Comprehensive Guide to Swahili Negation (Vikanushi)

Negation within Personal Pronouns [Vikanushi vya Nafsi]

• Definition of Negation: Known in Swahili as vikanushi. The process involves specific changes to personal pronoun markers, tense markers, and sometimes the final vowels of the verb roots.
• First Person Singular (Mimi):     * Pronoun Marker: NI-     * Negation Marker: SI-     * Affirmative Example: Ninaimba (I am singing).     * Negated Example: Siimbi (I am not singing).
• First Person Plural (Sisi):     * Pronoun Marker: TU-     * Negation Marker: HATU-     * Affirmative Example: Tunaimba (We are singing).     * Negated Example: Hatuimbi (We are not singing).
• Second Person Singular (Wewe):     * Pronoun Marker: U-     * Negation Marker: HU-     * Affirmative Example: Unaimba (You are singing).     * Negated Example: Huimbi (You are not singing).
• Second Person Plural (Ninyi):     * Pronoun Marker: M-     * Negation Marker: HAM-     * Affirmative Example: Mnaimba (You [pl.] are singing).     * Negated Example: Hamimbi (You [pl.] are not singing).
• Third Person Singular (Yeye):     * Pronoun Marker: A-     * Negation Marker: HA-     * Affirmative Example: Anaimba (He/She is singing).     * Negated Example: Haimbi (He/She is not singing).
• Third Person Plural (Wao):     * Pronoun Marker: WA-     * Negation Marker: HAWA-     * Affirmative Example: Wanaimba (They are singing).     * Negated Example: Hawaimbi (They are not singing).

Negation with Tenses [Vikanushi vya Nyakati]

Present Tense [Wakati Uliopo]

• Rule 1: In the 1st Person singular, the pronoun marker NI- changes to SI-.
• Rule 2: For all forms, the tense marker -NA- is deleted.
• Rule 3: The final vowel of the verb root -A changes to -I.
• Sentence Examples:     * Affirmative: Ninasoma Kiswahili. [I am studying/reading Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Sisomi Kiswahili. [I am not studying/reading Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Tunasoma Kiswahili. [We are studying/reading Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hatusomi Kiswahili. [We are not studying/reading Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Ninaenda Kansas City. [I am going to Kansas City.]     * Negative: Siendi Kansas City. [I am not going to Kansas City.]     * Affirmative: Wanaomba kanisani sasa. [They are praying in the church now.]     * Negative: Hawaombi kanisani sasa. [They are not praying in the church now.]

Present Perfect Tense [Wakati Uliopo Hali Timilifu]

• Rule 1: In the 1st Person singular, NI- changes to SI-.
• Rule 2: For all forms, the affirmative tense marker -ME- changes to the negation marker -JA-.
• Rule 3: The final vowel of the verb does not change.
• Sentence Examples:     * Affirmative: Nimesoma Kiswahili. [I have read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Sijasoma Kiswahili. [I have not read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Tumesoma Kiswahili. [We have read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hatujasoma Kiswahili. [We have not read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Amependa pombe sana. [He/She has liked alcohol a lot.]     * Negative: Hapendi pombe sana. [He/She does not like alcohol a lot.] (Note: The transcript uses the present negation pattern for this specific result).

Past Tense [Wakati Uliopita]

• Rule 1: In the 1st Person singular, NI- changes to SI-.
• Rule 2: For all forms, the affirmative tense marker -LI- changes to the negation marker -KU-.
• Rule 3: The final vowel of the verb does not change.
• Sentence Examples:     * Affirmative: Nilisoma Kiswahili. [I read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Sikusoma Kiswahili. [I did not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Tulisoma Kiswahili. [We read/studied Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hatukusoma Kiswahili. [We did not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Waliimba nyimbo. [They sang songs.]     * Negative: Hawakuimba nyimbo. [They did not sing songs.]     * Affirmative: Tulicheza mchezo wa vikapu jana. [We played basketball yesterday.]     * Negative: Hatukucheza mchezo wa vikapu jana. [We did not play basketball yesterday.]     * Affirmative: Alisafiri hadi Kanada jana. [He traveled to Canada yesterday.]     * Negative: Hakusafiri hadi Kanada jana. [He did not travel to Canada yesterday.]

