Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Future-Tense
Hi Swahili (individual language) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore the future tense in Swahili (individual language) grammar. The future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future.
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Conditional Clauses & Proverbs.
Conjugating the Future Tense[edit | edit source]
To form the future tense in Swahili (individual language), the verb stem is used with the prefix "ta-" added to it.
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kutoka | ku-to-ka | To leave |
To form the future tense of the verb "kutoka" (to leave), we will add the prefix "ta-" to it.
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nitatoka | ni-ta-to-ka | I will leave |
| Utatoka | u-ta-to-ka | You will leave |
| Atatoka | a-ta-to-ka | He/She will leave |
| Tutatoka | tu-ta-to-ka | We will leave |
| Mtatoka | m-ta-to-ka | You (pl.) will leave |
| Watatoka | wa-ta-to-ka | They will leave |
Notice that the future tense prefix "ta-" is added to the verb stem and the subject infix (the part of the verb that shows who is doing the action) is added after it.
Here's another example:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kula | ku-la | To eat |
To form the future tense of the verb "kula" (to eat), we will add the prefix "ta-" to it.
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nitakula | ni-ta-ku-la | I will eat |
| Utakula | u-ta-ku-la | You will eat |
| Atakula | a-ta-ku-la | He/She will eat |
| Tutakula | tu-ta-ku-la | We will eat |
| Mtakula | m-ta-ku-la | You (pl.) will eat |
| Watakula | wa-ta-ku-la | They will eat |
Remember that the future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future.
Examples in Context[edit | edit source]
To see the future tense in action, here's a dialogue between two people planning their weekend:
- Person 1: Utakwenda wapi wikendi hii? (Where will you go this weekend?)
- Person 2: Nitaenda pwani. (I will go to the coast.)
Here's another example:
- Person 1: Tutacheza mpira siku ya Jumamosi. (We will play soccer on Saturday.)
- Person 2: Sijui kama nitakuja. (I don't know if I will come.)
As you can see, the future tense is essential in everyday communication.
Interesting Facts[edit | edit source]
Did you know that Swahili (individual language) is spoken by over 150 million people worldwide and is the lingua franca of East Africa? Swahili (individual language) has its roots in the Bantu language family and has borrowed words from Arabic, Portuguese, and English over the years. Learning Swahili (individual language) not only allows you to communicate with people from different parts of Africa but also opens up opportunities to engage with the rich culture and history of the Swahili people.
Practice Makes Perfect[edit | edit source]
To improve your Swahili (individual language) Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
You can also visit our Swahili (individual language) Grammar page to review other grammar topics.
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Give your Opinion
- Questions
- Negation
- How to Use Be
- Conditional Mood
- Plurals
- Adjectives
- Nouns
- How to Use Have