"If they come, we will buy presents"

Translation: Ikiwa watakuja tutanunua zawadi

[LenoreNoni]

Why isn't it enough to just say "wakija"? Why do we need Ikiwa?

[Catriona28475]

I suppose you would then lose the future aspect. It's implied in English but maybe has to be explicit in Swahili. Just a suggestion. ...

[machieng]

'Wakija' translates to 'when they come'. 'Ikiwa' makes it conditional

[B_yAVowel]

Is there any way this could get clarified in the lesson notes? Right now they say that "Conditional sentences in Kiswahili can also be formed by including the tense particle -ki- between the subject prefix and the verb."

Am I missing the point, or does that make it seem like Ikiwa/kama/ijapo and -ki- are interchangeable?

[machieng]

ah, let me amend my statement. '-ki-' can sometimes be ambiguous in meaning for not-so-distant future conditional tense. 'Wakija' can either mean 'If they come' or 'When they come'. There are ways to make the distinction between the two:

• If they come = Iwapo/Ikiwa/Kama watakuja (always future tense)
• When they come = Watakapokuja

I've added this to the notes!

[Catriona28475]

Thanks, machieng!
Could you also explain the "-kapo-" in your example "Watakapokuja"?

The notes only mention the tense particle -ki- (apart from the separate words kama, ikiwa and ijapo).
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/sw/Conditional-Tense/tips-and-notes

[machieng]

this will be covered in a lesson on its own, but in essence it's used when referring to an event/action that happened, happens or will happen, that was a prequel to a 2nd event (when (action 1), then (action 2)); it is usually in the dependent clause of the sentence

• Past: Tulipofika, walitupokea - When we arrived, they received/welcomed us
• Habitual: Wimbo wa taifa unapochezwa, watu husimama - When the national anthem is played, people stand
• Future: Atakapojifungua, tutamtembelea - When she gives birth, we will visit her

Like in English, you can reverse the order of dependent and independent clause

[B_yAVowel]

That makes sense! Thanks for clearing that up

[Renata725212]

if they will come, we will by the gift.

[Anne616388]

please explain when you use kama and when ikiwa

[samklekner]

I've heard they're completely interchangeable

[machieng]

Yup!

[shakir.mol]

Kama wakija tutanunua zawadi
This is how i have heard ppl say it in dsm

[MartinMonn2]

What's wrong with "Wakikuja tutanunua zawadi"?

[Catriona28475]

In the tips + notes it says:
"When -ki- is used with monosyllabic verbs, the infinitive ku- is dropped."
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/sw/Conditional-Tense/tips-and-notes

FYI: machieng has written an advanced lesson on when you can drop the "ku-" in monosyllabic verbs. (The lesson isn't about the conditional though.)
https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/37158662/KU-and-Monosyllabic-Verbs

[Kola871084]

I thought "watakuja" means "they will come"

[Catriona28475]

Quite right. And "ikiwa" means 'if'

[Catriona28475]

But in English we say 'if they come' and the future is implied.

[Catriona28475]

Looks like they have fixed this. 1 April 2018

[filixlan]

Also spanish yep

[Flickter44]

If they do (should) come, we shall buy presents...?

[marijkstee]

Kama is considered wrong. Why?

[Catriona28475]

Strange! (Maybe the course developers just haven't added it yet?)

I just looked up "swahili kama vs ikiwa" in Google Books, and "kama/ikiwa" were shown as interchangeable to express a factual conditional, meaning "if (it is true that)". - Swahili Grammar and Workbook by Fidèle Mpiranya

[machieng]

fixed!

[marijkstee]

The problem is that I doubt myself with these inconsistencies. When I think I got the grammar, suddenly it is different....
Thanks.