Verb Structures Flashcards
Present Continuous Tense
Tense marker: NA, used for ongoing present actions. Ex: WA-NA-IMB-A (they are singing)
Habitual Present Tense
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)
General Present Tense
Tense marker: A, used as simple present tense, for things that may not be happening right now. Ex: nAsoma vitabu (I read books). *Note that the subject prefix and tense marker coalesce (NI+A = NA, U+A = WA, A+A = A, TU+A = TWA, M(U)+A = MWA, WA + A = WA)
Negative Present Tense
Used to negate all three present tenses. There is no tense marker. Instead, HA is added before the subject prefix, except in first person in which case NI is changed to SI. In addition, the A at the end of the verb is changed to I, except for non-Bantu verbs. Ex: HA-WA-IMB-I (We don’t sing), SI-L-I (I don’t eat). Before A and U, the the negative marker becomes just H (H-U-SOMI = You don’t read, H-A-SOMI = He doesn’t read).
Future Tense
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)
Negative Future Tense
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)
Simple Past Tense
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).
Subject Prefixes
NI - I U - You (singular) A - (He/she/noun class 1) TU - We M(U) - You (plural) WA - They/noun class 2
Negative Past Tense
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).
Present Perfect Tense
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).
The “Not Yet” Tense
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).
The Consecutive Tense
Tense marker: KA, used to indicate either that something happened after another verb, or as a consequence of it. Note that the word “and” is included in the verb conjugation and does not need to be added. Ex: Naliamka, NI-KA-A-NYW-A chai, NI-KA-ONDOK-A (They awakened, drank tea, and left), Mliwafundisha WA-KA-IMB-A vizuri (You taught then and they sang well).
The Simultaneous Tense
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).
The “If Not” Tense
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.)
The Present Conditional Tense
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.)