Language/Shona/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Shona Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Shona learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the different ways to use the verb "be" in Shona. "Be" is one of the most commonly used verbs in the English language and in Shona as well. By the end of this lesson, you will know how to use "be" in various contexts and with different forms of Shona speech.
Don't forget that to improve your Shona Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

What is the Verb "Be"

The verb "be" is an English auxiliary verb. It is used to indicate various states of being, such as existence, identity, location, and so on. In Shona, however, the verb "be" is not necessarily translated as "be" all the time. Instead, it can be expressed through other elements of Shona speech, such as particles, pronouns, and verb tense.

How to Use "Be" to Indicate Existence

To indicate the existence of something or someone, we use the Shona particle "-po" or "-ko".

Shona	Pronunciation	English
Ndiri-ko	ndi-ree-ko	I am here
Iko	ee-ko	It is there
Uko	oo-ko	You are there
Vanhu vako vari kumusha	vanhoo vako vari koo-moo-sha	Your people are at home

How to Use "Be" to Indicate Identity

To indicate the identity of someone or something, we use the pronoun "ndi" (I am), "u" (you are), or "a" (he/she/it is), followed by the name or description.

Shona	Pronunciation	English
Ndinonzi Tariro	ndee-no-nzi ta-ree-ro	My name is Tariro
Unonzi Takunda	oo-no-nzi ta-koo-nda	Your name is Takunda
Anonzwa kunyanya	aa-no-nzwa koo-nya-nya	He/she/it feels tired
Anogara mumaokoake	aa-no-gaa-ra moo-mao-ko-aake	He/she/it is sitting in his/her/its arms

How to Use "Be" to Indicate Location

To indicate the location of someone or something, we use the Shona particle "-po" or "-ko", followed by the noun or pronoun.

Shona	Pronunciation	English
Ndiri muclass	ndi-ree moo-kla-ss	I am in class
Uri munzira	oo-ree moo-nzee-ra	You are on the road
Anogara pabhawa	aa-no-gaa-ra pa-bha-wa	He/she/it is on the roof
Tinoda kuziva kuti munhu ari kupi	tee-no-daa ku-zee-va koo-tee moo-nhoo a-ree koo-pee	We want to know where the person is

How to Use "Be" with Verb Tenses

In Shona, the verb "be" can also be used to form different tenses, such as present simple ("ndiri"), past simple ("ndakanga"), present continuous ("ndinoda kugara"), and past continuous ("ndainetse"), among others. Here are some examples:

Shona	Pronunciation	English
Ndiri kufamba	ndi-ree koo-fa-mba	I am walking
Ndakanga ndisina kudei	ndaa-kaa-nga ndi-see-na koo-daa-yi	I was not hungry
Ndinoda kuzovhura maziso angu	ndi-no-daa koo-zo-vhu-ra ma-zee-so aa-ngu	I want to open my eyes
Ndainetse kuimba	ndaa-ee-net-se koo-eem-ba	I was singing

Practice Dialogue

Person 1: Ndiri kumusha. (I am at home) Person 2: Ahh, ndinokumbirawo uchindinzwa. (Oh, please say that again?) Person 1: Ndinoenda kumabhazi. (I am going to the bus station) Person 2: Unotenga ticket here here? (Are you buying a ticket here?) Person 1: Aiwa, ndirikungoenda kunoviga kwaHwange. (No, I am going to Victoria Falls) Person 2: Ahh, unonzwa kunyanya? (Oh, are you feeling tired?)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to use the verb "be" in different contexts and with different forms of Shona speech. Don't forget the key points: to indicate existence, we use the Shona particles "-po" or "-ko"; to indicate identity, we use the pronouns "ndi", "u", or "a", followed by the name or description; to indicate location, we use the Shona particle "-po" or "-ko", followed by the noun or pronoun; and to form different tenses, we use different forms of the verb "be".

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Present Tense & Negation.

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Negation
• Adjectives
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Questions
• Plurals
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Have

Sources

• Shona language - Wikipedia
• Shona Language - Dialects & Structure - MustGo
• Shona Grammar | LEARN101.ORG