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<div class="pg_page_title">Tswana Grammar - How to Use "Be"</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">Tswana Grammar - How to Use "Be"</div>
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/tswana Tswana] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Tswana. We will look at the different forms of the verb and how to use them in sentences. We will also look at some examples of sentences using the verb "be". __TOC__


== Introduction ==
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/tswana Tswana] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Tswana grammar. This is a very important verb and is used in different contexts. We will provide examples that illustrate the usage of "be" in different contexts. Through these examples, you will be able to understand how "be" is used in Tswana. 📚
The verb "be" is one of the most important verbs in any language. It is used to express existence, identity, location, and other states of being. In Tswana, the verb "be" is conjugated differently depending on the subject of the sentence. In this lesson, we will look at the different forms of the verb "be" and how to use them in sentences.  


== Forms of the Verb "Be" ==
__TOC__
The verb "be" has three forms in Tswana: the present tense, the past tense, and the future tense.


=== Present Tense ===
== Basic Grammar ==
The present tense of the verb "be" is used to express a state of being that is currently happening. The present tense of the verb "be" is conjugated as follows:  
 
The verb "be" is an essential verb in Tswana. The word "be" in Tswana is "ke." The word "ke" is used to describe the state of something or someone.
 
In Tswana, the verb "be" is a prefix. The prefix changes according to the subject of the sentence. This means that for each subject, a different verb prefix is used. Let's take the example of the word "I." In Tswana, the word "I" is "ke." Therefore, to say "I am" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix "ke."
 
Here are the verb prefixes for "be" in Tswana:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Subject !! Verb prefix !! Example sentence
|-
|-
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
|I (ke) || ke- || Ke nna motswana. (I am a Motswana.)
|You (singular) || o- || O ne a tlhoka. (You are hungry.)
|He/She/It || e- || E re ke tla o ya. (He says I will take you.)
|We (inclusive) || re- || Re tsena gae. (We are at home.)
|We (exclusive) || ba- || Ba tsweletse mo setlhareng. (They left their shoes in the closet.)
|You (plural) || le- || Le tswetse bogobe. (You finished eating.)
|They || ba- || Ba tlhoka banna. (They need men.)
|}
 
== Present Tense ==
 
In Tswana, the present tense of “be” is expressed by using the verb prefix and adding "-a." Here are some examples of this tense:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
|-
| nna || n-nah || I am
| Kea tlhoka || ke-a tlʰoka || I am hungry
|-
|-
| o na || oh-nah || you are
| O a tlhoka || o-a tlʰoka || You (singular) are hungry
|-
|-
| o na || oh-nah || he/she/it is
| E a tlhoka || e-a tlʰoka || He/She/It is hungry
|-
|-
| tsa || t-sah || we are
| Rea tshaba || re-a tʃhɑba || We are happy
|-
|-
| re na || reh-nah || they are
| Ba a tlhokang || ba-a tlʰokaŋ || They are hungry
|}
|}


For example:  
Here is an example dialogue in the present tense:
* Person 1: Nna ke go tlhaloganya. (I am going to the store.)  
 
* Person 2: O na le go tlhaloganya? (Are you going to the store?)  
* Person 1: Kea tlhoka. (I am hungry)
* Person 2: O a tlhoka? (Are you hungry?)
* Person 1: Ee, kea tlhoka. (Yes, I am hungry.)
 
== Past Tense ==


=== Past Tense ===
To express the past tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-ile." Here are some examples:
The past tense of the verb "be" is used to express a state of being that happened in the past. The past tense of the verb "be" is conjugated as follows:  


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
|-
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
| Ke tlhokile || ke tlʰokile || I was hungry
|-
| nna ke || n-nah keh || I was
|-
|-
| o ne || oh-neh || you were
| O tlhokile || o tlʰokile || You (singular) were hungry
|-
|-
| o ne || oh-neh || he/she/it was
| E tlhokile || e tlʰokile || He/She/It was hungry
|-
|-
| tsa ke || t-sah keh || we were
| Re tshabatile || re tʃhɑbatile || We were happy
|-
|-
| re ne || reh-neh || they were
| Ba tlhokileng || ba tlʰokilɛŋ || They were hungry
|}
|}


For example:
Here is an example dialogue in the past tense:
* Person 1: Nna ke go tlhaloganya. (I was going to the store.)
* Person 2: O ne le go tlhaloganya? (Were you going to the store?)


