 | Chapter 49 - Habitual Present Tense |
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In addition to the Present Definite and the Present Indefinite, Swahili possesses a third tense in the present, the habitual Present. This tense is used to speak about usual practices or truths of a general order, without making reference to any specific time.
(See : Chapter 8 - The Present Definite and Chapter 10 - The Present Indefinite.)
The Habitual Present can in many cases be used instead of the Present Indefinite.
1. THE AFFIRMATIVE FORM :
The tense marker of the Habitual Present is the prefix HU- which is placed in front of the verbal root. The termination of the verb does not change.
Because the Habitual Present doesn't take any subject prefixes, this verbal form is identical for all persons and for all nominal classes. When it becomes necessary to identify the person, we use the autonomous personal pronouns. (See : Chapter 7 - The Autonomous Personal Pronouns.)
MODEL 1 : KUPENDA = to like, to love
| MIMI | HUPENDA | I like |
| WEWE | HUPENDA | you like |
| YEYE | HUPENDA | he / she likes |
| SISI | HUPENDA | we like |
| NINYI | HUPENDA | you like |
| WAO | HUPENDA | they like |
Monosyllabic verbs drop their infinitive prefix KU- :
MODEL 2 : KULA = to eat
| MIMI | HULA | I eat |
| WEWE | HULA | you eat |
| YEYE | HULA | he / she eats |
| SISI | HULA | we eat |
| NINYI | HULA | you eat |
| WAO | HULA | they eat |
EXAMPLES :
| Daktari huja hapa Jumanne. | The doctor usually comes here on Tuesday. |
| Kidege, hukuwaza kidege. | Little bird, I dream of you little bird. |
| Duka lile huuza mkate. | That shop sells bread. |
| Ng'ombe hula majani. | Cows eat grass. |
| Basi la Iringa hufika huko njiapanda saa nane. | The Iringa bus usually comes here at the crossroads at 2 p.m. |
| Mwenye kutega kitendawili husema : "Kitendawili !". | The one who poses a riddle says :"Riddle !". |
| Na wasikilizaji wake hujibu : "Tega !". | And his listeners answer : "Set it !". |
2. THE NEGATIVE FORM :
The Habitual Present has no specific form in the negative. Instead, the negative form of the Present Definite tense is used. (See : Chapter 8 - The Present Definite, Negative Form.)
3. USE :
The Habitual Present is frequently used in METHALI = Swahili sayings and proverbs, as well as in VITENDAWILI = Swahili riddles, for which there is usually no specific time reference :
EXAMPLES :
| Haba na haba hujaza kibaba. |
| Little by little fills up the measure. |
| Paka akiondoka, panya hutawala. |
| When the cat is away, the mice will play. |
| Mpanda ovyo, hula ovyo. |
| He who sows disorderly fashion will eat likewise. |
| Ubishi mwingi huleta mateso. |
| Too much joking brings quarrel. |
| Kitendawili ? - Tega ! |
| Hulala tulalapo, huamka tuamkapo. (jua) |
| Goes to sleep when we sleep, wakes up when we get up. (the sun) |
| Huwafanya watu wote walie. (moshi) |
| Makes everybody cry. (smoke) |
VOCABULARY
| Kanzu | a man's muslim robe | Ramani | a map, a plan |
| Kaptula | shorts | Sakafu | the ground, the floor |
| Maiti | a corpse, a body | Shaba | copper |
| Mashua | a boat | Sindano | a syringe |
| Nafaka | grains | Stesheni | a station |
| Nguzo | a pillar | Takataka | refuse, waste |
EXERCISES
EXERCISE 1 : Translate into Swahili :
I go, he arrives, we rest, he starts, you eat, he thinks, she speaks, you like, they die, he goes, we rejoice, she cries, you answer, he drinks, they catch, I need, he leaves, we wait, she closes, you come back.
EXERCISE 2 : Translate into English :
- Mayai hupatikana hapa kila jumatatu.
- Mlango wa shule hufunguliwa saa moja.
- Nguo hufuliwa kila siku mbili.
- Pikipiki huhitaji petroli na oili.
- Watu hupumzika Jumapili.
- Mkulima huyo hupata mavuno mazuri.
- Basi huondoka stesheni saa mbili na nusu.
- Kitendawili : Mzee Kombe akilia, watu hufurahi. (Mvua).
- Kitendawili : Mwanamke mfupi hutengeneza pombe nzuri. (Nyuki).
- Kitendawili : Hula lakini hashibi. (Sindano).
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