Mama akifika nyumbani, tutakunywa chai pamoja.

Akifika comes from the verb -fika, meaning to arrive.

It breaks down like this:

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

So akifika means something like:

• when she arrives
• if she arrives
• upon her arriving

In this sentence, it refers to Mama, so the meaning is when/if Mother arrives home.

It can mean either if or when, depending on context.

In many everyday sentences, -ki- gives a sense of:

• when
• if
• once

So Mama akifika nyumbani can be understood as:

• When Mother gets home
• If Mother gets home
• Once Mother gets home

In this sentence, because the main clause is a natural planned result (we will drink tea together), English would often translate it as when she arrives home.

In Swahili, the subject is often built into the verb.

So instead of saying a separate word for she, Swahili uses the subject prefix a- inside the verb:

• a- = he/she
• tu- = we
• ni- = I
• u- = you
• wa- = they

That means akifika already includes she/he arrives. Since Mama is the subject, the verb agrees with it using a-.

Tutakunywa means we will drink.

It breaks down like this:

• tu- = we
• -ta- = future tense marker, will
• -kunywa = drink

So:

• tutakunywa = we will drink

This is a very common Swahili pattern:

• nitasoma = I will read
• utakuja = you will come
• watakula = they will eat

Nyumbani is a locative form that means something like:

• at home
• home
• to/at the house, depending on context

Swahili often does not need a separate preposition where English does. So:

• akifika nyumbani = when she arrives home
• literally, something like when she arrives at-home

This is very natural in Swahili. Other locative words work similarly.

Pamoja means together.

So:

• tutakunywa chai pamoja = we will drink tea together

It shows that the action is shared.
You will also see pamoja in other contexts, for example:

• twende pamoja = let’s go together
• wanafanya kazi pamoja = they work together

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

So chai can mean:

• tea
• the tea
• some tea

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, tutakunywa chai pamoja naturally means we will drink tea together, without needing an extra word for the or some.

The comma separates the time/condition clause from the main clause.

So the sentence has two parts:

1. Mama akifika nyumbani = When Mother arrives home
2. tutakunywa chai pamoja = we will drink tea together

The comma helps show that the first part sets the situation, and the second part gives the result or main action.

In writing, this is similar to English sentences like:

• When she gets home, we’ll drink tea together.

Yes. That is also correct, and it is a bit more explicit for when she will have arrived / when she arrives in the future.

Compare:

• Mama akifika nyumbani...
  = when/if Mother arrives home...
• Mama atakapofika nyumbani...
  = when Mother arrives home... with a clearer future sense

The -ki- form in akifika is very common and natural, especially in everyday speech.
The -takapo- style is often a bit more formal or more explicitly tied to a future event.

The given word order is the most natural:

• Mama akifika nyumbani, tutakunywa chai pamoja.

Swahili usually keeps a fairly straightforward order here:

• subject + dependent verb phrase
• then main clause

You could sometimes rearrange things for emphasis, but for a learner, this version is the best model to follow.

In this sentence, Mama means Mother/Mum.

More generally, mama can also mean:

• mother
• mum
• a woman/madam, depending on context

Here, because it is used as a specific person in the family, it is best understood as Mother or Mum. The capital M reflects that it is being used almost like a name.