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Sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.

Sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.
We want to plan the schedule for the celebration at home.
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Questions & Answers about Sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.

Why do we say sisi tunataka instead of just tunataka?

In Swahili, the verb already shows who the subject is:

  • tu- = we
  • -nataka = want (present)

So tunataka on its own already means we want.

Adding sisi is optional and is usually for:

  • Emphasis: Sisi tunataka… = We (as opposed to others) want…
  • Clarity or contrast: e.g. Wao hawataki, lakini sisi tunataka…
    “They don’t want to, but we want to…”

So both are correct:

  • Tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.
  • Sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani. (more emphatic)
What is the structure of the verb tunataka?

Tunataka is made up of three parts:

  • tu- = subject prefix “we”
  • -na- = present/“general” tense marker
  • -taka = verb root “want”

So:

tu- + -na- + -taka → tunataka = we want / we are wanting

In English we normally say “we want”, not “we are wanting”, but in Swahili the -na- tense is used for many things English expresses with simple present, present continuous, or even near future.

Why do we use kupanga after tunataka? Can’t we just say tunataka panga?

After a verb like kutaka (to want), the second verb is normally in the infinitive form, which is made by adding ku- to the verb root:

  • panga = root “plan / arrange”
  • kupanga = “to plan / to arrange”

So:

  • tunataka kupanga = “we want to plan”

You cannot say tunataka panga here; that would be ungrammatical. Think of kupanga as one unit, just like “to plan” in English.

This pattern is very common:

  • Ninapenda kula. = I like to eat.
  • Anaenda kuimba. = He/She is going to sing.
  • Tunataka kupanga. = We want to plan.
What is the difference between tunataka kupanga ratiba… and tunapanga ratiba…?

They are both correct, but the meaning is different:

  • Tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.
    = We want to plan the schedule of the party at home.
    Focus: the desire/intention to plan.

  • Tunapanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.
    = We are planning / we plan the schedule of the party at home.
    Focus: the action of planning itself (ongoing or habitual).

So tunataka kupanga has two verbs (“want to plan”), while tunapanga has just one (“are planning / plan”).

What exactly does ratiba mean? Is it just “schedule”?

Ratiba is a noun that usually means:

  • schedule
  • timetable
  • program / programme
  • sometimes itinerary

In this sentence, ratiba ya sherehe is best understood as “the schedule (or program) for the party” — for example, what will happen at what time during the celebration.

A few examples:

  • Ratiba ya treni = train timetable
  • Ratiba ya mkutano = meeting agenda/program
  • Nataka kuona ratiba ya safari. = I want to see the travel itinerary.
Why is it ratiba ya sherehe and not ratiba wa sherehe or ratiba la sherehe?

The little word ya is a possessive/genitive connector (“of”) that must agree with the first noun, not the second one.

  • ratiba belongs to the N-class of nouns
  • N-class nouns (like ratiba, sherehe, nyumba, chai) use ya for this “of” connector

So:

  • ratiba ya sherehe = schedule of the party
  • nyumba ya rafiki yangu = house of my friend

By contrast:

  • kitabu (book, Class 7) → kitabu cha… (book of…)
  • mtu (person, Class 1) → mtu wa… (person of…)

So ya is correct because it matches ratiba, not sherehe.

Why doesn’t sherehe change for plural? How do I know if it’s “party” or “parties”?

Sherehe is also an N-class noun, and many nouns in this class have the same form for singular and plural:

  • sherehe = party / celebration / celebrations
  • chai = tea (no plural ending)
  • habari = news (already plural in a sense)

So sherehe can mean:

  • one party/celebration, or
  • more than one, depending on context.

In your sentence, context would usually suggest:

  • “the schedule of the party” or
  • “the schedule of the celebrations”

If needed, speakers can add words like moja (one), mbili (two), etc., or context makes it clear.

What is the difference between nyumba and nyumbani?
  • nyumba = house, home (basic noun)
  • nyumbani = at home / in the house / to home (locative form)

Nyumbani is formed by adding -ni to the noun; this often makes a place expression:

  • shule → shuleni = at school
  • kanisa → kanisani = at church
  • nyumba → nyumbani = at home / in the house

So:

  • nyumba → “house” (thing)
  • nyumbani → “(at) home” (location)

In the sentence, nyumbani means something like “at home / at the house”.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Swahili does not have separate words for “the” or “a/an”. There are no articles like in English.

So:

  • ratiba ya sherehe can mean:
    • a schedule for the party
    • the schedule for the party
    • a party schedule, etc.

Definiteness (“the” vs “a”) is understood from context, not from a specific word. In normal conversation, your sentence would most naturally be understood as:

“We want to plan the schedule for the party at home.”

Can I move nyumbani to another position, like Sisi tunataka kupanga nyumbani ratiba ya sherehe?

In Swahili, place expressions like nyumbani are most natural at or near the end of the sentence.

  • Sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe nyumbani.
    → very natural

If you say:

  • Sisi tunataka kupanga nyumbani ratiba ya sherehe.

it is understandable, but it sounds unnatural and awkward to most native speakers.

You can move nyumbani for special emphasis, especially if it’s clearly marked in speech:

  • Nyumbani, sisi tunataka kupanga ratiba ya sherehe.
    → As for at home, we want to plan the party schedule (there).

But for ordinary, neutral sentences, keep nyumbani at the end, just like in your original sentence.