 | Chapter 47 - Conditional Tenses |
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Apart from the -KI- tense that may already correspond to the use of the English Present Conditional, there are two more conditional tenses in Swahili: The Present Conditional and the Past Conditional. These two tenses are used to form assumptions or hypothesis. (See : Chapter 46 - The -KI- Tense and Chapter 48 - Hypothesis.)
1. THE PRESENT CONDITIONAL :
A. AFFIRMATIVE :
The tense marker of the present conditional is the infix -NGE-, placed between the subject prefix and the verbal root.
MODEL : KUPENDA = to like, to love
| NI-NGE-PENDA | -> ningependa | I would like |
| U-NGE-PENDA | -> ungependa | you would like |
| A-NGE-PENDA | -> angependa | he / she would like |
| TU-NGE-PENDA | -> tungependa | we would like |
| M-NGE-PENDA | -> mngependa | you would like |
| WA-NGE-PENDA | -> wangependa | they would like |
Monosyllabic verbs keep their infinitive prefix KU- :
| NI-NGE-KU-LA | -> ningekula | I would eat |
| A-NGE-KWENDA | -> angekwenda | he / she would go |
| U-NGE-KUWA | -> ungekuwa | you would be |
| WA-NGE-KUWA NA | -> wangekuwa na | they would have |
B. NEGATIVE :
In the negative form, the negative infix -SI- is added in front of the tense marker of the present conditional -NGE-. Since it is a negative mark, affirmative subject prefixes must be used in conjunction with it.
MODEL : KUPENDA = to like, to love
| NI-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> nisingependa | I wouldn't like |
| U-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> usingependa | you wouldn't like |
| A-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> asingependa | he / she wouldn't like |
| TU-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> tusingependa | we wouldn't like |
| M-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> msingependa | you wouldn't like |
| WA-SI-NGE-PENDA | -> wasingependa | they wouldn't like |
Monosyllabic verbs keep their infinitive prefix KU- :
| NI-SI-NGE-KU-LA | -> nisingekula | I wouldn't eat |
| A-SI-NGE-KWENDA | -> asingekwenda | he / she wouldn't go |
| U-SI-NGE-KUWA | -> usingekuwa | you wouldn't be |
| WA-SI-NGE-KUWA NA | -> wasingekuwa na | they wouldn't have |
2. THE PAST CONDITIONAL :
A. AFFIRMATIVE :
The tense marker of the past conditional is the infix -NGALI- (formed of NGE + LI), placed between the subject prefix and the verbal root.
MODEL : KUPENDA = to like, to love
| NI-NGALI-PENDA | -> ningalipenda | I would have liked |
| U-NGALI-PENDA | -> ungalipenda | you would have liked |
| A-NGALI-PENDA | -> angalipenda | he / she would have liked |
| TU-NGALI-PENDA | -> tungalipenda | we would have liked |
| M-NGALI-PENDA | -> mngalipenda | you would have liked |
| WA-NGALI-PENDA | -> wangalipenda | they would have liked |
Monosyllabic verbs retain their infinitive prefix KU- :
| NI-NGALI-KU-LA | -> ningalikula | I would have eaten |
| A-NGALI-KWENDA | -> angalikwenda | he / she would have gone |
| U-NGALI-KUWA | -> ungalikuwa | you would have been |
| WA-NGALI-KUWA NA | -> wangalikuwa na | they would have had |
B. NEGATIVE :
In the negative form, the negative infix -SI- is added in front of the tense marker of the past conditional -NGALI-. Since it is a negative mark, affirmative subject prefixes must be used in conjunction with it.
MODEL : KUPENDA = to like, to love
| NI-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> nisingalipenda | I wouldn't have liked |
| U-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> usingalipenda | you wouldn't have liked |
| A-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> asingalipenda | he / she wouldn't have liked |
| TU-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> tusingalipenda | we wouldn't have liked |
| M-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> msingalipenda | you wouldn't have liked |
| WA-SI-NGALI-PENDA | -> wasingalipenda | they wouldn't have liked |
Monosyllabic verbs retain their infinitive prefix KU- :
| NI-SI-NGALI-KU-LA | -> nisingalikula | I wouldn't have eaten |
| A-SI-NGALI-KWENDA | -> asingalikwenda | he / she wouldn't have gone |
| U-SI-NGALI-KUWA | -> usingalikuwa | you wouldn't have been |
| WA-SI-NGALI-KUWA NA | -> wasingalikuwa na | they wouldn't have had |
VOCABULARY
| Ku-aga | to say goodbye | Ku-dhani | to think |
| Ku-ajiri | to employ, to hire | Ku-fukuza | to chase, to fire |
| Ku-beba | to carry on the back | Ku-goma | to go on strike |
| Ku-chafya | to sneeze | Ku-hesabu | to count, to calculate |
| Ku-chambua | to sort | Ku-husu | to concern |
| ku-chimba | to dig | Ku-kusanya | to gather, to heap |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
I would like, I would make, I would take, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't go, you wouldn't want, you could, you would come, you wouldn't eat, you would stop, he would borrow, he would fill, he wouldn't count, he would fire, he would sneeze, we would not be tired, we wouldn't know, we would come back, we would wear, we would go by, you would read (plur), you would receive (plur), you wouldn't bring (plur), you wouldn't emigrate (plur), you would buy (plur), they would laugh, they wouldn't get angry, they would hope, they wouldn't despise, they would understand.
I would have left, I would have done, I wouldn't have answered, I wouldn't have seen, you would have written, you would have met, you wouldn't have known, he would have waited, he would have got, he wouldn't have agreed, we would have come, we would have met each other, we wouldn't have been, you would have been (plur), yoou would have swept (plur), you wouldn't have chosen (plur), they would have employed, they would have dug, they would have looked alike, they wouldn't have liked.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
- Usingevuta sigara.
- Angeweza kuja leo.
- Ungeniuliza.
- Usingalikunywa pombe ile.
- Asingaliingia chumba kile.
- Tungejua kiswahili.
- Mizigo ingaliletwa hapa.
- Mbegu zingepandwa.
- Mzee asingalikufa.
- Nisingekuwa mgonjwa.
- Ungalituma barua.
- Tungalipwa mshahara.
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