Lesson 8

TENSES (PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS)

General structure

PAST                  PRESENT                    FUTURE

Alipika               Anapika                    Atapika
he/she cooked         he/she is cooking          he/she will cook

Walipika              Wanapika                   Watapika
They cooked           They are cooking           They will cook

Tulipika              Tunapika                   Tutapika
We cooked             We are cooking             We will cook

Nilipika              Ninapika                   Nitapika
I cooked              I am cooking               I will cook

Alisoma               Anasoma                    Atasoma
he/she read           he/she is reading          he/she will read

Walisoma              Wanasoma                   Watasoma
They read             They are reading           They will read

Tulisoma              Tunasoma                   Tutasoma
We read               We are reading             We will read

Nilisoma              Ninasoma                   Nitasoma
I read                I am reading               I will read


Alienda               Anaenda                    Ataenda
he/she went           he/she is going            he/she will go

Walienda              Wanaenda                   Wataenda
They went             They are going             They will go

Tulienda              Tunaenda                   Tutaenda
We went               We are going               We will go

Nilienda              Ninaenda                   Nitaenda
I went                I am going                 I will go


MUHTASARI - SUMMARY

Past/present/future/present continuous)

Ali/ana/ata/ana          - He/She 
Wali/Wana/Wata/Wana      - They 
Nili/nina/nita/nina      - I 
Tuli/tuna/tuta/tuna      - We
Uli/una/uta/una          - you (singular)
Mli/mna/mta/mna          - you (plural)

I = mimi                 you = nyinyi
We = sisi                theirs = yao
he/she/him  = yeye       mine = yangu, wangu, changu, langu
They = wao
You = wewe

MIFANO ZAIDI = FURTHER EXAMPLES:

PAST TENSE

The verb PIKA = cook

Kassim alipika = Kassim cooked
Kassim na Mohammed walipika = Kassim and Mohammed cooked
They cooked = walipika
I cooked rice = [Mimi] nilipika wali
We cooked rice = [sisi] tulipika wali
You cooked rice = Wewe ulipika wali (singular)
You cooked rice = Nyinyi mlipika wali (plural)


PAST TENSE:

The verb SOMA = read/learn

Kassim alisoma = Kassim read
Kassim na Mohammed walisoma = Kassim and Mohammed read
They read = walisoma
I read = Mimi nilisoma
We read = sisi tulisoma
You read = Wewe ulisoma (singular)
You read = Nyinyi mlisoma (plural)


PAST TENSE:

The verb ENDA = go

Kassim alienda = Kassim went
Kassim na Mohammed walienda = Kassim and Mohammed went
They went = walienda
I went = Mimi nilienda
We went = sisi tulienda
You went = Wewe ulienda (singular)
You went = Nyinyi mlienda  (plural)

FUTURE TENSE:

The verb PIKA = cook

Kassim atapika = Kassim will cook
Kassim na Mohammed watapika = Kassim and Mohammed will cook
They will cook = watapika
I will cook rice = Mimi nitapika wali
We will cook rice = sisi tutapika wali
You will cook rice = Wewe utapika wali (singular)
You will cook rice = Nyinyi mtapika wali (plural)


FUTURE TENSE:

The verb SOMA = read/learn

Kassim atasoma = Kassim will read
Kassim na Mohammed watasoma = Kassim and Mohammed will read
They will read = watasoma
I will read = Mimi nitasoma
We will read = sisi tutasoma
You will read = Wewe utasoma (singular)
You will read = Nyinyi mtasoma (plural)


FUTURE TENSE:

The verb ENDA = go

Kassim ataenda = Kassim will go
Kassim na Mohammed wataenda = Kassim and Mohammed will go
They will go = wataenda
I will go  = Mimi nitaenda
We will go = sisi tutaenda
You will go = Wewe utaenda (singular)
You will go = Nyinyi mtaenda  (plural)

PRESENT TENSE:

The verb PIKA = cook

Kassim anapika = Kassim  cooks
Kassim na Mohammed wanapika = Kassim and Mohammed cook
They cook = wanapika
I cook rice = Mimi ninapika wali
We cook rice = sisi tunapika wali
You cook rice = Wewe unapika wali (singular)
You cook rice = Nyinyi mnapika wali (plural)


PRESENT TENSE:

The verb SOMA =  read/learn

Kassim anasoma = Kassim reads
Kassim na Mohammed wanasoma = Kassim and Mohammed read
They read = wanasoma
I read = Mimi ninasoma
We read = sisi tunasoma
You read = Wewe unasoma (singular)
You read = Nyinyi mnasoma (plural)


PRESENT TENSE:

The verb ENDA =  go

Kassim anaenda = Kassim goes
Kassim na Mohammed wanaenda = Kassim and Mohammed go
They go = wanaenda
I go  = Mimi ninaenda
We go = sisi tunaenda
You go = Wewe unaenda (singular)
You go = Nyinyi mnaenda  (plural)

SOME EXPLANATORY NOTES ON TENSES AND SENTENSE/PHRASE CONSTRUCTION

IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE: TENSE PREFIXES; SUBJECT PREFIXES

TENSE PREFIX

PAST      => li
FUTURE    => ta
PRESENT   => na

SUBJECT PREFIX + TENSE PREFIX

SUBJECT PREFIX                PAST/FUTURE/PRESENT

     a                        ali/ata/ana
     wa                       wali/wata/wana
     ni                       nili/nita/nina
     tu                       tuli/tuta/tuna
     u
     m

SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

KASSIM ANAFANYA NINI?    What is Kassim doing? 
KASSIM ANAPIKA

KASSIM ALIFANYA NINI?    What did Kassim do?
KASSIM ALIPIKA

KASSIM ATAFANYA NINI?    What will Kassim do?
KASSIM ATAPIKA

© AbdulGhany Mohammed and Kassim A. Abdullah
Ottawa, Canada.
All Rights Reserved.

Revised by Kassim Abdullah, July 6, 2003