If you're trying to learn Swahili Verbs which is also called Kiswahili, check our courses about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Swahili grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Swahili. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Swahili Verbs displayed below is vital to the language. Swahili verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
- Present Tense
In Swahili, verbs take the following the prefix –na- to form the present tense:
a-na-enda,( she/he is going), a-na-imba( she/he is singing), a-na-andika( she/he is writing)
The infinitive verbs above are enda (go), imba (sing), andika (write)
- Past Tense
In Swahili as well as in English the simple past tense (imperfect) is used to describe past events. The perfixes for the past tense verbs is -li-:
For example; a-li-enda,(she/he went), a-li-imba( she/he sang), a-li-andika( she/he wrote)
So just take any regular verb stem and add the prefix –li-
- Future Tense
To form the future in Swahili it’s very easy, just use the infinitive verb and add prefix –ta-g
For example: a-ta-enda (she/he will go), a-ta-imba (she/he will sing), a-ta-andika (she/he will write)
In summary tenses in Swahili are determined by the prefix you put before the verb. This prefix normally comes after the prefix that stands for the noun.
The prefixes are:
Present tense –na-
Past tense –li-
Future tense –ta-
Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Swahili Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Verbs |
| Past | Zamani |
| I spoke | nilisema |
| I wrote | niliandika |
| I drove | niliendesha |
| I loved | nilipenda |
| I gave | nilitoa |
| I smiled | nilitabasamu |
| I took | nilichukua |
| he spoke | aliongea |
| he wrote | aliandika |
| he drove | aliendesha |
| he loved | alipatiana |
| he gave | alitabasamu |
| he smiled | alichukua |
| he took | akachukua |
| we spoke | tuliongea |
| we wrote | tuliandika |
| we drove | tuliendesha |
| we loved | tulipenda |
| we gave | tulipeana |
| we smiled | tulitabasamu |
| we took | tulichukua |
| Future | Baadaye |
| I will speak | nitasema |
| I will write | nitaandika |
| I will drive | nitaendesha |
| I will love | nitapenda |
| I will give | nitapeana |
| I will smile | nitatabasamu |
| I will take | nitachukua |
| he will speak | atasema |
| he will write | ataandika |
| he will drive | ataendesha |
| he will love | atapenda |
| he will give | atapeana |
| he will smile | atatabasamu |
| he will take | atachukua |
| we will speak | tutasemea |
| we will write | tutaandika |
| we will drive | tutaendesha |
| we will love | tutapenda |
| we will give | tutapeana |
| we will smile | tutatabasamu |
| we will take | tutachukua |
| Present | Sasa |
| I speak | nasema |
| I write | naandika |
| I drive | naendesha |
| I love | napenda |
| I give | napeana |
| I smile | natabasamu |
| I take | nachukua |
| he speaks | anasema |
| he writes | anaandika |
| he drives | anaendesha |
| he loves | anapenda |
| he gives | anapeana |
| he smiles | anatabasamu |
| he takes | anachukua |
| we speak | tunasema |
| we write | tunaandika |
| we drive | tunaendesha |
| we love | tunapenda |
| we give | tunapeana |
| we smile | tunatabasamu |
| we take | tunachukua |
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Swahili.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Swahili placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Swahili vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Swahili Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | Naweza kukubali kwamba |
| she added it | aliongeza kuwa |
| we admit it | tunakubali |
| they advised him | walimshauri |
| I can agree with that | nakubaliana na hayo |
| she allows it | anaruhusu |
| we announce it | tunatangaza |
| I can apologize | naomba msamaha |
| she appears today | anaonekana leo |
| they arranged that | walipanga hivyo |
| I can arrive tomorrow | nitawasili kesho |
| she can ask him | anaweza kumuuliza |
