Language/Shona/Grammar/Past-Tense
Overview
In this lesson, we will cover the past tense in Shona. The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. We will also cover regular and irregular verbs in the past tense. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to form and use the past tense in Shona, including the different types of past tense forms.
Regular Verbs in the Past Tense
Formation: To form the past tense for regular verbs, we remove the infinitive marker "-a" at the end of the verb and add "-a" for the past tense marker.
Example:
- Kuwana (to receive)
- Kuwanda (received)
Let's look at more examples in the table below:
| Shona | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kwenda | Kwenda | walked |
| Kupika | Kupika | cooked |
| Kudya | Kudya | ate |
| Kusvika | Kuʃviːka | arrived |
| Kugara | Kugara | sat |
This table shows that to form the past tense of regular verbs, we change the "-a" at the end of the infinitive form to "-anda."
Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense
Irregular verbs in the past tense do not follow the same rules as regular verbs. Some verbs are completely irregular and have unique past tense forms that need to be memorized.
Pronunciation tip: In the Shona language, an apostrophe may be used to indicate a glottal stop. For example, the name "Moyo" would be pronounced "Mo'yo."
Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the past tense:
| Shona | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kuuya | Kuujǎ | came |
| Kufa | Ku'fa | died |
| Kuti | Ku'ti | said |
| Kugara | Khu'gara | lived, was staying |
| Kusvira | Ku'svira | slept with (referring to sexual activity) |
As you can see, the past tense forms of irregular verbs cannot be predicted by removing or adding specific letters to the verb stem.
Types of Past Tense
Like many languages, Shona has different types of past tense. In this section, we will cover some of the main types:
The Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense is used to describe actions that are completed in the past.
Formation: Add the past tense marker "-a" to the verb stem.
Example: •Ndakupenda (I loved you)
The Recent Past Tense
The recent past tense is used to describe an action that has just been completed.
Formation: Add the past tense marker "-a" to the verb stem and the word "pa" before the subject.
Example: •Paakapona ndiani? (Who just won?)
The Continuous Past Tense
The continuous past tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past.
Formation: Add the past tense marker "-a" to the verb stem and the word "riri" before the subject.
Example: •Murume uyu akarara ariri mubvumirano (This man was sleeping during the meeting)
The Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In English, this tense is often formed using "had" plus the past participle.
Formation: Add the past tense marker "-a" to the verb stem and the word "aive" before the subject.
Example: •Ndaida chikafu asi ndaive ndakafa (I wanted food but I had already eaten)
Conclusion
In this lesson, we covered how to form and use the past tense in Shona. We looked at regular and irregular verbs in the past tense, as well as different types of past tense forms. Practice using the past tense with different verbs to become more comfortable, and make sure to study the different examples to better understand how to form the tense in Shona.
Remember that the best way to improve is to practice, so don't be afraid to make mistakes and ask questions. Keep up the good work!
With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: 0 to A1 Course & Present Tense.