Swahili: Basic Grammar
This page was an empty placeholder. Here is the core grammar the rest of the Swahili pages use, built around the root -soma (read, study).
1. Pronouns and subject markers
Every verb starts with a subject marker. The pronoun itself is optional: ninasoma already means “I am reading”.
| Pronoun | English | Subject marker | Negative marker | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mimi | I | ni- | si- | ninasoma, I read |
| wewe | you | u- | hu- | unasoma, you read |
| yeye | he / she | a- | ha- | anasoma, she reads |
| sisi | we | tu- | hatu- | tunasoma, we read |
| nyinyi | you all | m- | ham- | mnasoma, you all read |
| wao | they | wa- | hawa- | wanasoma, they read |
2. Tense markers
Subject + tense + root:
| Marker | Tense | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -na- | present | ninasoma | I am reading / I read |
| -li- | past | nilisoma | I read (yesterday) |
| -ta- | future | nitasoma | I will read |
| -me- | perfect | nimesoma | I have read |
Nimefurahi (I’m glad) is the perfect of -furahi: literally “I have become happy”.
3. Negatives
Use the negative marker. The present negative drops -na- and changes the final -a to -i; the past uses -ku-; the future keeps -ta-.
| Positive | Negative | English |
|---|---|---|
| ninasoma | sisomi | I (don’t) read |
| anasoma | hasomi | she (doesn’t) read |
| nilisoma | sikusoma | I read / didn’t read |
| nitasoma | sitasoma | I will / won’t read |
| ni (is) | si (is not) | Mimi si Mtanzania. I’m not Tanzanian. |
4. “To be” and “to have”
- ni = is/am/are, si = is not: Jane ni mwanafunzi. Jane is a student.
- -ko / -po / -mo = is located: Benki iko wapi? Where is the bank?
- -na = have: nina I have, una you have, ana he/she has, tuna, mna, wana. Nina kiu. I’m thirsty (“I have thirst”).
5. Noun classes
Each class has a singular and plural prefix, and the agreement spreads to adjectives, possessives, demonstratives and verbs.
| Class | Singular | Plural | Typical meaning | “my” | “this” |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m-/wa- | mtoto | watoto | people | wangu / wangu | huyu / hawa |
| m-/mi- | mti | miti | trees, plants | wangu / yangu | huu / hii |
| ji-/ma- | jina | majina | assorted, pairs | langu / yangu | hili / haya |
| ki-/vi- | kitabu | vitabu | things, languages | changu / vyangu | hiki / hivi |
| n- | nyumba | nyumba | many loanwords, animals | yangu / zangu | hii / hizi |
| u- | ufunguo | funguo | abstract, long things | wangu / zangu | huu / hizi |
Examples:
- Mtoto mzuri anasoma. The good child is reading.
- Watoto wazuri wanasoma. The good children are reading.
- Kitabu changu kiko hapa. My book is here.
- Vitabu vyangu viko hapa. My books are here.
6. Questions
Intonation alone makes a question: Unasoma Kiswahili? Do you study Swahili? Or put je in front: Je, unasoma Kiswahili? Question words usually come at the end: Unaishi wapi? Where do you live?