Language/Swahili-individual-language/Grammar/Passive-Voice
As a Swahili language teacher for over 20 years, I am excited to teach you about the passive voice in Swahili. In this lesson, we will explore the use and formation of the passive voice in Swahili, including subject-object shift and prepositional passive. By the end of this lesson, you will have a deeper understanding of Swahili grammar and be able to use the passive voice in your own sentences.
What is the Passive Voice?
The passive voice is a grammatical construction that allows the writer or speaker to focus on the action being performed rather than on the person or thing performing the action. In Swahili, the passive voice is formed by using the auxiliary verb "li-" and the passive marker "-wa" followed by the past participle of the main verb.
For example:
- Active Voice: John anapika chakula. (John is cooking the food.)
- Passive Voice: Chakula kinaandaliwa na John. (The food is being prepared by John.)
In the passive voice sentence, the focus is on the food being prepared, rather than on John as the person performing the action.
Subject-Object Shift
In Swahili, when using the passive voice, there is a shift in the subject and object from the active voice sentence. The object in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice sentence, while the subject in the active voice becomes the object of the preposition "na" (by) in the passive voice sentence.
For example:
- Active Voice: Mama anafua nguo. (Mother is washing the clothes.)
- Passive Voice: Nguo zinafuliwa na mama. (The clothes are being washed by mother.)
In the passive voice sentence, "nguo" (clothes) becomes the subject, and "mama" (mother) becomes the object of the preposition "na" (by).
Prepositional Passive
In Swahili, there is also a prepositional passive construction in which the passive marker "-wa" is followed by a noun or preposition to indicate the agent. This construction is used when the agent is known or when it is important to include the agent in the sentence.
For example:
- Active Voice: Mwanafunzi anapenda mwalimu. (The student likes the teacher.)
- Prepositional Passive: Mwalimu anapendwa na mwanafunzi. (The teacher is liked by the student.)
In the prepositional passive sentence, "mwalimu" (teacher) is the agent indicated by the preposition "na" (by).
More Examples
Here are some more examples of the passive voice in Swahili:
| Swahili (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Chakula kimetayarishwa na chef. | Chah-koo-lah kee-meh-tah-yah-ree-shwah nah chef. | The food has been prepared by the chef. |
| Gazeti linaandikwa na waandishi. | Gah-zeh-tee lee-nah-ahn-dee-kwah nah wah-ahn-dee-shee. | The newspaper is being written by journalists. |
| Barua zimeletwa na posta. | Bah-roo-ah zee-meh-leht-wah nah poh-stah. | The letters have been brought by the postman. |
| Kazi zitafanywa kesho. | Kah-zee zee-tah-fahn-ywah keh-shoh. | The work will be done tomorrow. |
Summary
In summary, we have learned that the passive voice in Swahili is formed by using the auxiliary verb "li-" and the passive marker "-wa" followed by the past participle of the main verb. We have also learned about the subject-object shift and prepositional passive constructions in Swahili. The passive voice is a useful tool to shift the focus of a sentence to the action being performed, rather than on the person or thing performing the action.
In the next lesson, we will explore causative verbs in Swahili. Stay tuned!