Chapter 10 - The Present Indefinite Tense

This tense is used to describe usual or permanent actions, or to state "scientific" truths, that are not necessarily connected to the present time.
This tense is equivalent to the SIMPLE PRESENT in English.

 1. THE AFFIRMATIVE FORM : 

The tense marker of the Present Indefinite is the infix -A- which is inserted between the affirmative subject prefix and the verb radical. Monosyllabic verbs lose the infinitive prefix KU- in the Present Indefinite, unlike in the Present Definite.

MODEL 1 :   KUSOMA = to read

NI-A-SOMA	-> nasoma	I read
U-A-SOMA	-> wasoma	you read
A-A-SOMA	-> asoma	he / she reads
TU-A-SOMA	-> twasoma	we read
MU-A-SOMA	-> mwasoma	you read
WA-A-SOMA	-> wasoma	they read

MODEL 2 :   KUJA = to come

NI-A-JA	-> naja	I come
U-A-JA	-> waja	you come
A-A-JA	-> aja	he / she comes
TU-A-JA	-> twaja	we come
MU-A-JA	-> mwaja	you come
WA-A-JA	-> waja	they come

 2. THE NEGATIVE FORM : 

The Present Indefinite Tense has no specific negative conjugation : we use the negative form of the Present Definite.

(See : Chapter 8 - The Present Definite Tense)

 3. SOME SENTENCES IN THE PRESENT INDEFINITE : 

Wafanya kazi gani ?	What work do you do ?
Nafundisha kifarantsa	I teach French
Mama apika kila siku	Mother cooks everyday
Wanadamu walala usiku	Human beings sleep at night
Ng'ombe wala majani	Cows eat grass
Wanyama waogopa moto	Animals are afraid of the fire
Sisi ni watanzania	We are Tanzanians
Kipofu haoni kitu	The blind man doesn't see anything
Mgonjwa hali, hanywi, alala tu	The patient doesn't eat, doesn't drink, he sleeps only
Sijui kiswahili	I don't know Swahili

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili, using the Present Indefinite :

1. I learn, you sew, she sweeps, she cooks, they wash the linen, they cultivate, he removes, you listen (Plur), they agree, he buys, they sell, they play, she sleeps, we exchange, we are afraid.

2. I don't read, I don't take, he doesn't make, he doesn't stop, he doesn't leave, I don't speak, they don't play, they don't ask, you don't sweep, I don't iron, they don't listen, he doesn't agree, they are not afraid, they don't climb, you don't cultivate (Plur).

3. The old man doesn't work, the fishermen do not cultivate, he doesn't cultivate cassava, the youths do not agree, the cow eats grass, the women wash the linen, you are afraid of the fire (Plur), the men cut the trees, you cultivate maize (plur), the child doesn't like to wash the linen, mother likes sewing, the blind man begs for bread.

EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :

1. Wafanya kazi gani ?
2. Mimi ni mwalimu.
3. Sisi ni wanafunzi watanzania.
4. Ng'ombe wapenda kula majani.
5. Dada afagia kila asubuhi.
6. Vijana wacheza mpira kila jioni.
7. Kibarua apata mshahara wake kila siku.
8. Mtoto mdogo hapendi muhogo.
9. Nanunua mkate kila siku.
10. Wawe waogopa mwalimu wako.