=== Future Tense ===
* Person 1: Ke tlhokile. (I was hungry.)
The future tense of the verb "be" is used to express a state of being that will happen in the future. The future tense of the verb "be" is conjugated as follows:  
* Person 2: O tswa kae? (Where were you?)
* Person 1: Ke tlhokile gae. (I was hungry at home.)
 
== Future Tense ==
 
To express the future tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-tla." Here are some examples:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
|-
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
| Ke tla tlhoka || ke tla tlʰoka || I will be hungry
|-
|-
| nna ka || n-nah kah || I will be
| O tla tlhoka || o tla tlʰoka || You (singular) will be hungry
|-
|-
| o na ka || oh-nah kah || you will be
| E tla tlhoka || e tla tlʰoka || He/She/It will be hungry
|-
|-
| o na ka || oh-nah kah || he/she/it will be
| Re tla tshaba || re tla tʃhɑba || We will be happy
|-
|-
| tsa ka || t-sah kah || we will be
| Ba tla tlhoka || ba tla tlʰoka || They will be hungry
|-
| re na ka || reh-nah kah || they will be
|}
|}


For example:  
Here is an example dialogue in the future tense:
* Person 1: Nna ka go tlhaloganya. (I will be going to the store.)  
 
* Person 2: O na ka le go tlhaloganya? (Will you be going to the store?)  
* Person 1: Ke tla tlhoka. (I will be hungry.)
* Person 2: O tla fetoga kae? (Where will you go?)
* Person 1: Ke tla fetoga kwa gae. (I will go home.)
 
== Present Continuous Tense ==


== Examples ==
To express the present continuous tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-gona." Here are some examples:
Here are some examples of sentences using the verb "be":  


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
|-
! Tswana !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
| Ke nna ke tlhokagantsho || ke nna ke tlʰokaga:ntsʰo || I am currently hungry
|-
| Nna ke go tlhaloganya. || n-nah keh goh t-lah-log-ahn-yah || I was going to the store.
|-
|-
| O na le go tlhaloganya? || oh-nah leh goh t-lah-log-ahn-yah || Are you going to the store?
| O a tlhokagantsho || o a tlʰokaga:ntsʰo || You (singular) are currently hungry
|-
|-
| Re na ka go tlhaloganya. || reh-nah kah goh t-lah-log-ahn-yah || They will be going to the store.
| E e tlhokagantsho || e e tlʰokaga:ntsʰo || He/She/It is currently hungry
|-
|-
| Tsa ke go tlhaloganya. || t-sah keh goh t-lah-log-ahn-yah || We were going to the store.
| Re nna re tshabagantsho || re nna re tʃhɑbaga:ntsʰo || We are currently happy
|-
|-
| O na ka le go tlhaloganya? || oh-nah kah leh goh t-lah-log-ahn-yah || Will you be going to the store?
| Ba ba tlhokagantsho || ba ba tlʰokaga:ntsʰo || They are currently hungry
|}
|}


== Conclusion ==
Here is an example dialogue in the present continuous tense:
In this lesson, we have looked at the different forms of the verb "be" in Tswana and how to use them in sentences. We have also seen some examples of sentences using the verb "be". To improve your [[Language/Tswana|Tswana]] [[Language/Tswana/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=110 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/tswana/question questions]!


{{#seo:
* Person 1: Ke nna ke tlhokagantsho. (I am currently hungry.)
|title=Tswana Grammar - How to Use "Be"
* Person 2: O ka bua jang? (What are you doing?)
|keywords=Tswana, grammar, be, present, past, future, conjugation, sentence, example
* Person 1: Ke nna ke itshoka. (I am watching TV.)
|description=In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Tswana. We will look at the different forms of the verb and how to use them in sentences. We will also look at some examples of sentences using the verb "be".
}}


<hr>➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
== Summary ==


In this lesson, we learned about the verb "be" in Tswana grammar. We provided examples that illustrated how "be" is used in different tenses. Remember that using "be" in Tswana depends on the subject of the sentence, and the verb prefix changes accordingly.


==Related Lessons==
To improve your [[Language/Tswana|Tswana]] [[Language/Tswana/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=110 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/tswana/question questions]!
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Negation|Negation]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Plurals|Plurals]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
* [[Language/Tswana/Grammar/Gender|Gender]]


<hr>➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


{{#seo:
|title=Tswana Grammar - How to Use "Be"
|keywords=Tswana verb be, Tswana grammar, present tense Tswana, past tense Tswana, present continuous tense Tswana
|description=In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Tswana grammar. We will provide examples that illustrate the usage of "be" in different contexts. Through these examples, you will be able to understand how "be" is used in Tswana.
}}


{{Tswana-Page-Bottom}}
{{Tswana-Page-Bottom}}

Revision as of 01:08, 3 March 2023

Botswana-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png
Tswana Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Tswana learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Tswana grammar. This is a very important verb and is used in different contexts. We will provide examples that illustrate the usage of "be" in different contexts. Through these examples, you will be able to understand how "be" is used in Tswana. 📚

Basic Grammar

The verb "be" is an essential verb in Tswana. The word "be" in Tswana is "ke." The word "ke" is used to describe the state of something or someone.

