Being Somewhere: -ko, -po, -mo

01

The Three Endings

• -po - at a definite spot
• -ko - in a general area, or whereabouts unknown
• -mo - inside something

• Niko sokoni. Kuna harakati nyingi sana.

  I am at the market. There is a lot going on.

• ni- I
• -ko am somewhere about

-ko is the everyday choice and the one to reach for when unsure.

02

The Subject Prefix Agrees

Every class has its own form, built the same way.

• class 1 yuko - he, she is
• class 4, 9 iko - it is
• class 7 kiko - it is
• class 8 viko - they are
• class 10 ziko - they are

• Vitabu vyangu viko juu ya dawati.

  My books are on the desk.

• Choo cha nyumba yetu kiko nje ya jengo.

  Our house's toilet is outside the building.

03

People

• Wazazi wako wako nyumbani?

  Are your parents at home?

• Uko salama?

  Are you safe?

The first has wako twice over, and they are different words: the first is your, the second is they are.

04

Asking Where

The question word wapi where pairs with these forms, and the answer keeps the same shape.

• Choo kiko wapi?

  Where is the toilet?

• Duka lake liko kwenye ncha ya barabara.

  His shop is at the end of the road.

05

The Negative

Only the subject prefix changes, exactly as with any other verb.

• yuko he is, becomes hayuko he is not
• niko I am, becomes siko I am not

• Daktari hayuko leo.

  The doctor is not in today.

06

Not Only Places

The same forms report whether somebody is present or available, which is how the telephone is answered and how a shop assistant is called over.

• Daktari yuko?

  Is the doctor in?

07

Choosing Between the Three

The choice is about how tightly the place is drawn, and not about politeness or formality.

• yupo - he is here, at this spot
• yuko - he is around, somewhere about
• yumo - he is inside

-ko is the default, and nobody will misunderstand it, which is why a beginner can lean on it.

08

kuwepo: Being There

Joined to kuwa to be, the definite-spot ending -po gives kuwepo to be present, to be there. It is an ordinary verb, so unlike yupo it goes into every tense.

• Nitakuwepo Ijumaa.

  I will be there on Friday.

09

Other Tenses

These forms are present-tense only. For the past and the future the verb kuwa to be takes over, followed by the place word.

• Habari Bibi Kim, ilikuwaje kukaa kwako hospitalini?

  Hello Mrs Kim, how was your stay in hospital?

• Nitakuwa ofisini kesho asubuhi.

  I will be at the office tomorrow morning.