Language/Rundi/Grammar/Basic-Sentence-Structure

Rundi → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Introduction to Rundi Language → Basic Sentence Structure

In this lesson, we will introduce the basic sentence structure of the Rundi language. Understanding the basic sentence structure is essential for mastering any language, and will allow you to form simple sentences in Rundi with ease.

Subject-Verb-Object Order

In Rundi, the basic sentence structure follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) order. This means that the subject of the sentence comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object. For example:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Umuhanzi	Oo-moo-han-zee	The musician
ameze	ah-meh-zeh	plays
umwana	oo-mwah-na	the child
.	.	The musician plays the child.

As you can see from the example above, the subject (the musician) comes first, followed by the verb (plays), and then the object (the child).

Let's look at some more examples:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Ndi	N-dee	I am
muri	moo-ree	in
umuziki	ooh-moo-zee-kee	the music
.	.	I am in the music.

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Umwami	oo-mwah-mee	The king
yagarutse	yah-gah-ru-tseh	was born
mu	moo	in
kaminuza	kah-mee-noo-zah	the university
.	.	The king was born in the university.

As you can see from these examples, the subject always comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object. This order of sentence structure is consistent, whether the sentence is positive or negative.

Negation

To form a negative sentence in Rundi, the word ntibikaba is added before the verb. For example:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Ntibikaba	n-tee-bee-kah-bah	not
nsoma	n-soh-mah	I read
indirimbo	een-dee-reem-boh	the song
.	.	I am not reading the song.

Another way to form a negative sentence is to use the word nta before the verb. For example:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Nta	n-tah	no
nimero	nee-meh-roh	number
iy'	ee-yh	of
telefoni	teh-leh-foh-nee	telephone
.	.	There is no telephone number.

As you can see from these examples, the negative word comes before the verb, and the sentence order remains consistent.

Questions

To form a question in Rundi, the word none is added at the beginning of the sentence. For example:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
None	noh-neh	Do
wowe	woh-weh	you
uri	oo-ree	are
mu	moo	in
shuri	shoo-ree	school
?	?	Are you in school?

In the example above, the word none is added at the beginning of the sentence to indicate that it is a question. The sentence structure still follows the SVO order.

Another way to form a question in Rundi is to use the question word iki before the verb. For example:

Rundi	Pronunciation	English
Iki	ee-kee	What
wewe	weh-weh	do you
utanga	oo-tah-ngah	give
umugeni	oo-moo-geh-nee	the guest
?	?	What do you give the guest?

As you can see from these examples, questions in Rundi can be formed by adding a question word like iki, or by using the word none at the beginning of the sentence. In both cases, the sentence structure follows the SVO order.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have introduced the basic sentence structure of the Rundi language, which follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) order. We have also looked at how to form negative sentences and questions in Rundi. Understanding these basic sentence structures will allow you to form simple sentences in Rundi with ease. Practice these structures and build your confidence in using the Rundi language!

Table of Contents - Rundi Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Rundi Language

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Classes
• Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers
• Days and Months

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing with Adjectives
• Describing with Adverbs

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Vocabulary

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Using Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Burundian Culture

• History and Traditions
• Music and Dance

  ---

Hobbies and Entertainment

• Common Hobbies
• Entertainment Vocabulary

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negating Sentences

  ---

Health and Emergencies

• Health Vocabulary
• Emergency Vocabulary

  ---

Rundi Etiquette and Customs

• Social Etiquette
• Festivals and Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• 0 to A1 Course
• Using Prepositions
• How to Use Have
• Describing with Adjectives
• Noun Classes
• Future Tense
• Adjectives
• Describing with Adverbs
• Asking Questions

Sources

• Rundi Grammar: Learn About the Past Tense for Verbs and Tenses
• Kirundi - Wikipedia
• Rundi Grammar - Questions and Negation - Negating Sentences