Language/Lingala/Grammar/Verb-to-be
In Lingala, the verb "to be" is often represented as "za(li)". The verb can be used in conjunction with various pronouns to form sentences. The 'li' verb ending is often omitted in daily conversations.
Here's a table of pronouns with their corresponding forms for the verb "to be":
Pronoun | Verb "To Be" (stem form) |
I (Ngai) | na |
You (Yo) | o |
He/she (Ye) | a |
It | e |
We (Biso) | to |
You (plural, Bino) | bo |
They (Bango) | ba |
Here are some examples using the verb "to be" with various pronouns:
I am strong > Ngai > Naza(li) makasi
You are short > Yo > Oza(li) mukuse
He/she is here > Ye > Aza(li) awa
It is good > Eza(li) malamu
We are young > Biso > Toza(li) bilenge
You are far (plural) > Bino > Boza(li) musika
They are nice > Bango > Baza(li) kitoko
Examples without the 'li' verb ending:
I am a man > Ngai > Naza mobali (instead of 'Nazali')
She is a woman > Ye > Aza mwasi (instead of 'Azali')
Here are some more examples of how the verb "to be" can be used in Lingala:
The food is hot > Eza(li) moto ya mabele
We are happy > Toza(li) na elengi
You are busy > Oza(li) na mbanga
They are tired > Baza(li) na nkembo
He is my friend > Aza(li) mokonzi na ngai
It is cold outside > Eza(li) mikolo ya libulu
She is a doctor > Aza(li) dokoteli
You are my teacher > Oza(li) mokonzi na ngai
It's important to note that the verb "to be" can be omitted in Lingala when it's clear from the context of the sentence. For example, instead of saying "I am happy," you could simply say "na elengi" (which means "I happy") to convey the same meaning. This is a common feature in many African languages, including Lingala.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- The Past Tense To Be
- Prepositions
- Past progressive tense
- The present tense To be
- Irregular verbs – kolia – to eat
- Gender
- The First 10 Verbs
- The first 10 words
- Irregular verbs – koya – to come
- Personal pronouns