Verb Structures

Question 1

Present Continuous Tense

Answer 1

Tense marker: NA, used for ongoing present actions. Ex: WA-NA-IMB-A (they are singing)

Question 2

Habitual Present Tense

Answer 2

Tense marker: HU, used for things that are generally or usually done. No subject prefix is used, a subject pronoun can be used if needed. Ex: mimi HU-L-A (I usually eat)

Question 3

Future Tense

Answer 3

Tense marker: TA, used for all future actions. Ex: WA-TA-IMB-A (They will sing). For monosyllabic verb stems, the KU- of the infinitive is retained. Ex: NI-TA-KU-L-A (I will eat)

Question 4

Negative Future Tense

Answer 4

Tense marker: TA, also need to add either HA before the subject prefix or in the case of first person replace NI with SI. As in the positive case, for monosyllabic verb stems the KU- of the infinitive is retained. Ex: HA-WA-TA-IMB-A (They will not sing), SI-TA-KU-L-A (I will not eat)

Question 5

Simple Past Tense

Answer 5

Tense marker: LI, used for past events that took place at a distinct time. The KU- of the infinitive is retained for monosyllabic stems. Ex: WA-LI-IMB-A (They sang), NI-LI-KU-L-A (I ate).

Question 6

Subject Prefixes

Answer 6

NI - I
U - You (singular)
A - (He/she/noun class 1)
TU - We
M(U) - You (plural)
WA - They/noun class 2

Question 7

Negative Past Tense

Answer 7

Tense marker: KU, also need to add either HA before the subject prefix or for first person replace NI with SI. The KU- for infinitives is not used in monosyllabic stems. Ex: HA-WA-KU-IMB-A (They did not sing), SI-KU-L-A (I did not eat).

Question 8

Present Perfect Tense

Answer 8

Tense marker: ME, used for the construction of has/have + action. Useful in both process verb constructions (I have sat up to express what in English would be I am sitting) and static verb constructions (The cup has been broken). For monosyllabic stems, the KU- is retained. Ex: NI-ME-SIKI-A (I have heard), NI-ME-KU-L-A (I have eaten).

Question 9

The “Not Yet” Tense

Answer 9

Tense marker: JA, used as the negative of the past perfect. Unlike the KU tense, it is used for something that has not yet happened, but might happen in the future. Also requires use of HA before the subject prefix, or in the case of first person the substitution of NI with SI. Ex: HA-WA-JA-IMB-A (They have not sung), Si-JA-L-A (I have not eaten).

Question 10

The Simultaneous Tense

Answer 10

Tense marker: KI, used in 2 primary ways: 1) in a dependent clause, to indicate an action taking place at the same time as one in the main clause (similar use as the NA tense). Ex: Aliwasikia WA-KI-IMB-A (He heard them [while they were] singing), 2) in a conditional clause, it functions as “if,” or in some cases as “when.” Ex: WA-KI-IMB-A tutawasikia (If they sing, we will hear them).

Question 11

The “If Not” Tense

Answer 11

Tense marker: SIPO, used as the negative of “if,” as in “if not,” “when not,” or “unless.” Ex: TU-SIPO-JARIBU atatufukuza kazi (If we don’t try, he will fire us.)

Question 12

The Present Conditional Tense

Answer 12

Tense marker: NGE, indicates a supposed condition with a consequence that might happen, but is unlikely. Both the condition and the consequence use the tense marker. For monosyllabic stems, the KU- is retained. Ex: WA-NGE-KU-L-A zaidi WA-NGE-NENEP-A (If they ate more, they would get fat.)

Question 13

3 Ways to Express a Condition

Answer 13

A conditional clause “if” can be made with KI, creating a real condition. However, uses with NGE and NGALI indicate imaginary conditions.

1) With KI: A-KI-W-A na nafasi, atakwenda (If he has time, he will go). Or: A-SIPO-KUW-A na nafasi, hatakwenda (If he doesn’t have time, he won’t go).
2) With NGE: A-NGE-KUWA na nafasi, A-NGE-KWENDA (If he had time, he would go [but the implication is that he does not have time, so will not go]).
3) With NGALI: A-NGALI-KUWA na nafasi, A-NGALI-KWENDA (If he had had time, he would have gone)

Question 14

Imperative/Commands

Answer 14

Singular: Just the verb root.
Soma! (Read)
Amka! (Wake up)
Rudi! (Return)

Plural: Change the “a” to “e” and add “ni” at the end. For verbs that don’t end in “a,” just add “ni.”
Someni! (Read, all of you)
Amkeni! (Wake up, all of you)
Rudini (Return, all of you)

Singular negative: U+Si+Root+change "a" to "e"
Usisome! (Don't read)
Usiamke! (Don't wake up)
Usirudi! (Don't return)
Usijaribu (Don't try)

Plural negative: M+SI+Root+change “a” to “e”
Msisome! (Don’t read, all of you)
Msirudi (Don’t return, all of you)
Msijaribu (Don’t try, all of you)

Question 15

Two common irregular imperatives

Answer 15

Kuja (to come)
Singular: Njoo
Plural: Njooni
Singular negative: Usije
Plural negative: Msije

Kuenda (to go)
Singular: Nenda
Plural: Nendeni
Singular negative: Usiende
Plural negative: Msiende

Question 16

The infinitive KU is dropped in the negative form except for…?

