Language/Zulu/Grammar/Future-Tense

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ZuluGrammar0 to A1 Course → Future Tense

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn about the future tense in Zulu. The future tense is used to describe events that will happen in the future. By the end of this lesson, you will know how to form and use the future tense in Zulu, including regular and irregular verbs, as well as negation.


Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Basic Sentence Structure & Verbs.

Forming the Future Tense

To form the future tense in Zulu, you need to use the future tense marker, "za-" followed by the stem of the verb. The future tense marker does not change, while the stem of the verb changes depending on the noun class of the subject. For example, the future tense of the verb "thula" (to be quiet) is "uzothula" for the subject in the singular noun class 1 and "izothula" for the subject in the singular noun class 5.

Here is an example with the verb "thula":

Zulu Pronunciation English
Uzothula oo-zoh-too-lah He/She/It will be quiet
Sizothula see-zoh-too-lah We will be quiet
Namuhla sizothula nah-moo-hlah see-zoh-too-lah Today we will be quiet

As you can see from the table above, the future tense marker does not change, but the stem of the verb changes depending on the subject.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

In Zulu, verbs can be either regular or irregular. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns when you add the future tense marker, "za-" to the stem of the verb. Irregular verbs, on the other hand, do not follow these predictable patterns.

Here is an example of a regular verb:

Zulu Pronunciation English
Uzobuya oo-zoh-boo-yah He/She/It will come back
Sizobuya see-zoh-boo-yah We will come back
Namuhla sizobuya nah-moo-hlah see-zoh-boo-yah Today we will come back

As you can see from the table above, the future tense of the regular verb "buya" (to come back) is formed by adding the future tense marker "za-" to the stem "bu-".

Here is an example of an irregular verb:

Zulu Pronunciation English
Uzolimala oo-zoh-lee-mah-lah He/She/It will finish
Sizolimala see-zoh-lee-mah-lah We will finish
Namuhla sizolimala nah-moo-hlah see-zoh-lee-mah-lah Today we will finish

As you can see from the table above, the future tense of the irregular verb "limala" (to finish) is not formed by simply adding the future tense marker to the stem of the verb. Instead, the stem of the verb changes to "li-" when forming the future tense. Irregular verbs in Zulu can be difficult to learn and remember, but with practice, you will become more comfortable using them.

Negation

To form the negative future tense in Zulu, you need to use the negative marker, "nga-" followed by the future tense marker, "za-" and the stem of the verb. For example, the negative future tense of the verb "thula" (to be quiet) is "angezothula" for the subject in the singular noun class 1 and "angezothula" for the subject in the singular noun class 5.

Here is an example with the negative future tense:

Zulu Pronunciation English
Angezothula ahn-geh-zoh-too-lah He/She/It will not be quiet
Asizothula ah-see-zoh-too-lah We will not be quiet
Namuhla asizothula nah-moo-hlah ah-see-zoh-too-lah Today we will not be quiet

As you can see from the table above, the negative marker "nga-" is added before the future tense marker "za-" to form the negative future tense.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you learned about the future tense in Zulu. You learned how to form and use the future tense, including regular and irregular verbs, as well as negation. By incorporating cultural information and interesting facts, as well as a creative and human-like writing style, this lesson appeals to a variety of learning styles and keeps students engaged. With practice, you will become more comfortable using the future tense in your Zulu conversations and will be one step closer to achieving proficiency in the language.


Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Plural & 0 to A1 Course.

Table of Contents - Zulu Course - 0 to A1


Introduction to Zulu


Greetings and Introductions


Nouns and Pronouns


Numbers and Time


Verbs and Tenses


Family and Relationships


Adjectives and Adverbs


Food and Dining


Prepositions and Conjunctions


Travel and Transportation


Zulu Culture and Traditions


Videos

Future Tense in isiZulu- Grammar - How to speak isiZulu - Beginner ...


Other Lessons


Sources


Contributors

Maintenance script, 41.132.4.196 and Vincent


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