Chapter 15 - The Demonstratives

There is no distinction between demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns in Swahili.

The demonstrative must agree with the noun to which it refers, but it doesn't take the same prefixes as the noun. Its prefixes (or suffixes) of agreement are of pronominal type.

 1. THREE CATEGORIES OF DEMONSTRATIVES : 

There are three kinds of demonstratives in Swahili :

1. THE DEMONSTRATIVE OF PROXIMITY :

   It corresponds to : this, these, for the demonstrative adjectives ;
   and to : this one, these ones, for the demonstrative pronouns.

   FORMATION :	It starts with H- and ends in the subject prefix corresponding to the class of the noun with which it agrees. The intermediate vowel is identical to the final vowel.
   EXAMPLES :
   MTU	(Class 1)	Subject prefix YU- (NOT A-)	H.. - YU -> HUYU
   WATU	(Class 2)	Subject prefix WA-	H.. - WA -> HAWA
   MTI	(Class 3)	Subject prefix U-	H.. - U -> HUU
   MITI	(Class 4)	Subject prefix I-	H.. - I -> HII
   TUNDA	(Class 5)	Subject prefix LI-	H.. - LI -> HILI
   MATUNDA	(Class 6)	Subject prefix YA-	H.. - YA -> HAYA

   
   

2. THE DEMONSTRATIVE OF DISTANCE :

   It corresponds to : that, those, for the demonstrative adjectives ;
   or to : that one, those ones, for the demonstrative pronouns.

   FORMATION :	It starts with the subject prefix corresponding to the class of the noun with which it agrees, and ends in -LE.
   EXAMPLES :
   MTU	(Class 1)	Subject prefix YU- (NOT A-)	YU - LE -> YULE
   WATU	(Class 2)	Subject prefix WA-	WA - LE -> WALE
   MTI	(Class 3)	Subject prefix U-	U - LE -> ULE
   MITI	(Class 4)	Subject prefix I-	I - LE -> ILE
   TUNDA	(Class 5)	Subject prefix LI-	LI - LE -> LILE
   MATUNDA	(Class 6)	Subject prefix YA-	YA - LE -> YALE

   
   

3. THE DEMONSTRATIVE OF REFERENCE :

   It is used to designate the person or the thing which has already been spoken about. It can be translated by : this, that ;
   Or by : this one, that one.

   FORMATION :	It borrows its first syllable from the demonstrative of proximity, and ends in the suffix "-O" of reference corresponding to the class of the noun with which it agrees. (See : Chapter 31.)
   EXAMPLES :
   MTU	(Class 1)	"-O" of reference -YO	HU - YO -> HUYO
   WATU	(Class 2)	"-O" of reference -O	HA - O -> HAO
   MTI	(Class 3)	"-O" of reference -O	HU - O -> HUO
   MITI	(Class 4)	"-O" of reference -YO	HI - YO -> HIYO
   TUNDA	(Class 5)	"-O" of reference -LO	HI - LO -> HILO
   MATUNDA	(Class 6)	"-O" of reference -YO	HA - YO -> HAYO

 2. PLACE OF THE DEMONSTRATIVE IN THE SENTENCE : 

1. The Demonstrative of proximity is usually placed at the end of the nominal group, after the noun and its adjectives. But it can also be placed in the immediate vicinity of the noun.

   EXAMPLES :
   Wanafunzi hawa	These pupils
   Wanafunzi hodari hawa	These intelligent pupils
   Wanafunzi hodari wachache hawa	These few intelligent pupils
   Kula chakula hiki kizuri !	Eat this good food !
   Lete mizigo hii mizito !	Bring this heavy luggage !

   
   

2. The Demonstrative of distance is placed before or after the noun. When there is a possessive adjective, the demonstrative is placed in front of the noun.

   EXAMPLES :
   Wale wanafunzi	Those pupils
   Wanafunzi wale hodari	Those intelligent pupils
   Duka lile kubwa	That big shop
   Lile shuka langu	My sheet over there

   
   

3. The Demonstrative of reference is placed close to the noun, preferably in front. When there is a possessive adjective, the demonstrative must be placed after it.

   EXAMPLES :
   Hilo tunda kubwa	This big fruit
   Watoto hao wadogo	These small children
   Watoto wao hao	Their children here
   Shuka langu hilo	My sheet here

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :

1. [Demonstrative of proximity] This child, these youths, this young girl, this teacher, this idiot, these workers, this mountain, this town, that luggage, this bag, these trees, this ditch, this door, this flower, these palms, these bricks, this lake, these guavas, these oranges, these pineapples, this corn, these clothes, these chairs, this food, this face.

2. [Demonstrative of distance] Those travellers, that drunkard, that man, that uncle, those masais, that grand-mother, that driver, those friends, that clerk, those banana trees, those coconut trees, that river, that year, those sugar canes, those cities, that rice, that window, those cars, that market, those mangoes, that coarse sack, that mattress, those eggs, those fields, those chairs.

3. [Demonstrative of reference] This little boy, this rich white man, this old teacher, these intelligent children, this lazy pupil, this important city, this black bag, these large baobab trees, These dirty hands of yours, these unpleasant children of theirs, this beautiful car of yours, take this little chair ! Look at this large poisonous snake ! Take these beautiful flowers ! Buy this charcoal ! Do not take our palms here !

EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :

Mlango huu, kiti hiki, mtoto huyu, bawa hili, wanaume hawa, matuta haya, nguo hizi, mama huyu, gari lile, mahindi yale, michungwa ile, mfano ule, miavuli ile, nguo ile, ziwa lilo, matofali yayo, tawi lilo, mawingu yale, mwizi huyo, wadudu hao, mwanadamu huyu, nguo hizo, uso huo, viti hivi, chakula hiki.

EXERCISE 3 : Translate into English :

1. Kamata mwizi huyu !
2. Nunua ule mkate mzuri !
3. Uza lile gari lako bovu !
4. Lete mzigo mzito huu !
5. Kula mapera haya mazuri !
6. Wanafunzi hodari hawa wamefaulu mtihani.
7. Duka lile dogo lauza maziwa safi.
8. Usiseme yale maneno ovyo !
9. Bwana amenunua gari lile jipya.
10. Angalia lile joka kubwa !