Difference between revisions of "Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Past-Tense"

Revision as of 22:42, 2 April 2023

◀️ Present Tense — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Future Tense ▶️

Xhosa → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses → Past Tense

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn how to form and use the past tense in Xhosa. The past tense is used to describe actions or events that have already happened in the past. It is an essential aspect of Xhosa grammar, and mastering it will enable you to communicate more effectively in everyday situations.

Conjugation of Past Tense Verbs

In Xhosa, verbs are conjugated to reflect the tense, person, and number. The past tense of verbs is formed by adding the suffix -ile to the stem of the verb. The stem of the verb is the root form without any prefixes or suffixes. Let us look at some examples:

Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
Ndibona	n-dee-boh-nah	I saw
Wabona	wah-boh-nah	You saw
Ebona	eh-boh-nah	He/She saw
Sibona	see-boh-nah	We saw
Nibona	nee-boh-nah	You (plural) saw
Babona	bah-boh-nah	They saw

Negative Past Tense

To form the negative past tense, the auxiliary verb -nga is added before the verb stem, and the -ile suffix is added at the end. Let us look at some examples:

Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
Andinanga ndibona	ahn-dee-nah-ngah n-dee-boh-nah	I did not see
Andinanga wabona	ahn-dee-nah-ngah wah-boh-nah	You did not see
Andinanga ebona	ahn-dee-nah-ngah eh-boh-nah	He/She did not see
Asinanga sibona	ah-see-nah-ngah see-boh-nah	We did not see
Nizinanga nibona	nee-zee-nah-ngah nee-boh-nah	You (plural) did not see
Abaninanga babona	ah-bah-nee-nah-ngah bah-boh-nah	They did not see

Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense

Like in many languages, there are a few common verbs in Xhosa that are irregular in the past tense. Here are some examples:

Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
Kufuneka	koo-foo-neh-kah	It was necessary
Kwaye	kwah-yeh	And
Kuba	koo-bah	To be

Using the Past Tense in Sentences

To use the past tense in a sentence, we need to identify the subject of the sentence and conjugate the verb accordingly. Here are some examples:

Ndibona inkunzi embuzi kwelinye ithuba. (I saw a goat at another time.)

Wabona ubuso besibindi. (You saw a brave face.)

Ebona intombazana ethuketeyo. (He/She saw a scared girl.)

Sibona izinkomo zingalima. (We saw cows not grazing.)

Nibona abantu abafuna amanzi kakhulu. (You (plural) saw people who want a lot of water.)

Babona izwe eliluhlaza. (They saw a green world.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we've learned how to form and use the past tense in Xhosa. We saw that the past tense is formed by adding the suffix -ile to the stem of the verb, and that there are a few irregular verbs to watch out for. We also learned how to use the past tense in sentences by identifying the subject and conjugating the verb accordingly. With practice, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Xhosa by using the past tense correctly.

Table of Contents - Xhosa Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Xhosa

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Tenses

Family and Relationships

Questions and Negation

Food and Dining

Xhosa Culture and Traditions

Travel and Transportation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Weather and Seasons

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Hobbies and Interests

Xhosa Music and Literature

Other Lessons

Sources

◀️ Present Tense — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Future Tense ▶️

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