 | Chapter 35 - The Reflexive Infix "-JI-" |
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In English, we use the reflexive pronoun "oneself" after the verb to mark that an action is reflexive, i.e. directed towards the subject of the verb.
For example : He sees himself = he looks at his own person (in a mirror, or in imagination, etc.)
In Swahili, we use a particular OBJECT INFIX : -JI- inserted between the tense marker and the verbal root. Unlike in English, this infix remains the same for all persons.
EXAMPLE : KUONA = to see -> KUJIONA = to feel oneself, to be proud of oneself
| Ninajiona | I feel myself |
| Unajiona | you feel yourself |
| Anajiona | he / she feels himself / herself |
| Tunajiona | we feel ourselves |
| Mnajiona | you feel yourselves |
| Wanajiona | they feel themselves |
The reflexive can be used in all tenses, including the infinitive, both in the affirmative and negative forms :
| Infinitive : | Kujiona | to feel oneself |
| Negative Infinitive : | Kutojiona | not to feel oneself |
| Present Indefinite : | Najiona | I feel myself |
| Present Definite : | Ninajiona | I'm feeling myself |
| Present Definite Negative : | Sijioni | I'm not feeling myself |
| Past Perfect : | Nimejiona | I have felt myself |
| Past Perfect Negative : | Sijajiona | I haven't felt myself yet |
| Simple Past : | Nilijiona | I felt myself |
| Simple past Negative : | Sikujiona | I didn't feel myself |
| Future : | Nitajiona | I will feel myself |
| Future Negative : | Sitajiona | I won't feel myself |
| Conditional : | Ningejiona | I would feel myself |
| Conditional Negative : | Nisingejiona | I wouldn't feel myself |
| Past Conditional : | Ningalijiona | I would have felt myself |
| Past Conditional Negative : | Nisingalijiona | I wouldn't have felt myself |
| Imperative : | Jione ! | Feel yourself ! |
| Negative Imperative : | Usijione ! | Don't feel yourself ! |
NOTE :
As will be seen in the list below, all reflexive verbs with -JI- in Swahili do not systematically correspond to a reflexive in English :
SOME COMMON REFLEXIVE VERBS :
| Ku-jiburudisha | to refresh oneself | Ku-jisaidia | to relieve oneself |
| Ku-jidai | to proclaim oneself | Ku-jisifu | to praise oneself |
| Ku-jifanya | to claim | Ku-jitazama | to look at oneself |
| Ku-jificha | to hide | Ku-jitegemea | to be self-reliant |
| Ku-jifunza | to learn | Ku-jitolea | to volonteer |
| Ku-jigonga | to knock oneself | Ku-jiua | to commit suicide |
| Ku-jiona | to feel oneself | Ku-jiuliza | to wonder |
| Ku-jipamba | to adorn oneself | Ku-jiuzulu | to abdicate |
VOCABULARY
| Kaskazi | short rain season | Kusini | South |
| Kaskazini | North | Magharibi | West |
| Kiangazi | the hot season | Mashariki | East |
| Kimbunga | a cyclone, a hurricane | Masika | the rain season |
| Kipupue | the cold season | Ngurumo | thunder |
| Kusi | the dry season | Umeme | a flash of lightning |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
I feel myself, he feels himself, you feel yourselves, I knocked myself, he knocked himself, I hid, he hid, we hid, I praise myself, she praises herself, I wonder, she wonders, we wonder, you volunteered, he proclaims himself, I'm self-reliant, be self-reliant ! Volunteer ! He abdicated, they learned, she adorned herself, prepare yourself ! Look at yourself ! Hide !
Do not praise yourself ! Do not proclaim yourself ! Don't look at yourself ! Don't hide ! She doesn't wonder, they don't wonder, they don't proclaim themselves, I don't feel myself, I don't praise myself, you don't feel yourself, we don't feel ourselves, they don't volunteer, you didn't look at yourself, I didn't learn, he didn't commit suicide.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
Ninajifunza, anajitolea, wanajifanya, anajipamba, unajisifu, anajificha, wanajitazama, anajidai, amejiua, amejiuzulu, wanajiona, ninajiuliza, wanajiburudisha, jiulize ! Jitazame ! Tujitegemee ! Msijifiche ! Msijisifu ! Usijipambe ! Usijione ! Tujifanye ! Mjisaidie ! Tujiburudishe ! Nijiburudishe ! Jiburudishe !
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