Language/Lingala/Grammar/Present-progressive-tense

Present progressive tense – Learn the Lingala Language

The present progressive tense is used to say things like ‘I am speaking’ or ‘We are hearing’.  

As with all of the other tenses, the construction of the present progressive starts with infinitives and subject pronouns. But this one might seem a bit tricky at first.   

The present progressive requires the use of two verbs: kozala (to be) and the infinitive of the verb that matches what you’re doing or want to talk about.   

So to be able to say that you, or someone else, or a group is speaking, you first need to conjugate the present tense forms of kozala, which you should already be familiar with:   

• nazali – I am
• ozali – you are
• azali – he/she is
• tozali – we are
• bozali – you are (plural)
• bazali – they are
• ezali – it is   

Next, drop everything after the ‘z’ and add an ‘o’, which makes:  

• Nazo-
• Ozo-
• Azo-
• Tozo-
• Bozo-
• Bazo-
• Ezo- 

This prefix is used in every single present progressive conjugation and you’ll soon become familiar with its use as well as starting to be able to recognise the distinctive ‘-zo-‘ sound of the tense.   

Next, drop the ‘ko-’ from the infinitive form of koloba (to speak), leaving just ‘-loba’.   

Then combine with appropriate prefix with the –loba suffix to make the correct form of the verb for what you want to say:   

• nazo+loba – nazoloba – I am speaking
• ozo+loba – ozoloba – you are speaking
• azo+loba – azoloba – he/she is speaking
• tozo+loba – tozoloba – we are speaking
• bozo+loba – bozoloba – you are speaking (plural)
• bazo+loba – bazoloba – they are speaking
• ezo+loba – ezoloba – it is speaking   

And it will be the same for any other verb. For kosomba (to buy):  

• nazo+somba – nazosomba – I am buying
• ozo+somba – ozosomba – you are buying
• azo+somba – azosomba – he/she is buying
• tozo+somba – tozosomba – we are buying
• bozo+somba – bozosomba – you are buying (plural)
• bazo+somba – bazosomba – they are buying
• ezo+somba – ezosomba – it is buying   

And for koyoka (to hear):  

• nazo+yoka – nazoyoka – I am hearing
• ozo+yoka – ozoyoka – you are hearing
• azo+yoka – azoyoka – he/she is hearing
• tozo+yoka – tozoyoka – we are hearing
• bozo+yoka – bozoyoka – you are hearing (plural)
• bazo+yoka – bazoyoka – they are hearing
• ezo+yoka – ezoyoka – it is hearing

Source

https://lobalingala.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/23042014-loba-lingala.pdf