Language/Lingala/Grammar/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.
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.