 | Chapter 46 - The -KI- Tense |
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The -KI- tense is a tense that marks the simultaneity of an action in relation to another. Its meaning changes slightly according to its position in the sentence : if it is the first verb in a sentence, it corresponds to a present conditional in English ; if it follows a first verb which is in the present, past or future, then it corresponds to a present participle (verb ending in -ing) or to an infinitive in English.
1. THE "KI" TENSE - AFFIRMATIVE :
The tense marker -KI- is placed between the affirmative subject prefix and the verbal root. The meaning of that infix is "if". The verb in -KI- is followed by a verb in the future or in the imperative, in the sentence.
MODEL : KUFANYA = to do, to make
| NI-KI-FANYA | -> nikifanya | if I make |
| U-KI-FANYA | -> ukifanya | if you make |
| A-KI-FANYA | -> akifanya | if he / she makes |
| TU-KI-FANYA | -> tukifanya | if we make |
| M-KI-FANYA | -> mkifanya | if you make |
| WA-KI-FANYA | -> wakifanya | if they make |
NOTE : Monosyllabic verbs drop their infinitive prefix KU- :
MODEL : KWENDA = to go
| NI-KI-ENDA | -> nikienda | if I go |
| U-KI-ENDA | -> ukienda | if you go |
| A-KI-ENDA | -> akienda | if he / she goes |
| TU-KI-ENDA | -> tukienda | if we go |
| M-KI-ENDA | -> mkienda | if you go |
| WA-KI-ENDA | -> wakienda | if they go |
EXAMPLES :
| Ukipanda mlima wa Kilimanjaro, lazima uchukue nguo za kutosha. | If you climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, you must take enough clothes. |
| Ukienda Ulaya, utaninunulia zawadi. | If you go to Europe, you will buy me a gift. |
| Mpishi akichelewa tena leo, mfukuze. | If the cook is late again today, fire him. |
2. THE "KI" TENSE - NEGATIVE :
The negative tense marker -SIPO- is placed between the subject prefix and the verbal root. Since -SIPO- is a negative mark of time, affirmative subject prefixes must be used in conjunction with it. That infix means "if not" or "unless".
MODEL : KUFANYA = to do, to make
| NI-SIPO-FANYA | -> nisipofanya | if I don't make |
| U-SIPO-FANYA | -> usipofanya | if you don't make |
| A-SIPO-FANYA | -> asipofanya | if he / she doesn't make |
| TU-SIPO-FANYA | -> tusipofanya | if we don't make |
| M-SIPO-FANYA | -> msipofanya | if you don't make |
| WA-SIPO-FANYA | -> wasipofanya | if they don't make |
NOTE : Monosyllabic verbs keep their infinitive prefix KU- :
MODEL : KWENDA = to go
| NI-SIPO-KWENDA | -> nisipokwenda | if I don't go |
| U-SIPO-KWENDA | -> usipokwenda | if you don't go |
| A-SIPO-KWENDA | -> asipokwenda | if he / she doesn't go |
| TU-SIPO-KWENDA | -> tusipokwenda | if we don't go |
| M-SIPO-KWENDA | -> msipokwenda | if you don't go |
| WA-SIPO-KWENDA | -> wasipokwenda | if they don't go |
3. THE -KI- TENSE AS A PRESENT PARTICIPLE :
When a verb in -KI- follows a first verb in the sentence, it marks the simultaneity of the second action in relation to the first. According to the context, it will be translated differently in English : either by a verb ending in "-ing" (present participle), or by an infinitive.
| Verb ending in "-ing" : | Walikuwa wakicheza. | They were playing. |
| Mtoto alipita akiimba. | The child passed singing. | |
| Infinitive : | Tuliwaona wakicheza. | We saw them play. |
| Nilimwona akilia. | I saw her cry. |
The first verb can be conjugated in different tenses :
Past Perfect : Amekuwa akicheza. He / she has been playing. Simple past : Alikuwa akicheza. He / she was playing. Future : Atakuwa akicheza. He / she will be playing.
(See : Chapter 54 - Compound Tenses.)
EXPRESSION :
Ukipenda usipende, ni mamoja kwangu !
VOCABULARY
| Bastola | a gun | Kamba | a rope |
| Cherehani | a sewing machine | Karabai | a pressure lamp |
| Filimbi | a whistle | Kufuli | a lock |
| Fimbo | a walking stick | Lami | tar |
| Gundi | glue | Lipu | plaster |
| Hema | a tent | Seng'e seng'e | barbed wire |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
If you like, if they eat, if I drink, if the tree falls, if she answers, if you think, if they come, if I give you, if he dies, if he tells us, if you get permission, if the food is brought, if he gets eggs, if you tell me your name, if the letters are brought.
He was reading, I saw him laugh, I heard her sing, they will be playing tomorrow, they are tired because they were playing, I have seen the tree fall, they saw the tourists arrive, he was cooking, the food was cooking, I saw you cry.
The teacher was teaching how to read and write, the Masais will dance tomorrow evening, we worked in the bush, if you come tomorrow I'll give you money, if you see animals you'll be lucky.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
- Nilimwona mwalimu akijenga nyumba yake.
- Tusipopata mvua, mihindi haitaota.
- Mkienda Mombasa leo, mtawaona watoto wetu wakicheza mpira.
- Chakula kisipoiva, hakitafaa.
- Ukienda Nairobi, ninulie vitu kadhaa.
- Alikuwa akiendesha gari lake haraka mno.
- Tuliwaona wanafunzi wetu wakicheza mjini.
- Mzee alikuwa akilala mkutanoni.
- Mkienda kule, mtamwona mlimaji akilima shambani kwake.
- Ukijaribu sana, utaweza kusema kiswahili safi.
- Nisipopumzika sasa, nitachoka sana.
- Akija asije, ni mamoja kwangu.
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