tenses

independent subject pronouns

• Njyewe = I

• Wowe = You

• Uriya = He/ She

• Twebwe = We

• Mwebwe = You all

• Bariya =They

NOTE: they are often left out because the verb already shows who is doing the action → they are only used for emphasis/extra focus

conjugation of present tense of verb to be

kuba = to be

• ndi = I am

• uri = you are (singular)

• ari = he / she is

• turi = we are

• muri = you are (plural)

• bari = they are

conjugation of present continuous

Rule: subject prefix + conjugated form of “to be” + infinitive

• ndi + inf = I am … → ex: ndi gukora = I am working

• uri + inf = you are … (singular) → ex: uri gukora = you are working

• ari + inf = he/she is … → ex: ari gukora = he/she is working

• turi + inf = we are … → ex: turi gukora = we are working

• muri + inf = you are … (plural) → ex: muri gukora = you are working

• bari + inf = they are … → ex: bari gukora = they are working

conjugation of present simple for gu-verbs

Rule: take “gu-” off (ex: guteka → -teka) and add subject prefix

• N-/M- = I → nteka

• U- = you (sg) → uteka

• A- = he/she → ateka

• Du- = we → duteka

• Mu- = you (pl) → muteka

• Ba- = they → bateka

present simple for ku-verbs

Rule: take “ku-” off (ex: kuvuga → -vuga) and add subject prefix

• N-/M- = I → mvuga (not “nvuga”!)

• U- = you (sg) → uvuga

• A- = he/she → avuga

• Tu- = we → tuvuga

• Mu- = you (pl) → muvuga

• Ba- = they → bavuga

difference N- and M- for prefix i

Use N- for most consonants

Examples:

• guteka → nteka (I cook)

• gukora → nkora (I work)

• gukina → nkina (I play)

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Use M- when the stem starts with b, v, f, p because it is easier to pronounce

Examples:

• kuvuga → mvuga (I speak)

• gufata → mfata (I take/hold)

• kubona → mbona (I see)

• gupima → mpima (I measure)

present simple for kw/k- verbs

Rule: take “kw/k-” off (ex: kwandika → -andika) and add subject prefix

• N-/M- = I → n(d)andika

• W- = you (sg) → wandika

• Y- = he/she → yandika

• Tw- = we → twandika

• Mw- = you (pl) → mwandika

• Ba- = they → bandika

Note: kw- = ku + vowels

subject prefix for verbs in past simple

• Na- = I

• Wa- = you (sg)

• Ya- = he/she

• Twa- = we

• Mwa- = you (pl)

• Ba- = they

past simple for -ma verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -mye (ex: kuryama)

• Na- + rya + mye → naryamye = I slept

• Wa- + rya + mye → waryamye = you slept (sg)

• Ya- + rya + mye → yaryamye = he/she slept

• Twa- + rya + mye → twaryamye = we slept

• Mwa- + rya + mye → mwaryamye = you slept (pl)

• Ba- + rya + mye → baryamye = they slept

past simple -ka verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -tse (ex: kubyuka)

• Na- + byu + tse → nabyutse = I woke up

• Wa- + byu + tse → wabyutse = you woke up (sg)

• Ya- + byu + tse → yabyutse = he/she woke up

• Twa- + byu + tse → twabyutse = we woke up

• Mwa- + byu + tse → mwabyutse = you woke up (pl)

• Ba- + byu + tse → babyutse = they woke up

past simple -rya verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -riye (ex: kurya)

• Na- + riye → nariye = I ate

• Wa- + riye → wariye = you ate (sg)

• Ya- + riye → yariye = he/she ate

• Twa- + riye → twariye = we ate

• Mwa- + riye → mwariye = you ate (pl)

• Ba- + riye → bariye = they ate

past simple -nywa verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -nyweye/nyoye (ex: kunywa)

• Na- + nyoye → nanyoye = I drank

• Wa- + nyoye → wanyoye = you drank (sg)

• Ya- + nyoye → yanyoye = he/she drank

• Twa- + nyoye → twanyoye = we drank

• Mwa- + nyoye → mwanyoye = you drank (pl)

