Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Present-Tense

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Xhosa → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses → Present Tense

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the present tense in Xhosa. The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or actions that happen regularly. You will learn how to conjugate verbs in the present tense and practice using them in sentences.

Conjugation of Verbs in Present Tense

In Xhosa, the present tense of a verb is formed by adding a prefix to the stem of the verb. The prefix changes depending on the subject of the verb.

Here is the present tense conjugation for the verb "ukudla" (to eat):

Subject Pronoun	Present Tense Prefix	Example: Ukdla (To eat)
I	ngi-	ngidla (I eat)
You (singular)	u-	udla (You eat)
He/She/It	u-	udla (He/She/It eats)
We (inclusive)	si-	sidla (We eat)
We (exclusive)	thi-	thidla (We eat)
You (plural)	ni-	nidla (You all eat)
They	ba-	badla (They eat)

Note: The verb stem of "ukudla" is "dla".

Remember, the present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or actions that happen regularly. Let's see some examples of how to use the present tense in Xhosa.

Examples

Uya kudla? (Are you eating?)
Ngidla amanqina. (I am eating grapes.)
Ubaba udla isonka. (Dad eats bread.)
Sibadla nangoku. (We are eating now.)
Thidla iroshti. (We eat oatmeal.)

Common Verbs in Present Tense

Here are some common verbs in Xhosa that are often used in the present tense:

Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
angazi	ahn-gah-zee	I don't know
bhala	bah-lah	write
biza	bee-zah	call
faka	fah-kah	put
phuma	poo-mah	go out
thenga	tayn-gah	buy

Exercises

Now, let's practice using the present tense in Xhosa. Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense for the given subjects:

Example: Kufuneka (To need)

I (ngu): ngikufuneka
You (u): ufuna
We (inclusive) (si): sifuna
They (ba): bafuna

1. Ukuhlala (To live)

He/She/It (u):
We (exclusive) (thi):
You (plural) (ni):
They (ba):

2. Ukudlala (To play)

I (ngi):
You (singular) (u):
We (inclusive) (si):
They (ba):

3. Ukusela (To give)

He/She/It (u):
You (singular) (u):
You (plural) (ni):
We (exclusive) (thi):

4. Ukulima (To farm)

We (inclusive) (si):
You (singular) (u):
They (ba):
I (ngi):

5. Ukubona (To see)

They (ba):
You (singular) (u):
We (inclusive) (si):
He/She/It (u):

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned how to use the present tense in Xhosa. Practice conjugating different verbs and using them in sentences to become more comfortable with the present tense. In the next lesson, we will learn how to use the past tense.

Table of Contents - Xhosa Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Xhosa

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Tenses

Family and Relationships

Questions and Negation

Food and Dining

Xhosa Culture and Traditions

Travel and Transportation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Weather and Seasons

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Hobbies and Interests

Xhosa Music and Literature

Other Lessons

Sources

Contributors

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