Language/Igbo/Grammar/Verbs

Igbo → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses → Verbs

Introduction

Verbs are an essential part of Igbo grammar. They are used to express actions, states, and occurrences. Whether you are talking about something you did in the past, what you are doing right now, or what you will do in the future, it's important to understand Igbo verbs and how to use them in sentences. This lesson will cover regular and irregular verbs, verb conjugation, and agreement with nouns.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Igbo have the same base form regardless of the subject pronoun. To form their present tense, add the suffix "-a" to the end of the verb root.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀	boo	to be
chọpụta	choh-pwee-tah	to write
gaa	gah-ah	to go

To form the past tense of regular verbs, add the suffix "-la" to the verb root.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀là	boo-lah	was, were
chọpụtalà	choh-pwee-tah-lah	wrote
gaa-là	gah-ah-lah	went

To form the future tense of regular verbs, add the appropriate tense marker to the verb root. The tense markers are "-naa" for first-person singular, "-lee" for second-person singular, and "-si" for third-person singular.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀náà	boo-nah-ah	will be
chọpụtááléé	choh-pwee-tah-leh-eh	will write
gaa-sì	gah-ah-see	will go

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs in Igbo have different base forms for different subjects. They don't follow the standard pattern of adding "-a" to the end of the verb root.

Some examples of irregular verbs in Igbo include:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀	boo	to be
jụọ	joo-oh	to eat
kpọ	k-poh	to pick

Irregular verbs also have different forms for the past tense, and these forms must be memorized.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀là	boo-lah	was, were
jụọrọ	joo-oh-roh	ate
kpọlụ	k-poh-loo	picked

To form the future tense of irregular verbs, use the appropriate tense marker with the base form of the verb. The tense markers are the same as for regular verbs.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
bụ̀nàà	boo-nah-ah	will be
jụọnáà	joo-oh-nah-ah	will eat
kpọnáà	k-poh-nah-ah	will pick

Verb Conjugation and Agreement

In Igbo, verbs must agree with the noun they precede in terms of tense, aspect, and negation. This means that the form of the verb changes depending on the noun it is used with.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
Ada na-ajụ	ah-dah nah-ah-joo	Ada is eating
Onye mere ụtụtụ	ohn-yeh meh-reh ooh-too-too	Someone woke up early

In the first example, the verb "ajụ" agrees with the subject "Ada." In the second example, the verb "mere" agrees with the subject "onye."

In Igbo, verbs also have different forms depending on the tense and aspect. The basic tense forms in Igbo are the present, past, and future. The present tense is used to describe current actions or states, the past tense is used to describe completed actions or states, and the future tense is used to describe actions or states that will happen in the future.

The continuous aspect is created with the auxiliary verb "nà" plus the present participle of the main verb. The perfect aspect is created with the auxiliary verb "mee" plus the past participle of the main verb.

For example:

Igbo	Pronunciation	English
A na-atụgharị ọnụ	ah nah-ah-too-gah-ree oh-noo	I am speaking
O mekọ na-alụ	oh meh-koh nah-ah-loo	He/She has bought it

Conclusion

In conclusion, verbs are essential to Igbo grammar. Regular verbs follow a standard pattern of adding "-a" to the end of the verb root to form the present tense, while irregular verbs have different base forms for different subjects. Verbs must agree in tense, aspect, and negation with the noun they are used with, and there are different tense forms for the present, past, and future, as well as the continuous and perfect aspects. With practice, you'll be able to use Igbo verbs effectively in sentences and communication.

Table of Contents - Igbo Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Nouns
• Pronouns

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Verbs and Tenses

• Verbs
• Tenses

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers
• Telling Time

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

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Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating and Drinking

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

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Igbo Customs and Traditions

• Traditional Ceremonies
• Festivals and Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Plurals
• 0 to A1 Course
• How to Use Be
• Adverbs
• Future Tense
• Negation
• Questions
• Tenses
• Give your Opinion