Future Tense [Wakati Ujao]

• Rule 1: In the 1st Person singular, NI- changes to SI-.
• Rule 2: For all forms, the tense marker -TA- does not change.
• Rule 3: The final vowel of the verb does not change.
• Sentence Examples:     * Affirmative: Nitasoma Kiswahili. [I will read/study Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Sitasoma Kiswahili. [I will not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Tutasoma Kiswahili. [We will read/study Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hatutasoma Kiswahili. [We will not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Atasoma Kiswahili. [He/She will read/study Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hatasoma Kiswahili. [He/She will not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Watasoma Kiswahili. [They will read/study Kiswahili.]     * Negative: Hawatasoma Kiswahili. [They will not read/study Kiswahili.]     * Affirmative: Utaenda Missouri kesho. [You will go to Missouri tomorrow.]     * Negative: Hutaenda Missouri kesho. [You will not go to Missouri tomorrow.]     * Affirmative: Wataona televisheni kabla ya kulala. [They will watch television before sleeping.]     * Negative: Hawataona televisheni kabla ya kulala. [They will not watch television before sleeping.]

Habitual Tense [Wakati wa Mazoea]

• The Affirmative Marker: The habitual marker is HU-.
• Negation Rule 1: Precede the verb with the word huwa.
• Negation Rule 2: Negate the verb itself following the rules for the present tense (delete -NA- if implied, change final -A to -I).
• Sentence Examples:     * 1. Mimi huenda kazini saa mbili asubuhi kila siku. [I go to work at 8am every day.]         * Negative: Mimi huwa siendi kazini saa mbili asubuhi kila siku. [I do not usually go to work at 8am every day.]     * 2. Yeye huendesha gari la baba yake. [He/She drives his/her father’s car.]         * Negative: Yeye huwa haendeshi gari la baba yake. [He/She does not usually drive his/her father’s car.]     * 3. Watoto hupanda basi la shule. [The children usually board the school bus.]         * Negative: Watoto huwa hawapandi basi la shule. [The children do not usually board the school bus.]     * 4. Mimi huosha nguo kila asubuhi. [I usually wash clothes every morning.]         * Negative: Mimi huwa sioshi nguo kila asubuhi. [I usually do not wash clothes every morning.]     * 5. Yeye hukunywa/hunywa kahawa/chai jioni. [He/She drinks coffee/tea in the evening.]         * Negative: Yeye huwa hanywi kahawa/chai jioni. [He/She does not usually drink coffee in the evening.]     * 6. Wanafunzi husoma Kiswahili saa tatu asubuhi. [The students usually study Kiswahili at nine (3 o’clock Swahili time) in the morning.]         * Negative: Wanafunzi huwa hawasomi Kiswahili saa tatu asubuhi. [The students do not usually study Kiswahili at nine in the morning.]

Conditional Markers [Hali Tegemezi]

• Markers: -NGE- and -NGALI-.
• General Rule: Negation is achieved by inserting the marker -SI-.
• Examples with -NGE-:     1. Tungewakuta wangekula maembe. [If we were to find them, they would eat mangoes.]        * Negative: Tusingewakuta, wasingekula maembe. [If we were not to find them, they would not have eaten mangoes.]     2. Ningekaa Florida ningekula machungwa. [If I were to live in Florida, I would eat oranges.]        * Negative: Nisingekaa Florida nisingekula machungwa.     3. Ningeishi Kansas ningeona theluji. [If I were to live in Kansas, I would see snow.]        * Negative: Nisingeishi Kansas nisingeona theluji.     4. Ningesoma Kiswahili ningeenda Kenya. [If I were to study Kiswahili, I would go to Kenya.]        * Negative: Nisingesoma Kiswahili nisingeenda Kenya.     5. Ungeona televisheni ungelala mapema. [If you were to watch television, you would go to sleep early.]        * Negative: Usingeona televisheni usingelala mapema.     6. Ningecheza ningechoka. [If I were to play, I would be tired.]        * Negative: Nisingecheza nisingechoka.     7. Ningeishi Kentucky ningekula Kentucky Fried Chicken. [If I were to live in Kentucky, I would eat KFC.]        * Negative: Nisingeishi Kentucky nisingekula Kentucky Fried Chicken.     8. Tungesoma sana, tungepita mtihani. [If we had studied (were to study) a lot, we would have passed the exam.]        * Negative: Tusingesoma sana tusingepita mtihani.
• Examples with -NGALI-:     1. Tungaliwakuta wangalikula maembe. [If we had found them, they would have eaten mangoes.]        * Negative: Tusingaliwakuta wasingalikula maembe.     2. Ningalikaa Florida ningalikula machungwa. [If I had lived in Florida, I would have eaten oranges.]        * Negative: Nisingalikaa Florida nisingalikula machungwa.     3. Ningaliishi Kansas ningaliona theluji. [If I had lived in Kansas, I would have seen snow.]        * Negative: Nisingaliishi Kansas nisingaliona theluji.     4. Ningalisoma Kiswahili ningalienda Kenya. [If I had studied Kiswahili, I would have gone to Kenya.]        * Negative: Nisingalisoma Kiswahili nisingalienda Kenya.     5. Ungaliona televisheni ungalilala mapema. [If you had watched television, you would have gone to sleep early.]        * Negative: Usingaliona televisheni usingalilala mapema.     6. Ningalicheza ningalichoka. [If I had played/danced, I would have been tired.]        * Negative: Nisingalicheza nisingalichoka.     7. Ningaliishi Kentucky ningalikula Kentucky Fried Chicken. [If I had lived in Kentucky, I would have eaten KFC.]        * Negative: Nisingaliishi Kentucky nisingalikula Kentucky Fried Chicken.     8. Ningalienda Kansas City, ningalicheza sana. [If I had gone to Kansas City, I would have played a lot.]        * Negative: Nisingalienda Kansas City, nisingalicheza sana.     9. Ningalikula chakula, ningalifurahi. [If I would have eaten, I would have been happy.]        * Negative: Nisingalikula chakula, nisingalifurahi.     10. Tungalilala kidogo, tungalipumzika. [If we had slept a little, we would have rested.]         * Negative: Tusingalilala kidogo, tusingalipumzika.

