SURA YA II: KUJITAMBULISHA
10 Lesson 4: Kutoka na Kukaa wapi?
Performance Objectives
- engage in conversations, express thoughts, and present information about their homes and origins in Swahili.
- ask and answer simple questions about where they and others are from (country/nationality) and where they live (city/type of home).
- introduce themselves and state where they are from and where they live in Swahili.
MSAMIATI
| Kiswahili | Kiingereza | Kiswahili | Kiingereza |
| -toka | come from | jimbo | State |
| -kaa/-ishi | Live | mji | City |
| -soma | study/read (contextual) | nchi | Country |
| -sema | Speak/Say | wapi? | Where |
| -zungumza | Speak | gani? | What (specific) |
| -ongea | Speak | nini? | What (General) |
| lakini | But | nani? | Who |
| sasa | Now | barabara/njia | Street |
| chuo | Two-year college | chuo kikuu | University |
Grammar: Present Tense and Its Negation
The basic structure for an affirmative present-tense verb in Swahili is:
Subject Prefix + Tense Marker (-na-) + Verb Root +final vowel (-a)
Mfano: Ninasoma
Ni na soma (I am studying)
Subject Prefix + Tense Marker (-na-) + Verb Root
| Person | Subject Prefix | Example |
| Mimi | Ni | Ninasoma/I am reading |
| Wewe | U | Unasoma/You are reading |
| Yeye | A | Anasoma/He/She is reading |
| Sisi | Tu | Tunasoma/ We are reading |
| Nyinyi | M | Mnasoma/ You all are reading |
| Wao | Wa | Wanasoma/ They are reading |
The subject prefix ni- indicates the subject of the sentence; in the sentence above, ni- represents the first-person-singular subject prefix. The tense marker for the present continuous/simple present is -na-. It indicates that the action is happening now or is a general truth. The verb root is the root of the verb (e.g., from “kusoma” (to read), the stem is “-soma”). The final vowel for most Swahili verbs in the affirmative is -a.
Negation of Present Tense
Negating the present tense in Swahili involves a few key changes. First, replace the affirmative subject prefixes with the negative subject prefixes, e.g., the affirmative subject prefix (ni-) (first person singular) is replaced with the negative subject prefix (si-). Secondly, the present tense marker -na- is removed. And lastly, for most verbs, the final vowel -a changes to -i.
Note: Verbs that already end in i, -u, or e do not change their final vowel.)
| Person | Subject Prefix | Example |
| Mimi | Si | Sisomi/I am not reading |
| Wewe | Hu | Husomi/You are not reading |
| Yeye | Ha | Hasomi/He/She is not reading |
| Sisi | Hatu | Hatusomi/ We are not reading |
| Nyinyi | Ham | Hamsomi/ You all are not reading |
| Wao | Hawa | Hawasomi/ They are not reading |
Mfano;
Ni na penda. (I love)
Subject Prefix + Tense Marker (-na-) + Verb Root
Si pend i. (I don’t love)
Negative Subject Prefix + Verb Stem + Final Vowel (-i)
Monosyllabic verbs
In Swahili, certain verbs like kula (to eat), kunywa (to drink), and kuja (to come). They are known as monosyllabic verbs. While their infinitive form begins with the prefix ku- (to), making them appear to have two syllables, the verb root itself is just a single syllable (e.g., -la, -nywa, -ja). A unique grammatical feature of these verbs is the retention of the infinitive ku- prefix in most affirmative (positive) tenses. This is different from verbs with longer roots, which drop the ku- when conjugated. Monosyllabic Verb kula becomes ninakula (I am eating). The ku- prefix is kept, which differs from a verb like kusoma (to read), becomes ninasoma (I am reading). The ku- prefix is dropped. However, in negative constructions, this rule does not apply. When forming the negative present tense, monosyllabic verbs drop the ku- prefix and follow the standard pattern of negation, which includes changing the subject prefix and changing the final vowel to -i.
