atakuwa aki-

Future Progressive

Level 3

The future progressive tense (also called future continuous) is used to talk about an action that will be happening continuously at a certain time in the future. It is formed by combining the future tense of kuwa (to be) with the main verb in the -ki- (situational) form.

How It Works

The future progressive pattern atakuwa aki- is a compound tense used to emphasize the continuous duration of a future action, often setting the background scene for another event (e.g., 'I will be reading when you arrive').

Structure:

  • Auxiliary Verb: The verb kuwa (to be) takes the future tense marker -ta-.
  • Main Verb: The main verb takes the situational marker -ki-.
  • Subject Agreement: Both verbs must take the exact same subject prefix. This double-agreement rule applies to all noun classes, including non-human subjects (e.g., gari litakuwa likiharibika).
  • Object Markers: If an object marker is needed, it attaches only to the main verb, right before the verb root (e.g., atakuwa akikisoma).

Relative Clauses:
When forming a relative clause with this compound tense, the relative marker must attach to the auxiliary verb kuwa, not the main verb. For example, 'the person who will be reading' is mtu atakayekuwa akisoma (using the future relative -taka-), or you can use amba- (e.g., mtu ambaye atakuwa akisoma).

Monosyllabic Verbs:
In Standard Swahili, short verbs like kula (to eat) or kuja (to come) drop their infinitive ku- marker in the second verb because the -ki- prefix can carry the stress. So, 'he will be eating' is atakuwa akila. Note that keeping the ku- (e.g., atakuwa akikula) is very common in Kenyan and Congolese dialects.

Negation:
There are two valid ways to negate this tense. You can negate the auxiliary verb kuwa with the negative prefix while the main verb remains unchanged (e.g., hatakuwa akisoma). Alternatively, you can keep the auxiliary affirmative and negate the main verb using the present negative (e.g., atakuwa hasomi). Both mean 'he will not be reading'.

Register Note:
While atakuwa aki- is the standard, formal way to express the future progressive, in modern casual spoken Swahili, you will frequently hear the main verb take the present continuous marker -na- instead (e.g., atakuwa anasoma). Both mean the exact same thing, but -ki- is preferred in formal writing and literature.

Negation Changes the Main Verb’s Form:
Atakuwa hasomi can describe a future state of not reading. Hasomi is morphologically a present-negative verb, corresponding to anasoma; it is not formed by directly negating -ki-. The auxiliary atakuwa supplies the future setting.

Examples (6)

  1. Kesho saa tatu asubuhi, mwalimu atakuwa akifundisha.

    Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, the teacher will be teaching.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow hour three morning, teacher he-will-be he-while-teaching.

    Shows a continuous action happening at a specific time in the future.

  2. Gari litakuwa likiharibika njiani kama hutengenezi injini.

    The car will be breaking down on the road if you don't fix the engine.

    Word by Word: Car it-will-be it-while-breaking-down on-road if you-don't-fix engine.

    Demonstrates that non-human noun classes require the exact same double-agreement on both verbs.

  3. Wanafunzi watakuwa wakikisoma kitabu hicho kesho.

    The students will be reading that book tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Students they-will-be they-while-it-reading book that tomorrow.

    Notice how the object marker '-ki-' attaches only to the main verb, right before the root '-soma'.

  4. Hatakuwa akifanya kazi kesho.

    He will not be working tomorrow.

    Word by Word: He-will-not-be he-while-doing work tomorrow.

    In the negative form, only the first verb (kuwa) is negated.

  5. Wageni watakuwa wakila chakula cha jioni tutakapofika.

    The guests will be eating dinner when we arrive.

    Word by Word: Guests they-will-be they-while-eating food of evening we-when-arrive.

    With the monosyllabic verb 'kula', the 'ku-' is dropped after '-ki-'.

  6. Watu watakaokuwa wakifanya kazi watalipwa zaidi.

    The people who will be working will be paid more.

    Word by Word: People who-will-be they-while-doing work they-will-be-paid more.

    In relative clauses, the relative marker attaches to the auxiliary verb 'kuwa', not the main verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Failing to conjugate the second verb with a subject prefix.

    Atakuwa kusoma kitabu.
    Atakuwa akisoma kitabu.

    Because English uses an infinitive or invariant participle ('will be reading'), learners often use the infinitive (kusoma) or drop the subject prefix on the second verb. In Swahili, both verbs must have full subject agreement.

  • Keeping the 'ku-' on monosyllabic verbs after '-ki-' in Standard Swahili.

    Atakuwa akikula.
    Atakuwa akila.

    In Standard Swahili, monosyllabic verbs drop their infinitive 'ku-' marker when attached to the '-ki-' prefix, because '-ki-' can bear the penultimate stress. However, be aware that keeping the 'ku-' (like 'akikula') is widely used and accepted in Kenyan and Congolese dialects.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

atakuwa aki-Level 3Future Progressive

Learn This First

The future progressive 'atakuwa aki-' is a compound tense. To understand it, you must first know how to form the future tense with '-ta-', how to use the verb 'kuwa' (to be) as an auxiliary, and how the '-ki-' marker functions to show simultaneous or ongoing actions.

Words in This Pattern

wa-ta--ki-