katika nyumba yetu, but nyumbani kwetu is more idiomatic for “at our home.”

  3. kwetu (alone)

    • Literally: at our place / to us
    • Very common in speech:
      • Njoo kwetu – Come to our place.
      • Tutakutana kwetu – We will meet at our place.

So:

  • nyumbani kwetu = clearly at our home (home-as-place, more specific)
  • kwetu = at our place (without explicitly saying “home,” though that is usually understood)
  • nyumba yetu = our house (the building), slightly more object-like.
Could you drop kwetu and just say tutakutana nyumbani?

Yes, you can say:

  • Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani.

That means We’ll meet at home tomorrow evening.

However:

  • nyumbani often implies my/our home from the speaker’s point of view, but it is not as explicitly “our home (ours specifically)” as nyumbani kwetu.
  • If the context already makes it clear whose home you mean, nyumbani is fine.
  • If you want to make it clear that it’s at our home (and not someone else’s), then nyumbani kwetu is better.
Is the comma after Kesho jioni necessary?

No, it’s not grammatically required; it’s just punctuation style.

You could write:

  • Kesho jioni tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.
  • Kesho jioni, tutakutana nyumbani kwetu.

Both are fine. The comma simply marks a slight pause in speech and can make the sentence easier to read, but it does not change the grammar or meaning.

How would I say “Let’s meet at our home tomorrow evening” instead of “We will meet …”?

You would use the hortative form tukutane (“let’s meet”):

  • Kesho jioni, tukutane nyumbani kwetu.
    = Tomorrow evening, let’s meet at our home.

Breakdown of tukutane:

  • tu- = we
  • (no -ta-; this is not future tense but a special form)
  • -kutane = subjunctive/imperative form of -kutana

So:

  • Tutakutana nyumbani kwetu – We will meet at our home. (statement of future fact)
  • Tukutane nyumbani kwetu – Let’s meet at our home. (suggestion/invitation)
How would I change this to the past tense: “We met at our home yesterday evening”?

Change the verb to the past tense (-li-) and adjust the time phrase:

  • Jana jioni, tulikutana nyumbani kwetu.
    = Yesterday evening, we met at our home.

Breakdown of tulikutana:

  • tu- = we
  • -li- = past tense marker (did)
  • -kutana = meet

So:

  • tutakutana – we will meet (future)
  • tulikutana – we met (past)
How do I say “We will not meet at our home tomorrow evening”?

Use the negative future form with ha- and keep -ta-:

  • Kesho jioni, hatutakutana nyumbani kwetu.
    = Tomorrow evening, we will not meet at our home.

Breakdown of hatutakutana:

  • ha- = negative marker
  • tu- = we
  • -ta- = future
  • -kutana = meet

So:

  • tutakutana – we will meet
  • hatutakutana – we will not meet