Tuonane lini?

When shall we see each other?

Breakdown of Tuonane lini?

• tuonane lini: when shall we see each other?

Questions & Answers about Tuonane lini?

What does tuonane break down into?

Tuonane can be analyzed as:

• tu- = we
• -on- = from the verb -ona, meaning see
• -an- = reciprocal idea, meaning each other
• -e = subjunctive ending

So tuonane literally means something like let us see each other or may we meet. In natural English, this is usually understood as let’s meet or shall we meet.

Why does it use the verb see if the meaning is meet?

In Swahili, the idea of meeting is often expressed through seeing each other. So tuonane literally means let us see each other, but in normal usage it functions like let’s meet.

This is very natural in Swahili and not something unusual to native speakers.

What does lini mean, and where does it go in the sentence?