Affirmative: Ninakunywa (I am drinking)
Negative: Sinywi (I am not eating ) (kula becomes -li after negation rules)
Zoezi la 1: Negate the following sentences
Mazungumzo 1: Unatoka wapi?
Juma: Hujambo Bakari
Bakari: Sijambo Juma, na wewe je?
Juma: Mimi pia sijambo. Habari za jioni?
Bakari: Nzuri na wewe je?
Juma: Nzuri sana. Wewe unatoka wapi?
Bakari: Mimi ninatoka mji wa Nairobi, nchi ya Kenya. Wewe unatoka wapi?
Juma: Mimi ninatoka mji wa Tokyo, nchi ya Ujapani.
Mazungumzo 2: Unatoka wapi?
Yohana: Hujambo Yusufu?
Yusufu: Mimi sijambo, na wewe je?
Yohana: Mimi pia sijambo. Habari za asubuhi?
Yusufu: Nzuri sana, na wewe je?
Yohana: Nzuri pia. Wewe unatoka wapi?
Yusufu: Ninatoka mji wa Waco, jimbo la Texas. Wewe unatoka wapi?
Yohana: Mimi ninatoka mji wa Chicago, jimbo la Illinois. Asante, nimefurahi kukutana na wewe.
Yusufu: Nimefurahi kukutana na wewe pia.
Zoezi la 2: Kuzungumza
Go around the class and ask each other where you come from. Take turns asking and answering the questions, and speak with up to five classmates.
Mazungumzo 3: Juma na Malaika
Malaika: Hujambo Juma?
Juma: Sijambo, na wewe je?
Malaika: Mimi pia sijambo.
Juma: Unatoka wapi?
Malaika: Ninatoka katika kijiji cha Bondeni, mji wa morogoro, nchi ya Tanzania. Unatoka wapi?
Juma: Ninatoka mji wa Bloomington, jimbo la Indiana. Nimefurahi kukutana na wewe.
Malaika: Nimefurahi kukutana na wewe pia. Asante
Juma: Asante
Zoezi la 3: Scenario
In pairs, introduce yourselves to each other. Begin by greeting your partner, asking their name, and finding out where they are from. Tell them you are pleased to meet them, say goodbye, and promise to see them later.
Zoezi la 4: Kusoma
Mazungumzo 3: Kutoka na kuishi wapi?
Baraka: Hujambo Imani?
Imani: Sijambo Baraka. Na wewe je?
Baraka: Mimi pia sijambo. Uhali gani?
Imani: Njema sana. Unatoka wapi?
Baraka: Mimi ninatoka kaunti ya Kakamega, mji wa Matunda, nchi ya Kenya. Ninakaa kijiji cha Bondeni.
Imani: Unakaa wapi sasa?
Baraka: Ninakaa mji wa Los Angeles, jimbo la California. Ninakaa karibu na chuo kikuu katika barabara ya Main, na wewe je, Imani?
Imani: Mimi ninatoka mji wa Boston, jimbo la Massachusetts, lakini sasa ninakaa mji wa Waco, jimbo la Texas. Ninakaa katika barabara ya La Salle. Nimefurahi kukufahamu. Asante.
Baraka. Nimefurahi kukufahamu pia. Asante, kwaheri.
Maswali
- Imani anatoka nchi gani?
- Imani anakaa wapi sasa?
- Baraka anatoka nchi gani?
- Baraka anatoka mji gani?
- Baraka anakaa wapi sasa?
- Imani anakaa katika barabara gani?
Zoezi la 5: Maswali
Record yourself here answering the following questions;
Zoezi la 6: Kuzungumza
You will be staying with Juma’s family over the summer, and his parents would like to get to know you. Record a video of a role-played conversation with Juma’s parents. You will work in groups of three: two people will play Juma’s parents, and one person will play Juma. Take turns speaking and ensure that all roles are evenly distributed. In your dialogue, be sure to greet them and introduce yourself by stating your name, where you are from, where you currently live, your nationality, and the languages you speak. Include as many phrases as possible that you have learned in class.