| she attaches that | yeye huunganisha hiyo |
| we attack them | sisi huwashambulia |
| they avoid her | wamamuepuka |
| I can bake it | naweza kuipikia |
| she is like him | yeye ni kama yeye |
| we beat it | tuliipiga |
| they became happy | walifurahi |
| I can begin that | nawesza kuanza |
| we borrowed money | tulikopa pesa |
| they breathe air | wanapumua hewa |
| I can bring it | nitaileta |
| I can build that | naweza kuijenga |
| she buys food | yeye hununua chakula |
| we calculate it | sisi hufanya hesabu hii |
| they carry it | wao huibeba |
| they don't cheat | hawadangayi |
| she chooses him | yeye humchagua |
| we close it | sisi huifunga |
| he comes here | yeye huja hapa |
| I can compare that | naweza kuilinganisha |
| she competes with me | yeye hushindana nami |
| we complain about it | sisi hulalamika juu yake |
| they continued reading | waliendelea kusoma |
| he cried about that | alilia juu yake |
| I can decide now | naweza kuamua sasa |
| she described it to me | alinielezea kuhusu |
| we disagree about it | sisi hatukubaliani |
| they disappeared quickly | walitoweka haraka |
| I discovered that | niligundua kwamba |
| she dislikes that | yeye hapendi |
| we do it | sisi hufanya |
| they dream about it | wao huota juu yake |
| I earned | nimelipwa |
| he eats a lot | yeye anakula sana |
| we enjoyed that | sisi tulifurahia |
| they entered here | waliingia hapa |
| he escaped that | aliepuka hiyo |
| I can explain that | siwezi kueleza hayo |
| she feels that too | anahisi hivyo pia |
| we fled from there | sisi tulitoroka toka huko |
| they will fly tomorrow | wataondoka kwa ndege kesho |
| I can follow you | naweza kukufuata |
| she forgot me | alinisahau |
| we forgive him | tumemsamehe |
| I can give her that | naweza kumpa hiyo |
| she goes there | yeye huenda huko |
| we greeted them | tulimsalimu |
| I hate that | nadharau hiyo |
| I can hear it | Naweza kusikia |
| she imagine that | yeye hufikiri hivyo |
| we invited them | tuliwakaribisha |
| I know him | Mimi namjua |
| she learned it | alijifunza |
| we leave now | twaondoka sasa |
| they lied about him | walimsingizia |
| I can listen to that | naweza kusikiliza |
| she lost that | alipoteza |
| we made it yesterday | tulifaulu jana |
| they met him | walikutana naye |
| I misspell that | siandiki vyema |
| I always pray | mimi husali |
| she prefers that | anapendelea hiyo |
| we protected them | tuliwatunza |
| they will punish her | watamuadhibu |
| I can put it there | naweza kuiweka pale |
| she will read it | ataisoma |
| we received that | tulipokea hiyo |
| they refuse to talk | wanakataa kuongea |
| I remember that | nakumbuka hayo |
| she repeats that | anarudia hiyo |
| we see it | tunaona |
| they sell it | tunaiuza |
| I sent that yesterday | nilituma hiyo jana |
| he shaved his beard | alimnyoa ndevu |
| it shrunk quickly | ilipungua haraka |
| we will sing it | tutuimamba |
| they sat there | walikaa hapo |
| I can speak it | nawaza kuisema |
| she spends money | anatumia pesa |
| we suffered from that | tuliteseka |
| they suggest that | sisi tunadokeza kuwa |
| I surprised him | nilimshangaza |
| she took that | alichukua hiyo |
| we teach it | tunaifunza |
| they told us | Walituambia |
| she thanked him | alimshukuru |
| I can think about it | nitafikiria kuhusu |
| she threw it | aliitupa |
| we understand that | tunaelewa hivyo |
| they want that | wanataka hiyo |
| I can wear it | naweza kuivaa |
| she writes that | anaandika hivyo |
| we talk about it | tunajadili kuhusu |
| they have it | wanayo |
| I watched it | niliitazama |
| I will talk about it | nitaongea kuhusu |
| he bought that yesterday | alinunua hiyo jana |
| we finished it | tuliimaliza |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Swahili. Once you're done with the Kiswahili Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Swahili lessons here: Learn Swahili. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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