Baada ya kumaliza chakula, mimi nitasoma kitabu.

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Breakdown of Baada ya kumaliza chakula, mimi nitasoma kitabu.

• kitabu: the book
• kusoma: to read
• baada ya: after

Questions & Answers about Baada ya kumaliza chakula, mimi nitasoma kitabu.

What exactly does Baada ya mean here, and why do we need ya?

Baada by itself is a noun meaning after / later / the time that comes after something. To say after X (literally the time after of X), Swahili usually uses:

• baada ya + noun / -ing form

So:

• baada ya kazi – after work
• baada ya chakula – after the food / after the meal
• baada ya kumaliza chakula – after finishing the food

The ya is a connector that links baada to what comes after it, similar in function to of in English expressions like after the end of the game (time after of the game).

Why is the verb maliza in the form kumaliza here?

Maliza is the verb root meaning finish. When you put ku- in front of a verb root, you usually get something like the English to do / doing form:

• ku- + maliza → kumaliza (to finish / finishing)
• ku- + soma → kusoma (to read / reading)

After baada ya, Swahili uses this ku- form:

• baada ya kumaliza chakula – after finishing the food
• baada ya kusoma – after reading

So kumaliza is the infinitive / verbal noun form used after baada ya.