Language/Shona/Grammar/Present-Tense
In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the present tense in Shona, including regular and irregular verbs. The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now, habitual actions, or general truths.
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Questions & Adjectives.
Regular verbs
Regular verbs in Shona follow a straightforward pattern in the present tense. There are three groups of regular verbs, each of which adds a different prefix to the stem.
Group 1
Verbs in group 1 begin with the prefix "mu-". Here's an example with the verb, "munyora" (to write):
| Shona | Pronunciation | English | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munyora | /muɲɔra/ | I write | Munyora | /muɲɔra/ | You write | Anonyora | /anɔɲɔra/ | He/She writes | Tiriinya | /tiriɲa/ | We write | Miriinya | /miriɲa/ | You (plural) write | Vanonyora | /vanɔɲɔra/ | They write |
Group 2
Verbs in group 2 begin with the prefix "ka-". Here's an example with the verb, "kanganwa" (to forget):
| Shona | Pronunciation | English | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanganwa | /kaŋganwa/ | I forget | Kanganwa | /kaŋganwa/ | You forget | Akanganwi | /akangaŋwi/ | He/She forgets | Takanganwi | /takaŋganwi/ | We forget | Makanganwi | /makangaŋwi/ | You (plural) forget | Vakanganwi | /vakangaŋwi/ | They forget |
Group 3
Verbs in group 3 begin with the prefix "a-". Here's an example with the verb, "angamira" (to wait):
| Shona | Pronunciation | English | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angamira | /aŋgamira/ | I wait | Angamira | /aŋgamira/ | You wait | Anongamira | /anɔŋgamira/ | He/She waits | Tiringanira | /tiriŋganira/ | We wait | Miriringanira | /miririŋganira/ | You (plural) wait | Vanogamira | /vanɔgamira/ | They wait |
Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs in Shona do not follow the standard pattern. They are conjugated differently in the present tense. Here are some examples:
| Shona | Pronunciation | English | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuda | /kuɖa/ | I want | Kuti | /kuti/ | You say | Kunyepera | /kunjepera/ | He/She insists | Kudana | /kudana/ | We fight | Kupa | /kupa/ | You (plural) give | Kutaura | /kutaura/ | They speak |
Usage
The present tense in Shona is used in a variety of situations. Here are some examples:
- To describe actions happening now: "Ndinotora chibage" (I am taking bread)
- To describe habitual actions: "Ndinogara kuMbare" (I live in Mbare)
- To express general truths: "Mvura ichiramba haizodzi" (Water doesn't rot)
Negation
To use the negative form of the present tense in Shona, add the prefix "si-" before the verb stem. For example:
- "Ini handibatyi sadza" (I am not eating sadza)
Interrogation
To create a question in present tense, simply add the word "ani" at the end of the sentence. Here's an example:
- "Unenge uri kupi ani?" (Where are you?)
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned how to form and use the present tense in Shona. You learned the standard patterns for regular verbs, as well as some conjugations for common irregular verbs. You also learned how to create negative and interrogative sentences in present tense.
Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Connecting Sentences & Basic Sentence Structure.
Videos
Learn Shona: Shona tenses explained (Past/Present/Future ...