Negation within Noun Classes [Vikanushi vya Ngeli]

• M/WA Class:     * Singular Verb Prefix: A | Negation: HA- | Example: Mtoto analala -> Mtoto halali.     * Plural Verb Prefix: WA | Negation: HAWA- | Example: Watoto wanalala -> Watoto hawalali.
• KI/VI Class:     * Singular Verb Prefix: KI | Negation: HAKI- | Example: Kiti kilianguka -> Kiti hakikuanguka.     * Plural Verb Prefix: VI | Negation: HAVI- | Example: Viti vilianguka -> Viti havikuanguka.     * Sentence Example: Chuo kimefungwa [The college is closed] -> Chuo hakijafungwa. / Vyuo vimefungwa -> Vyuo havijafungwa.
• M/MI Class:     * Singular Verb Prefix: U | Negation: HAU- | Example: Mguu unauma -> Mguu haumi.     * Plural Verb Prefix: I | Negation: HAI- | Example: Miguu inauma -> Miguu haiumi.
• JI/MA Class:     * Singular Verb Prefix: LI | Negation: HALI- | Example: Tunda limefika -> Tunda halijafika.     * Plural Verb Prefix: YA | Negation: HAYA- | Example: Matunda yamefika -> Matunda hayajafika.     * Sentence Example: Gari liliondoka jana -> Gari halikuondoka jana. / Magari yaliondoka jana -> Magari hayakuondoka jana.
• N/N Class:     * Singular Verb Prefix: I | Negation: HAI- | Example: Saa ilifika -> Saa haikufika.     * Plural Verb Prefix: ZI | Negation: HAZI- | Example: Saa zilifika -> Saa hazikufika.     * Sentence Example: Nyumba inasafishwa na mama -> Nyumba haisafishwi na mama. / Nyumba zinasafishwa na mama -> Nyumba hazisafishwi na mama.
• U Class (U/ZI and U/U):     * Example 1 (U/ZI): Ukuta utavutia -> Ukuta hautavutia. / Kuta zitavutia -> Kuta hazitavutia.     * Example 2 (U/U): Ugali umeanguka -> Ugali haujaanguka.
• KU Class (Infinitive):     * Verb Prefix: KO | Negation: HAKU- | Example: Kula kunatisha -> Kula hakutishi.     * Sentence Example: Kunywa pombe nyingi kunatisha -> Kunywa pombe nyingi hakutishi.
• PA Class (Locative):     * Verb Prefix: PO | Negation: HAPA- | Example: Pahali panafaa -> Pahali hapafai.
• MU Class (Locative):     * Verb Prefix: MO | Negation: HAM- | Example: Darasani mnatisha -> Darasani hamtishi.

Summary [Muhtasari]