Difference between revisions of "Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Verbs"
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As a Swahili language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the basic verb forms and tenses of Swahili. Verbs are an essential part of language, and understanding how to use them correctly is vital for effective communication. In this lesson, we will explore the present, past, and future tenses, subject-verb agreement, and word order in Swahili. | As a Swahili language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the basic verb forms and tenses of Swahili. Verbs are an essential part of language, and understanding how to use them correctly is vital for effective communication. In this lesson, we will explore the present, past, and future tenses, subject-verb agreement, and word order in Swahili. | ||
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Negation|Negation]] & [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]].</span> | |||
== Verb Forms in Swahili == | == Verb Forms in Swahili == | ||
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| amekula || ah - meh - koo - lah || has eaten | | amekula || ah - meh - koo - lah || has eaten | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Tenses in Swahili == | == Tenses in Swahili == | ||
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* Mtasoma vipi leo jioni? (How will you study tonight?) | * Mtasoma vipi leo jioni? (How will you study tonight?) | ||
* Watapika nini kwa ajili ya chakula cha jioni? (What will they cook for dinner?) | * Watapika nini kwa ajili ya chakula cha jioni? (What will they cook for dinner?) | ||
== Subject-Verb Agreement and Word Order == | == Subject-Verb Agreement and Word Order == | ||
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[[Category:Swahili-individual-language-0-to-A1-Course]] | [[Category:Swahili-individual-language-0-to-A1-Course]] | ||
==Other Lessons== | |||
== | |||
* [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]] | * [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]] | ||
* [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Cases|Cases]] | * [[Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Cases|Cases]] | ||
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{{Swahili-individual-language-Page-Bottom}} | {{Swahili-individual-language-Page-Bottom}} | ||
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Revision as of 23:05, 27 March 2023
As a Swahili language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the basic verb forms and tenses of Swahili. Verbs are an essential part of language, and understanding how to use them correctly is vital for effective communication. In this lesson, we will explore the present, past, and future tenses, subject-verb agreement, and word order in Swahili.
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Negation & Adjectives.
Verb Forms in Swahili
Swahili verbs can take several forms, including infinitives, imperatives, and participles. The infinitive is the base form of the verb, which means it is not inflected to show tense, mood, or voice. Here are some examples of Swahili infinitives:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| kupika | koo - pee – kah | to cook |
| kukimbia | koo - kim - bee - yah | to run |
| kusoma | koo - soh - mah | to read |
| kula | koo - lah | to eat |
Imperatives are used to give directions or commands. They have only one form and are usually inflected in the present tense. Here are some examples of Swahili imperatives:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pika! | pee - kah! | Cook! |
| Kimbia! | kim - bee - yah! | Run! |
| Soma! | so - mah! | Read! |
| La! | lah! | Eat! |
Participles are verb forms that can function as adjectives or adverbs. There are two types of participles in Swahili: the present participle and the past participle. The present participle ends in -ki, while the past participle ends in -me. Here are some examples of Swahili participles:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| anayepika | ah - nyah - yeh - pee - kah | the one who is cooking |
| anayeruka | ah - nah - yeh - roo - kah | the one who is jumping |
| amesoma | ah - meh - soh - mah | has read |
| amekula | ah - meh - koo - lah | has eaten |
Tenses in Swahili
Swahili has three main tenses: present, past, and future. Each tense can be negated by adding the word "si" before the verb. The table below shows the basic verb conjugation in Swahili:
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present tense | Ninasoma (I am reading) |
| Past tense | Nilisoma (I read) |
| Future tense | Nitakusoma (I will read you) |
Here are some examples of Swahili verbs in each tense:
Present Tense
The present tense in Swahili is used to describe actions that are happening now or that occur regularly.
- Ninaandika barua (I am writing a letter)
- Unapika nini leo? (What are you cooking today?)
- Wanasoma vitabu vya kiswahili (They are reading Swahili books)
Past Tense
The past tense in Swahili is used to describe actions or events that have already happened.
- Nilisoma kitabu jana (I read a book yesterday)
- Ulimwona rafiki yangu jana? (Did you see my friend yesterday?)
- Walipika chakula kizuri jana (They cooked a delicious meal yesterday)
Future Tense
The future tense in Swahili is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
- Nitacheza mpira kesho (I will play football tomorrow)
- Mtasoma vipi leo jioni? (How will you study tonight?)
- Watapika nini kwa ajili ya chakula cha jioni? (What will they cook for dinner?)
Subject-Verb Agreement and Word Order
In Swahili, the verb agrees with the subject in both number and class. This means that the verb will change depending on the number of the subject and whether it is singular or plural. For example:
- Mimi ninapika (I am cooking)
- Sisi tunapika (We are cooking)
- Wao wanapika (They are cooking)
The word order in Swahili is usually subject-verb-object, but it can vary according to emphasis or context. Here are some examples:
- John anaendesha gari (John is driving a car)
- Gari anaendesha John (It is John who is driving the car)
- Jana nilimwona Mary (Yesterday I saw Mary)
- Mary nilimwona jana (It was Mary whom I saw yesterday)
It is essential to get the word order right in Swahili, as it can change the meaning of the sentence.
Learning Swahili verbs takes practice and patience, but with dedication, you can master this important part of the language in no time. In the next lesson, we will explore noun cases in Swahili, including the nominative, accusative, genitive, possessive, and locative cases.
Other Lessons
- How to Use Be
- Cases
- Negation
- Dependent Clauses
- Word Order
- Passive Voice
- 0 to A1 Course
- Nouns
- Adjectives
- Plurals