In Tswana, the verb "be" is a prefix. The prefix changes according to the subject of the sentence. This means that for each subject, a different verb prefix is used. Let's take the example of the word "I." In Tswana, the word "I" is "ke." Therefore, to say "I am" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix "ke."

Here are the verb prefixes for "be" in Tswana:

Subject Verb prefix Example sentence
I (ke) ke- Ke nna motswana. (I am a Motswana.) You (singular) o- O ne a tlhoka. (You are hungry.) He/She/It e- E re ke tla o ya. (He says I will take you.) We (inclusive) re- Re tsena gae. (We are at home.) We (exclusive) ba- Ba tsweletse mo setlhareng. (They left their shoes in the closet.) You (plural) le- Le tswetse bogobe. (You finished eating.) They ba- Ba tlhoka banna. (They need men.)

Present Tense

In Tswana, the present tense of “be” is expressed by using the verb prefix and adding "-a." Here are some examples of this tense:

Tswana Pronunciation English
Kea tlhoka ke-a tlʰoka I am hungry
O a tlhoka o-a tlʰoka You (singular) are hungry
E a tlhoka e-a tlʰoka He/She/It is hungry
Rea tshaba re-a tʃhɑba We are happy
Ba a tlhokang ba-a tlʰokaŋ They are hungry

Here is an example dialogue in the present tense:

  • Person 1: Kea tlhoka. (I am hungry)
  • Person 2: O a tlhoka? (Are you hungry?)
  • Person 1: Ee, kea tlhoka. (Yes, I am hungry.)

Past Tense

To express the past tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-ile." Here are some examples:

Tswana Pronunciation English
Ke tlhokile ke tlʰokile I was hungry
O tlhokile o tlʰokile You (singular) were hungry
E tlhokile e tlʰokile He/She/It was hungry
Re tshabatile re tʃhɑbatile We were happy
Ba tlhokileng ba tlʰokilɛŋ They were hungry

Here is an example dialogue in the past tense:

  • Person 1: Ke tlhokile. (I was hungry.)
  • Person 2: O tswa kae? (Where were you?)
  • Person 1: Ke tlhokile gae. (I was hungry at home.)

Future Tense

To express the future tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-tla." Here are some examples:

Tswana Pronunciation English
Ke tla tlhoka ke tla tlʰoka I will be hungry
O tla tlhoka o tla tlʰoka You (singular) will be hungry
E tla tlhoka e tla tlʰoka He/She/It will be hungry
Re tla tshaba re tla tʃhɑba We will be happy
Ba tla tlhoka ba tla tlʰoka They will be hungry

Here is an example dialogue in the future tense:

  • Person 1: Ke tla tlhoka. (I will be hungry.)
  • Person 2: O tla fetoga kae? (Where will you go?)
  • Person 1: Ke tla fetoga kwa gae. (I will go home.)

Present Continuous Tense

To express the present continuous tense of "be" in Tswana, we use the verb prefix and add "-gona." Here are some examples:

Tswana Pronunciation English
Ke nna ke tlhokagantsho ke nna ke tlʰokaga:ntsʰo I am currently hungry
O a tlhokagantsho o a tlʰokaga:ntsʰo You (singular) are currently hungry
E e tlhokagantsho e e tlʰokaga:ntsʰo He/She/It is currently hungry
Re nna re tshabagantsho re nna re tʃhɑbaga:ntsʰo We are currently happy
Ba ba tlhokagantsho ba ba tlʰokaga:ntsʰo They are currently hungry

Here is an example dialogue in the present continuous tense:

  • Person 1: Ke nna ke tlhokagantsho. (I am currently hungry.)
  • Person 2: O ka bua jang? (What are you doing?)
  • Person 1: Ke nna ke itshoka. (I am watching TV.)

Summary

In this lesson, we learned about the verb "be" in Tswana grammar. We provided examples that illustrated how "be" is used in different tenses. Remember that using "be" in Tswana depends on the subject of the sentence, and the verb prefix changes accordingly.

To improve your Tswana Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


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