Nilipokata boga, mama alianza kupika supu.

Nilipokata can be broken down like this:

• ni- = I
• -li- = past tense
• -po- = when
• kata = cut

So nilipokata literally means something like when I cut or more naturally when I was cutting / when I cut depending on context.

This -po- is a very common way to form a time clause in Swahili.

The difference is:

• nilikata = I cut
• nilipokata = when I cut

So nilikata boga is a complete main clause: I cut the pumpkin/squash.

But nilipokata boga is a subordinate time clause: when I cut the pumpkin/squash. It usually needs another clause with it, like in this sentence:

• Nilipokata boga, mama alianza kupika supu.

In this sentence, -po- marks a time relationship, meaning when.

So:

• nilipofika = when I arrived
• ulipoona = when you saw
• walipoingia = when they entered

In many learner explanations, -po- is introduced as a marker meaning when in this kind of sentence.

After anza (begin/start), Swahili normally uses the infinitive form of the next verb.

So:

• alianza kupika = she started to cook

Breakdown:

• a- = she/he
• -li- = past
• anza = begin
• kupika = to cook

Using alipika after alianza would not be the normal structure here. Swahili prefers begin + infinitive:

• alianza kupika
• nilianza kusoma
• walianza kuimba

Here ku- marks the infinitive, equivalent to English to in to cook.

So:

• pika = cook
• kupika = to cook

After verbs like anza (start), penda (like/love), jaribu (try), and many others, you often use the infinitive:

• anapenda kusoma = she likes to read
• walijaribu kufungua mlango = they tried to open the door

Mama can mean several related things depending on context:

• mother / mum
• a respectful way to address an older woman
• sometimes a title-like form, similar to Mama Anna

In this sentence, mama most naturally means mother/mum. Swahili often does not require a possessive like my if the meaning is clear from context.

So mama alianza kupika supu can naturally mean Mum started cooking soup.

If you wanted to be extra explicit, you could say:

• mama yangu = my mother

Swahili does not have articles like English a, an, or the.

So:

• boga can mean pumpkin, a pumpkin, or the pumpkin
• supu can mean soup, some soup, or the soup

The exact meaning comes from context, not from an article.

That is very normal in Swahili.

Boga usually refers to pumpkin or sometimes squash/gourd, depending on region and context.

So nilipokata boga is most naturally understood as:

• when I cut the pumpkin or
• when I cut up the squash

The exact vegetable can vary a little in translation.

The comma separates the time clause from the main clause:

• Nilipokata boga, = When I cut the pumpkin,
• mama alianza kupika supu. = mum started cooking soup.

In English, a comma is also common after an introductory clause like When I cut the pumpkin, ...

In Swahili writing, punctuation often follows similar readability principles, though usage can be a little flexible.

Yes, Swahili word order is somewhat flexible, especially with subordinate clauses.

This sentence puts the time clause first:

• Nilipokata boga, mama alianza kupika supu.

You could also put the main clause first and the time clause after it, depending on style and emphasis. But the version given is very natural and clear.

Putting Nilipokata boga first emphasizes the time setting: When I cut the pumpkin...

Most directly, nilipokata means when I cut.

But in real translation, English may sometimes use when or while, depending on the situation. The exact nuance comes from context.

If you want to emphasize an ongoing action more clearly in Swahili, you would often use a different construction, for example with -ki- or a progressive form, depending on what you want to say.

So in this sentence, the simplest understanding is:

• When I cut the pumpkin, mum started cooking soup.

The subject is shown by the prefix at the start of the verb.

In alianza:

• a- = he/she
• -li- = past
• anza = begin

So alianza means he/she began or he/she started.

Because the noun mama comes right before it, we understand it as:

• mama alianza = mother/mum started

Swahili verbs usually include subject information directly, so the verb itself helps tell you who is acting.

Supu is a loanword, ultimately from soup.

Swahili has many loanwords, especially for food, technology, religion, and administration. Even when a word is borrowed, it still fits naturally into Swahili sentences:

• kupika supu = to cook soup

So even if it looks familiar to an English speaker, it is being used in a fully Swahili way here.