Learn Hardcore Swahili: Je, una saa ya mkononi?

Je, una saa ya mkononi? → Do you have a wristwatch?
Without Je: Una saa ya mkononi? → Still often understood as a question from context/intonation, especially in speech.

You can:

Put Je at the beginning (more standard/formal):
Je, una saa ya mkononi?
Or sometimes at the end (colloquial/short):
Una saa ya mkononi, je?

It is not grammatically required in all questions, but adding it makes the question very clear and is good style in careful Swahili.

Why is there a comma after Je?

In writing, the comma simply reflects a small pause after Je:

Spoken: Je [pause] una saa ya mkononi?

Grammatically, Je stands as a separate question marker, then the main clause una saa ya mkononi follows. The comma is a punctuation choice in writing; in speech it’s just a natural pause. Some writers omit the comma: Je una saa ya mkononi?, and that is also acceptable.

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

Una means “you have” (singular “you”).

It comes from the verb kuwa na (to have):

Subject prefix for wewe (you, sg.): u-
Present tense marker: -na-
Verb root: kuwa na is a bit special, but in this pattern it shows up as just na

So:

u- + -na + [na] → una
Functionally: u- (you) + -na (present “have”) → una = you have

Other persons:

nina – I have
una – you (sg.) have
ana – he/she has
tuna – we have
mna – you (pl.) have
wana – they have

What tense or aspect is expressed by -na- in una?

The -na- marker in una is the present or present continuous tense/aspect. With kuwa na, it usually just means “have (now / generally)”.

So:

una saa ya mkononi ≈ you have a wristwatch (now / as your possession)

If you wanted past:

ulikuwa na saa ya mkononi – you had a wristwatch

For most practical purposes here, just treat una as “you have” in the present.

What does saa mean here? I’ve seen it mean “hour” and “time” too.

Saa is a very flexible word. It can mean:

Clock / watch / time-of-day
- Nina saa mpya. – I have a new watch/clock.
- Saa ngapi? – What time is it?
Hour
- Nitasafiri kwa saa mbili. – I will travel for two hours.

In una saa ya mkononi?, saa clearly means “a watch”, specifically a wristwatch, because of ya mkononi (of the arm/hand = wrist).

So, context decides whether saa is “watch/clock,” “time,” or “hour.”

Why is it ya mkononi and not wa mkononi or something else?

The word saa belongs to noun class 9/10, whose agreement marker in the associative (of) construction is ya.

Pattern:
[noun] + ya/wa/la/cha/etc. + [another noun]

The choice of ya/wa/la/cha… depends on the class of the first noun:

mtu (class 1) → mtu wa …
kitu (class 7) → kitu cha …
saa (class 9) → saa ya …

So:

saa ya mkononi = watch of (the) arm/hand → wristwatch

It is ya because it agrees with saa, not with mkono.

What does mkononi literally mean, and what is the function of -ni?

Base noun: mkono = arm / hand.

Add the locative suffix -ni to indicate location or position:

mkono → mkononi = on/at the arm or hand

So mkononi literally means “on the arm/hand” or “in the hand.”

In saa ya mkononi, the idea is a watch that belongs on the arm → a wristwatch. You’ll see -ni often as a locative ending:

mezani – on the table (from meza)
nyumbani – at home (from nyumba)

Why do we say saa ya mkononi instead of just saa mkononi?

Both patterns are possible in Swahili, but they are slightly different grammatically:

saa ya mkononi
- Using the associative construction (ya) → “watch of the arm”
- Treats it more like a fixed noun phrase (a type of watch: wristwatch).
saa mkononi
- Here mkononi is simply a locative modifier: “watch (that is) on the arm.”
- Emphasis more on where the watch currently is.

In normal use, saa ya mkononi is a common way to say wristwatch as an object/type, not just its current position. You might also hear saa ya mkono with a similar meaning.

Could this sentence also mean “Are you wearing a watch right now?” or only “Do you own a watch?”

It can reasonably be understood either way, depending on context:

Ownership/general:
Do you have a wristwatch (at all)?
Current wearing:
Do you have a watch on (right now)?

Because of ya mkononi, listeners are likely to think of a physical watch that you wear. If you wanted to focus more clearly on wearing right now, you might say:

Je, unavaa saa ya mkononi? – Are you wearing a wristwatch?
Je, una saa mkononi sasa? – Do you have a watch on your wrist now?

But in everyday conversation, Je, una saa ya mkononi? can be used for both meanings.

Is there a more “complete” or formal version like Je, unayo saa ya mkononi? What does -yo do?

Yes, you will often hear or see:

Je, unayo saa ya mkononi?

Here, unayo = u- + -na- + -yo, where:

u- = you (sg.)
-na- = have (present)
-yo = object marker agreeing with saa (class 9)

Unayo saa…? literally: Do you have it, a watch…?

Functionally, una saa… and unayo saa… both mean “do you have a watch…?”
Using -yo is sometimes felt to be a bit more explicit/complete grammatically, especially in careful or formal speech or writing, but una saa ya mkononi? is very common and acceptable in everyday speech.

How would I make this plural, like “Do you have any wristwatches?” or “Do you have wristwatches?”

The noun saa (class 9/10) usually has the same form in singular and plural:

saa – watch / clock
saa – watches / clocks

To show plural agreement in the associative:

Singular: saa ya mkononi – a wristwatch
Plural: saa za mkononi – wristwatches (more than one)

So:

Je, una saa za mkononi? – Do you have (any) wristwatches?
More explicit: Je, unazo saa za mkononi? – Do you have them, the wristwatches?

Can I rearrange the word order, like Je, saa ya mkononi una??

In standard Swahili, you cannot freely move the verb to the end like that. The basic order is:

[Je,] + [verb (with subject prefix)] + [object / complements]

So:

Je, una saa ya mkononi? – correct
Je, saa ya mkononi una? – not natural / not standard

Word order is generally Subject–Verb–Object/Other, and the subject is usually inside the verb as a prefix (u- in una), not as a separate word “wewe” at the front.

Are there other common ways to ask roughly the same thing in Swahili?

Yes, depending on nuance:

Je, una saa?
- Do you have a watch / clock? (no mention of wrist)
Je, una saa mkononi?
- Do you have a watch on your wrist? (using mkononi directly as a locative modifier)
Je, unavaa saa ya mkononi?
- Are you wearing a wristwatch?
When asking for the time (rather than about owning a watch), you would say something different:
- Samahani, saa ngapi sasa? – Excuse me, what time is it now?
- Samahani, je, unajua saa ngapi? – Excuse me, do you know what time it is?

All of these build on the same key words: Je, una, saa, (ya) mkononi.