Kesho jioni, nitamwona dada yangu mjini.

Tomorrow evening, I will see my sister in town.

Breakdown of Kesho jioni, nitamwona dada yangu mjini.

• kuona: to see
• yangu: my
• dada: the sister
• kesho jioni: tomorrow evening
• mjini: to town

Questions & Answers about Kesho jioni, nitamwona dada yangu mjini.

Why is nitamwona one word, and what parts is it made of?

Swahili often packs several grammar pieces into one verb word. nitamwona breaks down like this:

• ni- = I (1st person singular subject marker)
• -ta- = will (future tense marker)
• -m- = him/her (object marker for a person; noun class 1)
• -wona = see (verb stem; related to kuona)

So the verb literally contains I + will + him/her + see.

Why does it say -mwona and not -muona?

The object marker is underlyingly -mu- (him/her). When -mu- comes before a vowel (here the o in -ona), it commonly contracts:

• mu + ona → mwona

So nitamuona and nitamwona refer to the same structure, but nitamwona is the usual spelling/pronunciation in this environment.

If dada yangu is explicitly “my sister,” why do we still need -m- in nitamwona?

You don’t strictly need it. Swahili can mark the object in two ways:

• With an object marker in the verb (common with people): nitamwona dada yangu
• Without it (still correct, often a bit more neutral): nitaona dada yangu

Including -m- often makes it sound more natural and “person-focused,” and it can help track who the object is in longer sentences.

Does -m- mean “him” or “her”? How do I know which?

-m- is used for a person (noun class 1), regardless of gender. Swahili object markers generally don’t encode gender, so -m- can be him or her. You infer it from context (here dada makes it clear it’s her).

What does mw- in mwona mean? Is it a separate prefix?

No—mw- here isn’t a separate prefix with its own meaning. It’s the result of sound change:

• m(u)
  • vowel → mw
    • vowel

So mw is just how mu behaves before a vowel, not a different grammatical piece.

Why is the verb ending -a? Does it change with tense?

In the basic affirmative form, many Swahili verbs end in -a in a wide range of tenses, including the future:

• kuona (infinitive: “to see”)
• nitaona / nitamwona (future: “I will see…”)

Some tenses or negatives can affect the final vowel, but in this sentence the standard affirmative final -a stays.

What’s the grammar of dada yangu? Why is it yangu and not something else?

yangu means my, and it agrees with the noun class of the possessed noun. dada is in the N/N class (often class 9/10) for agreement purposes, which uses ya-:

• dada + yangu → dada yangu (my sister)

For comparison:

• mtoto wangu = my child (class 1 → wangu)
• kitabu changu = my book (class 7 → changu)

What exactly does kesho jioni mean, and why that order?

kesho = tomorrow
jioni = in the evening / eveningtime

Together kesho jioni means tomorrow evening. The order is normal: a broad time word (tomorrow) followed by a more specific time (evening). You can also hear kesho usiku (tomorrow night), kesho asubuhi (tomorrow morning), etc.

Why is there no word for “in/to” before mjini?

Swahili often expresses location with the locative suffix -ni attached to a noun, instead of a separate preposition:

• mji = town/city
• mji + -ni → mjini = in town / in the city

So mjini already contains the “in” idea.

What’s the difference between mjini and mji?

• mji = the town/city (as a noun)
• mjini = in/at the town/city (locative form)

You’d use mji as a subject/object noun (e.g., “the city is big”), and mjini when you mean the location “in town.”

Is the comma after Kesho jioni required?

Not required. It’s a punctuation choice. The comma just helps readability by setting off the time phrase:

• Kesho jioni nitamwona dada yangu mjini. (also fine)
• Kesho jioni, nitamwona dada yangu mjini. (slightly clearer pause)

In speech, you might naturally pause after the time phrase.

Can I change the word order, like putting mjini earlier?

Yes. Swahili word order is flexible, especially with time/place phrases. For example:

• Kesho jioni nitamwona dada yangu mjini. (common)
• Kesho jioni mjini nitamwona dada yangu. (emphasizes “in town”)
• Nitamuona dada yangu mjini kesho jioni. (focuses first on the action)

The core meaning stays, but the emphasis can shift depending on placement.