Mvua ikiisha, tutatembea kwenda nyumbani.

ikiisha comes from the verb -isha, which here means to end or to stop.

In this sentence, ikiisha means something like:

• when it ends
• if it ends
• once it ends

With mvua (rain), the whole phrase Mvua ikiisha means when the rain stops or once the rain is over.

This is a very common Swahili way to express a condition or time relationship without needing a separate word like when at the beginning.

In Swahili, the idea of when can be built into the verb form itself. The -ki- in ikiisha often gives a meaning like:

• when
• if
• whenever

So instead of saying a separate word for when, Swahili can express it through the verb structure.

That means:

• Mvua ikiisha = when the rain stops
• literally, something like rain it-when-end

It may feel compact to an English speaker, but it is very natural in Swahili.

The i- is a subject marker that refers to mvua.

Swahili verbs usually include a subject marker, even when the noun is already stated. Since mvua belongs to a noun class that takes i- as its subject marker, the verb becomes:

• i-ki-isha

Breaking it down:

• i- = it
• -ki- = when/if
• -isha = end, finish

So ikiisha means when it ends, where it refers to mvua.

Here, mvua is treated grammatically as a singular noun meaning rain.

Even though rain is not a countable object in the same way as book/books, Swahili still assigns it a noun class, and that affects agreement. That is why the verb uses i-.

So:

• mvua ikiisha = when the rain stops

Not because rain is a person or a countable thing, but because Swahili grammar requires noun-class agreement.

tutatembea can be broken down like this:

• tu- = we
• -ta- = future tense
• -tembea = walk

So tutatembea means we will walk.

This is one of the most useful Swahili patterns to learn:

• nitasoma = I will read
• utakuja = you will come
• tutatembea = we will walk

Yes, -tembea already means walk. But kwenda nyumbani adds the destination or direction: to go home / toward home.

So:

• tutatembea = we will walk
• kwenda nyumbani = to go home / toward home

Together, tutatembea kwenda nyumbani means:

• we will walk home
• more literally, we will walk going home

This structure is very common in Swahili. A verb can be followed by kwenda plus a place to show the direction of the action.

nyumba means house or home as a noun.

nyumbani means at home, to home, or homeward, depending on context. The ending -ni often gives a locative meaning.

So:

• nyumba = house/home
• nyumbani = at home / home / to home

In this sentence, kwenda nyumbani means to go home.

For an English speaker, it may help to think of -ni here as making the noun function more like a location.

Yes, depending on context, that is possible.

The -ki- form can sometimes mean:

• when
• if
• whenever

So Mvua ikiisha, tutatembea kwenda nyumbani could be understood as:

• When the rain stops, we will walk home
• If the rain stops, we will walk home

In many everyday situations, when is the most natural translation. But the exact shade of meaning depends on the situation and the speaker’s intention.

The comma separates the dependent clause from the main clause.

So the sentence has two parts:

1. Mvua ikiisha = when the rain stops
2. tutatembea kwenda nyumbani = we will walk home

The comma helps show that the first part sets the time or condition for the second part.

In writing, this is similar to English:

• When the rain stops, we will walk home.

Yes, some variation is possible.

The given order:

• Mvua ikiisha, tutatembea kwenda nyumbani.

is very natural and emphasizes the condition/time first.

You could also put the main clause first in some contexts:

• Tutatembea kwenda nyumbani mvua ikiisha.

This can still be understood, but the original version is usually clearer and more standard for learners.

So the sentence-initial conditional clause is a very good model to remember.

Not always. In many contexts, -isha can mean finish or bring to an end, but with things like mvua it is often understood intransitively as come to an end or stop.

So here:

• mvua ikiisha = when the rain ends/stops

You do not need to force a literal object into the meaning. Languages often allow verbs to stretch a little depending on context.

As a learner, the safest thing is to remember this whole chunk:

• mvua imeisha = the rain has stopped / the rain is over
• mvua ikiisha = when the rain stops

Yes. For example, you might also hear structures using baada ya or other time expressions, depending on style and nuance.

But Mvua ikiisha, tutatembea kwenda nyumbani is a very natural and elegant way to say it.

What makes this version especially useful for learners is that it teaches an important pattern:

• [noun] + [subject marker + -ki- + verb], then
• a main clause

For example, similar patterns could be:

• Mwalimu akifika, tutaanza. = When the teacher arrives, we will begin.
• Chakula kikiiva, tutakula. = When the food is ready/cooked, we will eat.

So this sentence is not just one sentence to memorize; it is also a model for many others.