lini
When with Lini
Lini means 'when?' in Swahili. It is used to ask about the general day, date, or timeframe an event occurs.
How It Works
The word lini is an independent question word that does not attach to verbs or nouns, and it never takes noun class prefixes.
Word Order:
The most natural, neutral place to put lini is at the very end of the sentence or clause (e.g., Utasafiri lini?). However, if you want to add special emphasis to the question, you can move it to the beginning of the sentence (e.g., Lini utasafiri?).
Lini vs. Saa Ngapi:
Use lini when you want to know the general timeframe (which day, week, month, or year). If you want to know the exact clock time, you must ask saa ngapi? (what time?) instead, which relates to Swahili Clock Time.
Questions Only:
Remember that lini can only be used to ask a question. You cannot use it to connect sentences like "I was sleeping when he arrived." For statements, Swahili uses the When with -po- marker instead.
Examples (4)
- Utasafiri lini?
When will you travel?
Word by Word: You will travel when?
This is the standard, neutral word order with lini at the end of the sentence.
- Mgeni alifika lini?
When did the guest arrive?
Word by Word: Guest arrived when?
Lini works with any tense, such as the past tense here, to ask about a timeframe.
- Lini utarudi nyumbani?
When will you return home?
Word by Word: When you will return home?
Lini is fronted to the beginning of the sentence here to add emphasis to the question.
- Shule itaanza lini?
When will school start?
Word by Word: School will start when?
A common everyday question asking for a general date or timeframe.
Common Mistakes
Using lini to say 'when' in a statement.
Lini nilifika, nilikula.Nilipofika, nilikula.In Swahili, lini is strictly a question word. To say 'when' in a statement (like 'When I arrived...'), you must use the relative time marker -po- attached inside the verb.
Using lini when you need an exact hour.
Different MeaningUtaamka lini?Utaamka saa ngapi?Utaamka lini? is a good question that asks "when?" (which day or time, in general). To ask for the exact hour, use saa ngapi? ("What time?").
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'lini' (when) effectively, a learner must be able to construct basic Swahili sentences and understand how verbs are conjugated, as 'lini' usually asks about the timing of a specific action.
Related Patterns
- wapiWhere with Wapi
Like lini, wapi (where) is a common question word that typically appears at the end of a sentence.
Level 1 - naniWho with Nani
Nani (who) is another essential question word used to gather basic information.
Level 1 - Swahili Clock Time
Used with 'saa ngapi?' to ask and answer questions about specific hours, contrasting with the general timeframe of 'lini'.
Level 1 - -po-When with -po-
The correct grammatical pattern to use when you want to express 'when' in a statement rather than a question.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice lini in Bubblegum
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