Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Swahili (individual language) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "be" in Swahili (individual language) grammar.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Idioms & Conditional Clauses.
Introduction to "Be"[edit | edit source]
In Swahili (individual language), the verb "be" has different forms depending on tense, negation and subject. It can also function as a copula verb, for example, "I am a teacher" or an auxiliary verb, for example, "I am writing a book". To understand how to use "be", let's go over each of these functions.
Copula verb[edit | edit source]
A copula verb links the subject of a sentence to a predicate (usually a noun, adjective or pronoun), for example, "She is a doctor" or "He is tall". In Swahili (individual language), the copula verb "be" is "ni".
Take a look at the examples below:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mimi ni mwalimu | /mi.mi ni mwa.li.mu/ | I am a teacher |
| Wao ni wanafunzi | /wa.o ni wa.na.fu.nzi/ | They are students |
| Huyu ni mfanyakazi | /hu.yu ni mfa.nya.ka.zi/ | This is an employee |
Auxiliary verb[edit | edit source]
"Be" is also used as an auxiliary verb to form the progressive tense, for example, "I am writing an email". In Swahili (individual language), the auxiliary verb "be" is "ina".
Take a look at the examples below:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ninaandika barua pepe | /ni.na.an.di.ka ba.ru.a pe.pe/ | I am writing an email |
| Wanafunzi wanaocheza mpira | /wa.na.fu.nzi wa.na.o.che.za mpi.ra/ | The students are playing soccer |
| Wewe umefika hapa | /we.we u.me.fi.ka ha.pa/ | You have arrived here |
Negative form[edit | edit source]
To create a negative sentence using "be" in Swahili (individual language), we use the word "si" before the subject of the sentence. For example, "I am not a doctor" or "They are not happy".
Take a look at the examples below:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mimi si daktari | /mi.mi si dak.ta.ri/ | I am not a doctor |
| Hawa si wazuri | /ha.wa si wa.zu.ri/ | They are not good-looking |
| Hapo si salama | /ha.po si sa.la.ma/ | That place is not safe |
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Person 1: Mimi ni mwanafunzi. (/mi.mi ni mwa.na.fu.nzi/) (I am a student) Person 2: Sijui kwamba wewe ni mwanafunzi. (/si.jui kwa.m.ba we.we ni mwa.na.fu.nzi/) (I did not know that you are a student) Person 1: Ndiyo, ninasoma hapa. (/n.dyo, ni.na.so.ma ha.pa/) (Yes, I am studying here) Person 2: Oh wow, mimi pia ni mwalimu, unajifunza Swahili vipi? (/oh wow, mi.mi pia ni mwa.li.mu, u.na.ji.fun.za swa.hi.li vi.pi?/) (Oh wow, I am also a teacher, how are you learning Swahili?) Person 1: Ninatumia Polyglot Club kujifunza na kuongea na watu wengine ambao wanajua lugha hii vizuri. (/ni.na.tu.mi.a Poly.gl.ot Club ku.ji.fun.za na ku.on.ge.a na wa.tu we.nge a.m.ba.o wa.na.ju.a lu.g.ha hi.i vi.zu.ri/) (I am using Polyglot Club to learn and speak with other people who know this language well) Person 2: Hiyo ni njia nzuri! (/hi.yo ni n.jia n.zu.ri/) (That's a good method!)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
That's it for our lesson on how to use "be" in Swahili (individual language) grammar. Remember, "be" can function as a copula verb, auxiliary verb and in negative form. To improve your Swahili (individual language) Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ 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. 😎
Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Proverbs & Negation.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Future Tense
- How to Use Have
- Tenses
- Pronouns
- Adjectives
- Negation
- Questions
- Plurals
- Give your Opinion