Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Swahili. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Swahili.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Swahili conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense | Swahili |
|---|---|
| I speak English | mimi huongea kiingereza  |
| you speak French | unaongea kifaransa |
| he speaks German | anaongea kijerumani |
| she speaks Italian | anaongea kiitalia |
| we speak Arabic | sisi huongea kiarabu |
| they speak Chinese | wao huongea kichina |
The past tense in Swahili conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense | Swahili |
|---|---|
| I visited France | nilitembelea ufaransa |
| you visited Italy | wewe alitembelea italia |
| he visited Morocco | alitembelea morocco |
| she visited China | alitembelea china |
| we visited Mexico | tulitembelea mexico |
| they visited Kenya | walienda kenya |
The future tense in Swahili conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense | Swahili |
|---|---|
| I will drink milk | nitakunywa maziwa |
| you will drink coffee | utakunywa kahawa |
| he will drink tea | atakunywa chai |
| she will drink water | atakunywa maji |
| we will drink apple juice | tutakunywa maji ya matunda |
| they will drink tea | watakunywa chai |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear sikio | eye jicho | mouth mdomo | nose pua |
hair nywele | face uso | head kichwa | heart moyo |
hand mkono | fingers vidole | leg mguu | feet miguu |
Travel Phrases in Swahili
Imagine yourself in some Swahili speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English | Swahili |
|---|---|
| Can you help me? | je, unaweza kunisaidia? |
| Can I help you? | je, ninaweza kukusaidia? |
| Where is the airport? | wapi uwanja wa ndege? |
| Go straight | kwenda moja kwa moja |
| Then | basi |
| Turn left | upande wa kushoto |
| Turn right | upande wa kulia |
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