Language/Lingala/Grammar/Regular-Verbs

Lingala → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Conjugation → Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Lingala are verbs that follow a predictable pattern of conjugation in the present tense. Conjugation is the process of changing the form of a verb to indicate tense, person, and number. In this lesson, you will learn about the basic structure of regular verbs in Lingala, and how to conjugate them in the present tense.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Present progressive tense & Questions.

Regular Verbs in Lingala

Regular verbs in Lingala are composed of a stem and a suffix. The stem is the base form of the verb, and the suffix indicates the tense, person, and number. In the present tense, the suffix depends on the subject pronoun, which is placed before the verb. The suffixes for each subject pronoun are as follows:

Subject Pronoun	Suffix
Nga	-a
Oyo	-i
Eyano	-i
Tango	-i
Boye	-a
Baye	-i

For example, let's take the verb "kosa", which means "to cook". To conjugate this verb in the present tense for the subject pronoun "nga", we would add the suffix "-a" to the stem "kosa", resulting in "ngakosa", which means "I cook". To conjugate the same verb for the subject pronoun "boye", we would add the suffix "-a" to the stem "kosa", resulting in "boyekosa", which means "they cook".

Here are some other examples of regular verbs in Lingala:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English
Kolinga	kɔlinga	To love
Koloba	kɔlɔba	To speak
Koboya	kɔbɔya	To dance
Koluka	kɔluka	To run
Kowela	kɔwela	To sing

Conjugating Regular Verbs in the Present Tense

To conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, follow these steps:

1. Identify the stem of the verb. 2. Add the appropriate suffix for the subject pronoun. 3. Pronounce the conjugated form aloud.

Here's an example using the verb "kolinga":

Stem: koling- Subject Pronoun: nga Suffix: -a Conjugated form: ngakolinga (I love)

Here's a table showing the conjugations of "kolinga" for all subject pronouns:

Subject Pronoun	Lingala	Pronunciation	English
Nga	ngakolinga	ŋa.kɔ.lɪŋ.ga	I love
Oyo	oyokolingi	ɔ.jɔ.kɔ.lɪŋ.gi	You (singular) love
Eyano	eyanokolingi	e.ja.nɔ.kɔ.lɪŋ.gi	He/She loves
Tango	tangokolingi	ta.ŋɔ.kɔ.lɪŋ.gi	We love
Boye	boyekolinga	bɔ.jɛ.kɔ.lɪŋ.ga	They love
Baye	bayekolingi	ba.jɛ.kɔ.lɪŋ.gi	You (plural) love

Good job! Now you know how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense in Lingala. In the next lesson, we will learn about irregular verbs and how to conjugate them in the present tense.

Table of Contents - Lingala Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Subject Pronouns
• Object Pronouns

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

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Verbs and Conjugation

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Negation

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative
• Adverbs

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Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

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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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Lingala Culture and Traditions

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance
• Traditional Foods
• Arts and Crafts

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Professions and Hobbies

• Common Professions
• Hobbies and Interests

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Questions and Interrogatives

• Yes/No Questions
• Wh- Questions

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Daily Routines and Activities

• Morning Routine
• Work and School
• Evening Routine

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Imperatives and Commands

• Forming Imperatives
• Using Commands in Context

Other Lessons

• Adverbs
• Irregular Verbs
• How to Use Be
• The Imperative Mood
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Forming Imperatives
• Simple present tense
• The subjunctive
• Past progressive tense

Sources

• Lingala Grammar - Irregular verbs – koya – to come
• Lingala/Grammar - LING073
• Lingala Grammar - Irregular verbs – kokende – to go