• Ba- + nyoye → banyoye = they drank

past simple -ra verbs (2 situations)

1) Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -ze (ex: gukora, kugura)

• Na- + ko + ze → nakoze = I worked / I did

• Wa- + ko + ze → wakoze = you worked (sg)

• Ya- + ko + ze → yakoze = he/she worked

• Twa- + ko + ze → twakoze = we worked

• Mwa- + ko + ze → mwakoze = you worked (pl)

• Ba- + ko + ze → bakoze = they worked

2) Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -ye (ex: gusubira, gusura)

• Na- + subi + ye → nasubiye = I returned

• Wa- + subi + ye → wasubiye = you returned (sg)

• Ya- + subi + ye → yasubiye = he/she returned

• Twa- + subi + ye → twasubiye = we returned

• Mwa- + subi + ye → mwasubiye = you returned (pl)

• Ba- + subi + ye → basubiye = they returned

past simple -genda verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -giye (ex: kugenda)

• Na- + giye → nagiye = I went

• Wa- + giye → wagiye = you went (sg)

• Ya- + giye → yagiye = he/she went

• Twa- + giye → twagiye = we went

• Mwa- + giye → mwagiye = you went (pl)

• Ba- + giye → bagiye = they went

past simple -jya verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -jyiye (ex: kujya)

• Na- + jyiye → najyiye = I went to

• Wa- + jyiye → wajyiye = you went to (sg)

• Ya- + jyiye → yajyiye = he/she went to

• Twa- + jyiye → twajyiye = we went to

• Mwa- + jyiye → mwajyiye = you went to (pl)

• Ba- + jyiye → bajyiye = they went to

past simple -za verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -je (ex: kuza, koza)

• Na- + je → naje = I came

• Wa- + je → waje = you came (sg)

• Ya- + je → yaje = he/she came

• Twa- + je → twaje = we came

• Mwa- + je → mwaje = you came (pl)

• Ba- + je → baje = they came

past simple -ga verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -ze (ex: kwiga, koga)

• Na- + i + ze → nize = I studied / I learned

• Wa- + i + ze → wize = you studied (sg)

• Ya- + i + ze → yize = he/she studied

• Twa- + i + ze → twize = we studied

• Mwa- + i + ze → mwize = you studied (pl)

• Ba- + i + ze → bize = they studied

NOTE: the “a” of the subject prefix drops before a vowel (i)

past simple -sha verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -shije (ex: kwigisha)

• Na- + igi + shije → nigishije = I taught

• Wa- + igi + shije → wigishije = you taught (sg)

• Ya- + igi + shije → yigishije = he/she taught

• Twa- + igi + shije → twigishije = we taught

• Mwa- + igi + shije → mwigishije = you taught (pl)

• Ba- + igi + shije → bigishije = they taught

NOTE: the “a” of the subject prefix drops before a vowel (i)

past simple -na verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -nye (ex: kubona)

• Na- + bo + nye → nabonye = I saw / got

• Wa- + bo + nye → wabonye = you saw (sg)

• Ya- + bo + nye → yabonye = he/she saw

• Twa- + bo + nye → twabonye = we saw

• Mwa- + bo + nye → mwabonye = you saw (pl)

• Ba- + bo + nye → babonye = they saw

past simple -ba verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -bye (ex: kureba)

• Na- + re + bye → narabye = I watched / looked

• Wa- + re + bye → warabye = you watched (sg)

• Ya- + re + bye → yarabye = he/she watched

• Twa- + re + bye → twarabye = we watched

• Mwa- + re + bye → mwarabye = you watched (pl)

• Ba- + re + bye → barabye = they watched

past simple -va verbs

Rule: subject prefix + verb stem + changed ending -vise (ex: kumva)

• Na- + um + vise → numvise = I heard / understood

• Wa- + um + vise → wumvise = you heard (sg)

• Ya- + um + vise → yumvise = he/she heard

• Twa- + um + vise → twumvise = we heard

• Mwa- + um + vise → mwumvise = you heard (pl)

• Ba- + um + vise → bumvise = they heard

NOTE: the “a” of the subject prefix drops before a vowel (u)