Sawa basi; tuonane lini?

Okay then; when shall we see each other?

Breakdown of Sawa basi; tuonane lini?

• tuonane lini: when shall we see each other?
• sawa basi: okay then

Questions & Answers about Sawa basi; tuonane lini?

What does sawa basi mean as a chunk?

Sawa means okay / alright / fine, and basi adds the sense of then / so / in that case.

Together, sawa basi is a very natural conversational way to say something like:

• Alright then
• Okay, then
• Fair enough, so...

It often signals that the speaker is ready to move to the next point in the conversation.

What does basi do here? Can the sentence work without it?

Yes, the sentence can work without basi.

• Sawa; tuonane lini? = Okay; when shall we meet?
• Sawa basi; tuonane lini? = Alright then; when shall we meet?

Adding basi makes it feel a little more like a transition: so then, in that case, alright then. It is very common in speech.

What does tuonane literally mean?