SURA YA IV: FAMILIA
18 Lesson 2: Kueleza kuhusu familia
Performance Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to;
- describe their immediate family
- ask and answer questions bout their immediate family
Number Agreement
When discussing the number of siblings you have, it’s crucial to understand Swahili’s noun class system and how numbers agree with these classes. Siblings, being people, primarily fall into the M-/WA- noun class.
- Noun Classes: Swahili nouns are categorized into classes, each with specific singular and plural prefixes. For people, the common class is M- (singular, e.g., mtu-person) and WA- (plural, e.g., watu-people).
- Number Agreement: In Swahili, some numbers change their form to agree with the noun class of the item being counted.
- The numbers 1 – 5 require agreement.
- One sister, the number one, takes the singular prefix m- to agree with dada in the class M e.g., dada mmoja (one sister)
- Kaka wawili(two brothers)
- Watoto watatu(three children)
- Ndugu wanne(four siblings)
- Wanafunzi watano (five students)
- The numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do not change to agree with the noun class.
- Dada sita (six sisters)
- Kaka saba (seven brothers)
- Ndugu nane(eight siblings)
- The numbers 1 – 5 require agreement.
Numbers 10 and above usually don’t take prefixes, but the noun itself will be in the plural form.
Zoezi la 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct number agreement
The Verb “To Have” – Kuwa na
- In the present tense, “kuwa na” is irregular. You combine the subject prefix directly with “-na”:
- Nina – I have
- Una – You (singular) have
- Ana – He/She has
- Tuna – We have
- Mna – You (plural) have
- Wana – They have
Examples:
- Nina kaka mmoja na dada wawili. (I have one brother and two sisters.)
- Baba yangu ana dada. (My father has a sister.)
- Nina watoto. (I have children.)
- Ana mume. (She has a husband.)
Negation
Present Tense Negation: This is also irregular and involves specific negative prefixes combined with “-na”:
- Sina – I don’t have
- Huna – You (singular) don’t have
- Hana – He/She doesn’t have
- Hatuna – We don’t have
- Hamna – You (plural) don’t have
- Hawana – They don’t have
Examples
- Sina kaka mmoja na dada wawili. (I have one brother and two sisters.)
- Baba yangu hana dada. (My father has a sister. / My father has an aunt for me – shangazi.)
- Sina watoto. (I don’t have children.)
- Hana mume. (She doesn’t have a husband.)
Zoezi la 2: Nina/Sina
Using the verb to be, fill in the table below by asking two of your classmates about their immediate family. Check their existing members of their family and then report to the class.
Please pay attention to the subject prefix used when asking for information and when reporting to the class.
e.g. Wewe: Una bibi?
Mwanafunzi 1: Ndiyo nina bibi.
| Mwanafunzi 1 | Mwanafunzi 2 | |
| Una …..? | ||
| Bibi | ||
| Babu | ||
| Kaka | ||
| Dada | ||
| Ndugu | ||
| Mtoto | ||
| Mme | ||
| Mke | ||
| Mzazi/Wazazi | ||
| Baba | ||
| Mama |
Now, create a simple family tree of your immediate family.
Zoezi la 3: Familia Imani
Eleza kuhusu familia ya Imani
- Familia ya Imani ina watu wangapi? Nani?
- Imani ana wazazi wangapi?
- Majina yao ni nani?
- Imani ana ndugu wangapi?
- Kitinda mimba ni nani?
- Kifungua mimba ni nani?
- Imani ni mtoto wangapi katika familia yake?
Photo by Fortune Vieyra on Unsplash
Photo by Varad Murti on Unsplash
Photo by Bave Pictures on Unsplash
Photo by Malama Mushitu on Unsplash
Zoezi la 4: Respond with kweli au si kweli. (Familia ya Malaika)
Kusoma kuhusu familia ya Malaika kisha ujibu maswali
Hujambo jina langu ni Malaika. Ninatoka mji wa Kitale nchi ya Kenya. Familia yangu si kubwa sana. Nina wazazi wawili na ndugu wawili. Nina kaka mmoja na dada mmoja. Kaka yangu mkubwa anaitwa Jake. Jake ni kifungua mimba. Dada yangu mkubwa anaitwa Peace. Peace ni mtoto wa katikati. Mimi ni kitinda mimba. Baba yangu anaitwa Jonathan na mama yangu anaitwa Iris. Wazazi wangu wana umri wa miaka Hamsini na mbili. Walizaliwa tarehe saba mwezi wa saba mwaka wa elfu moja mia tisa na hamsini na mbili. Jake ana umri wa miaka ishirini na sita. Peace ana umri wa miaka ishirini na moja. Mimi nina umri wa miaka kumi na tisa.
Zoezi la 5: Familia ya Jamila
Zoezi la 6: Kusikiliza
Carefully listen to the story below, identify all the family members mentioned, and then create Juma’s family tree, indicating each person’s name and their relation from Juma’s viewpoint. You will need to listen to the story a few times.
Zoezi la 7: Familia ya Imani
Read the dialogue. Imani’s younger sister is celebrating her 7th birthday. Mfalme has been invited to the birthday party. Arriving at Imani’s place, Mfalme finds a picture of Imani’s family on the wall. Read this dialogue as Mflame gets to know Imani’s family. Read the dialogue and answer the questions.
Mazungumzo: Imani na Mfalme
Mfalme: Hodi Hodi!
Imani: Karibu ndani, Karibu, kiti!
Mfalme: Asante sana. Ninapenda picha hii ya familia yako.
Imani: Huyu ni Amina! Dada yangu mdogo. Leo ni siku yake ya kuzaliwa.
Mfalme: Amina ana umri gani?
Imani: Ana umri wa miaka saba sasa.
Mfalme: Hawa ni nani?
Imani: Hawa ni baba na mama yangu. Wanaitwa James na Janet.
Mfalme: Na hawa je?
Imani: Hawa ni ndugu zangu. Wanaitwa Jake na Mike.
Mfalme: Nani ni mkubwa?
Imani: Jake ni Kifungua mimba na Mike ni mtoto wa Katikati.
Mfalme: Wewe ni mtoto wa pili?
Imani: Ndiyo, na Amina ni kitinda mimba.
Mfalme: Familia nzuri sana
Imani: Asante.
Maswali
- Familia ya Imani ina watu wangapi?
- Nani anasherehekea (celebrating) siku ya kuzaliwa?
- Imani na ndugu wangapi?
- Nani ni kifungua mimba?
- Wazazi wa Imani wanaitwa nani?
- Mike ni mtoto wa pili. ni kweli au si kweli (select one)
- Nani ni kitinda mimba?
Create Imani’s family tree below
Zoezi la 8: Video Recording
Now, record yourself describing your immediate family to Mrs. Jones, who will be hosting your entire family for Christmas dinner. She would like to prepare gifts and a variety of food suitable for different age groups. Include as much detail as possible in your description. Once finished, record and submit it online.
Media Attributions
- Familia ya Imani
