Swahili

Sarufi Haraka: Kauli ya Kutendana

This chapter offers a grammar lesson on the reciprocal verb form.

To denote that an action is reciprocated between 2+ people, you must change the verb tense.

  1. Verbs ending in -a: Add an -na at the end.
    • Kuona (to see) becomes kuoana (to see each other)
    • Kutambulisha (to notify) becomes kutambulishana (to notify each other)
    • Kutafuta (to find) becomes kutafutana (to find each other)

Example:

Baada ya wiki mbili, walioana sukoni. After two weeks, they saw each other at the market.

Make your own sentences with the last two examples!

2.  Verbs that end in -i take an -ana at the end. Do not drop the -i.

  • Kushiriki (to share) becomes kushirikiana (to share with each other).

3. Verbs that end in -u take a -iana at the end. DROP THE -u.

  • Kusalimu (to greet) becomes kusalimiana (to greet each other).
  • Kufahamu (to know) becomes kufahamiana (to know each other).

4. Verbs which end in double vowels are a bit trickier! If the double vowel is -ua, -oa, -ia, -ea then you  add -lean or -lian before the final vowel.

  • Kununua (to buy) becomes kununuliana (to buy for each other)
  • Kutembea (to walk) becomes kutembeleana (to walk with each other)

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Resources for Self-Instructional Learners of Less Commonly Taught Languages Copyright © by University of Wisconsin-Madison Students in African 671 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.