 | Chapter 55 - Compound Tenses |
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Although the mastership of compound tenses is not essential to speak correct Swahili at a basic level, yet it is preferable to know the existence of these tenses and to be able to recognize their forms as well as the meaning attached to them. This will be the topic of this last chapter.
1. VERBAL CONSTRUCTION :
Compound tenses in Swahili are always made up of two verbs :
- The first verb is the auxiliary verb KUWA = to be.
- Followed by a second verb which is the lexical verb.
Both verbs must carry the subject prefix corresponding to the noun they refer to. In a negative sentence, it is usually the auxiliary verb only which is in the negative, while the lexical verb remains in the affirmative.
Tense combinations are quite numerous. We shall see only the most common here. For a foreigner, it is often difficult to grasp all the minute shades of meaning implied in the use of the compound tenses, all the more since they are translated roughly the same way in English.
2. PRESENT COMPOUND TENSES :
| AUXILIARY VERB | LEXICAL VERB | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| NI-NA-PO-KUWA | NI-NA-FANYA NI-KI-FANYA NI-ME-FANYA |
when I make when I am making when I have made |
The tense marker -NA- of the Present Definite can only be used with KUWA carrying the locative relative PO, to indicate when the action takes place :
| Mtoto anapokuwa akicheza. | When the child is playing. |
| Anapokuwa anatengeneza gari lake. | When he repairs his car. |
| Anapokuwa amemaliza kazi. | When he has finished work. |
3. PAST COMPOUND TENSES :
| AUXILIARY VERB | LEXICAL VERB | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| NI-LI-KUWA NI-KA-WA |
NI-NA-FANYA NI-KI-FANYA NI-ME-FANYA |
I made I was making I had done |
EXAMPLES :
| Tulipokuwa Ulaya tulikuwa tunatumia fedha za kigeni. | When we were in Europe we used foreign currency. |
| Watoto walikuwa wakicheza. | The children were playing. |
| Tulikuwa tumekula. | We had eaten. |
The Simple Past in -LI- of the auxiliary verb can be replaced by the -KA- tense :
| Masimba walikuwa barabarani, kwa hivyo tuliacha kuendesha, tukawa tunawaangalia tu. | There were lions on the road, therefore we ceased driving and we watched them. |
| Alikimbia hata akawa amechoka. | He / she ran until he / she was tired. |
4. FUTURE COMPOUND TENSES :
| AUXILIARY VERB | LEXICAL VERB | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| NI-TA-KUWA | NI-NA-FANYA NI-KI-FANYA NI-ME-FANYA |
I will make I will be making I will have done |
EXAMPLES :
| Mtoto atakuwa anacheza. | The child will play. |
| Mwaka ujao tutakuwa tukikaa katika nyumba yetu mpya. | Next year we will be staying in our new house. |
| Tutakuwa tumeshiba kabla ya kumaliza chakula. | We will be satiated before finishing the meal. |
5. CONDITIONAL COMPOUND TENSES :
| AUXILIARY VERB | LEXICAL VERB | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| NI-NGE-KUWA | NI-KI-FANYA NI-ME-FANYA |
I would be making |
| NI-NGALI-KUWA | NI-KI-FANYA NI-ME-FANYA |
I would have been making |
EXAMPLES :
| Angekuwa akienda mjini ningemwomba lifti. | If he was going to town, I would ask him for a lift. |
| Ungekuwa umesikia redio, ungeweza kuniambia habari za leo. | If you had listend to the radio, you could give me today's news. |
| Angalikuwa akisoma kwa mwaka mzima, angalifaulu mtihani wake. | If he had studied all the year, he would have passed his exam. |
| Ungalikuwa umepokea barua yangu, ungalijua kwamba nilitazamia kufika leo. | If you had received my letter, you would have known I was coming today. |
6. GENERAL NOTES :
A. USE OF A RELATIVE :
When a relative is employed with a compound tense, the relative infix is inserted in the auxiliary verb :
| Mtoto aliyekuwa amelala. | The child who was sleeping. |
| Alipokuwa amemaliza kazi yake, akarudi kwao. | When he had finished his work, he came back home. |
| Hao ni wezi waliokuwa wanaiba huku mjini. | These are the thieves who were robbing downtown. |
B. USE OF AN OBJECT INFIX :
When a complement object is used with a compound tense, the object infix is inserted in the lexical verb :
| Nilikuwa nimekisoma. | I had read it. |
| Niliwapa chakula nilichokuwa nimekipika asubuhi. | I gave them the food I had cooked this morning. |
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