Answer 16

Negative past and future tenses

Question 17

Causative Extension

Answer 17

Changes the verb to mean to “make” do something. Ex: kukopa = to borrow, kukopesha = to lend.

Formation:
1) Take off the last vowel of infinitive, if the nearest remaining vowel is A, I, or U, then add ISHA.
Ex: kurudi -> kurudisha; kuzama -> kuzamisha

2) If the nearest remaining vowel is E or O, then add ESHA.
Ex: kusoma -> kusomesha; kukopa -> kukopesha

3) If the root ends in K, it changes to SH, and nothing else is added.
Ex: kukumbuka -> kukumbusha; kuwaka -> kuwasha.
Exceptions: kuandika -> kuandikisha; kucheka -> kuchekesha

4) Sometimes a Z is added to the causative form. Or if a verb root ends in N, the causative is formed with NY
Ex: kuuma -> kuumiza; kulala -> kulaza; kupona -> kuponya

5) Can also be formed from nouns and adjectives.
Ex: safi -> kusafisha (to clean); rahisi -> kurahisisha (to simplify); maana -> kumaanisha (to mean)

Question 18

Subjunctive (for polite requests)

Answer 18

A polite form, used to make requests, suggestions, give directions, express “should,” etc.
If the verb ends in A, change it to E, and drop the tense infix. If the verb does not end in A, don’t change to E. The KU is dropped for monosyllabic verbs.

Asome (He/she should read)
Tuende/twende (Let’s go)
Ujaribu (You should try)
Nile (I should eat)

Often used with phrases such as afadhali (it’s better that/to…,ought to…), lazima (it’s necessary that/to…, must), tafadhali (please), ni bora (it’s better that/to…)

Question 19

Negative subjunctive

You shouldn't eat meat

Answer 19

Take the positive subjunctive, and insert SI between the subject prefix and the stem.

Tusiende Mombasa (Let's not go to Mombasa)
Usipige picha hapa (You shouldn't take pictures here)
Usile nyama (You shouldn't eat meat)

Question 20

Alternative formation of Present Perfect

Answer 20

Instead of the infix ME, can also use MESHA. There is not a big difference in meaning, but MESHA puts greater emphasis on the fact that something has already been done. The KU is retained for monosyllabic stems. To negate, use JA just as for the negative of ME.

Mwalimu ameshaondoka (The teacher has already left)
Watoto wameshakula chakula cha jioni (The children have already eaten dinner).

Question 21

Passive Voice Extension

Answer 21

To express passive voice, the extension WA is used.
kusema = to speak, kusemwa = to be spoken
kufundisha = to teach, kufundishwa = to be taught

If the verb ends in -IA or -EA, insert W between the vowels.
kusaidia = to help, kusaidiwa = to be helped
kutumia = to use, kutumiwa = to be used

If the verb ends in -AA or -UA, the ending -LIWA is added.
kuzaa = to have a child, kuzaliwa = to be born
kuchukua = to carry, kuchukuliwa = to be carried

If the verb ends in -OA, the extension is -LEWA
kutoa = to take or put out, kutolewa = to be taken or put out
kuondoa = to remove, kuondolewa = to be removed

If the verb ends in a vowel other than A, the vowel is changed to I and WA is added.
kuharibu = to destroy, kuharibiwa = to be destroyed
kukubali = to accept, kukubaliwa = to be accepted

Monosyllabic verbs take on special forms.
kula = to eat, kuliwa = to be eaten
kupa = to give, kupewa = to be given
kunywa = to drink, kunywewa = to be drunk

To express “by” in the passive construction, use NA
Kiswahili kinafundishwa na mwalimu (Swahili is taught by the teacher)

Question 22

Object Infixes for People

Answer 22

mimi - NI (me)
wewe - KU (you)
yeye - M/MW (him/her)
sisi - TU (us)
nyinyi - WA (you all)
wao - WA (them)

Goes between the tense infix and the stem

Question 23

Reflexive Infix

Answer 23

JI
Placed right before the verb stem
Mtoto alijikata (The child cut herself)
Tom anajufunza Kiswahili (Tom is learning [teaching himself] Swahili)