Akifika nyumbani, atapumzika kidogo.

Akifika has three main parts:

• a- = the subject marker for he/she
• -ki- = a marker often used for if or when
• fika = arrive

So akifika means if he/she arrives or when he/she arrives. In this sentence, the most natural reading is when he/she arrives.

Because the two forms do different jobs:

• akifika = when/if he/she arrives
• atafika = he/she will arrive

So akifika introduces a dependent clause, while atafika is a normal future statement.

Compare:

• Akifika nyumbani, atapumzika kidogo. = When he/she gets home, he/she will rest a little.
• Atafika nyumbani. = He/she will arrive home.

In Swahili, the verb normally includes a subject marker. Here, a- means he/she.

So:

• a-kifika = he/she, when arriving
• a-ta-pumzika = he/she will rest

Since both verbs have the same subject, Swahili does not need a separate pronoun.

Because Swahili usually puts the subject information inside the verb.

So instead of saying something like he will rest, Swahili can simply say atapumzika, where the a- already tells you the subject is he/she.

A separate pronoun such as yeye can be added, but usually only for emphasis or contrast.

You usually know from context. Swahili does not normally mark gender in the third-person singular.

So a- can mean:

• he
• she

The language leaves that unspecified unless the surrounding context makes it clear.

Atapumzika can be broken down like this:

• a- = he/she
• -ta- = future marker, will
• pumzika = rest

So atapumzika means he/she will rest.

This is a useful pattern to know, because the future in Swahili is built into the verb:

• nitaenda = I will go
• utakuja = you will come
• atapumzika = he/she will rest

Nyumba means house/home, while nyumbani is a locative form meaning something like:

• at home
• home
• to home, depending on the verb and context

The ending -ni often marks location in Swahili. So with a verb like fika (arrive), nyumbani is the natural form for home.

Not exactly word-for-word, but it is close in function. With motion verbs, nyumbani can cover ideas like:

• home
• to the house
• at home

Swahili often uses locative forms where English uses prepositions such as to, in, or at.

Here kidogo means a little or a bit.

In this sentence it works like an adverb, modifying atapumzika:

• atapumzika kidogo = he/she will rest a little

In other contexts, kidogo can also describe a noun and mean small or little.

It can mean either, depending on context. The marker -ki- often covers both meanings.

In this sentence, when is probably the best translation, because arriving home seems expected. But in another context, the same form could be understood as if.

So -ki- is often a conditional/temporal marker.

The comma separates the first clause from the main clause:

• Akifika nyumbani = the dependent clause
• atapumzika kidogo = the main clause

This is similar to English punctuation in sentences like:

• When he gets home, he will rest a little.

The comma is especially natural when the when/if clause comes first.

Yes, the sentence can be rearranged, although the original order is very natural.

For example, a speaker may understand:

• Atapumzika kidogo akifika nyumbani.

But Akifika nyumbani, atapumzika kidogo clearly sets up the time condition first, so it is a very common and natural way to say it.