Swahili Tenses

Present continuous (-na-)

Affirmative Negative
ninapiga I am beating sipigi I am not beating
unapiga You are beating hupigi You are not beating
anapiga He/she is beating hapigi He/She is not beating
tunapiga We are beating hatupigi We are not beating
mnapiga You (plural) are beating hampigi You (plural) are not beating
wanapiga They are beating hawapigi They are not beating
unapiga It (group 3,11) is beating haupigi It is not beating
inapiga It (group 4,9) is beating haipigi It is not beating
linapiga It (group 5) is beating halipigi It is not beating
yanapiga It (group 6) is beating hayapigi It is not beating
kinapiga It (group 7) is beating hakipigi It is not beating
vinapiga It (group 8) is beating havipigi It is not beating
zinapiga It (group 10) is beating hazipigi It is not beating

Present indefinite (-)

Affirmative Negative
napiga I beat sipigi I do not beat
wapiga They beat hawapigi They do not beat
yapiga It beats haipigi It does not beat

Future (-ta-)

Affirmative Negative
nitapiga I shall beat sitapiga I shall not beat
watapiga They shall beat hawatapiga They shall not beat
itapiga It shall beat haitapiga It shall not beat

Past simple (-li-)

Affirmative Negative
nilipiga I beat sikupiga I did not beat
walipiga They beat hawakupiga They did not beat
ilipiga It beat haikupiga It did not beat

Past perfect (-me-)

Affirmative Negative
nimepiga I have beaten sijapiga I have not beaten (yet)
wamepiga They have beaten hawajapiga They have not beaten (yet)
imepiga It has beaten haijapiga It has not beaten (yet)

Subjunctive (& polite imperitive)

Affirmative Negative
nipige That I may beat nisipige That I may not beat
wapige That they may beat wasipige That they may not beat
ipige That it may beat isipige That it may not beat

Conditional / if (-ki-)

Affirmative Negative
nikipiga If I beat nisipopiga If I do not beat
wakipiga If they beat wasipopiga If they do not beat
ikipiga If it beats isipopiga If it does not beat

Narrative (-ka-)

Affirmative Negative
nikapiga and I beat n/a  
wakapiga and they beat n/a  
ikapiga and it beat n/a  

Expeditious (-ka-)

Affirmative Negative
nikapige That I go and beat Nisiende kupiga That I don’t go and beat
wakapige That they go and beat Wasiende kupiga That they don’t go and beat
ikapige That it goes and beats Isiende kupiga That it doesn’t go and beat

Habitual (-hu-)

Affirmative Negative
hupiga I habitually beat n/a  
hupiga They habitually beat n/a  
hupiga It habitually beats n/a  

Conditional Future (-nge-)

Affirmative Negative
ningepiga If I were to beat nisingepiga If I were not to beat
wangepiga If they were to beat wasingepiga If they were not to beat
ingepiga If it were to beat isingepiga If it were not to beat

Conditional Past (-ngali-)

Affirmative Negative
ningalipiga If I had beaten nisingalipiga If I had not beaten
wangalipiga If they had beaten wasingalipiga If they had not beaten
ingalipiga If it had beaten isingalipiga If it had not beaten

Past Continuous

Affirmative Negative
nilikuwa nikipiga I was beating sikuwa nikipiga I was not beating
walikuwa wakipiga They were beating hawakuwa wakipiga They were not beating
ilikuwa ikipiga It was beating haikuwa ikipiga It was not beating

Pluperfect

Affirmative Negative
nilikuwa nimepiga I had beaten sikuwa nimepiga I had not beaten
walikuwa wamepiga They had beaten hawakuwa wamepiga They had not beaten
ilikuwa imepiga It had beaten haikuwa imepiga It had not beaten

General Relative

Affirmative Negative
nipigaye I who beat nisiyepiga I who don’t beat
wapigao They who beat wasiopiga They who don’t beat
ipigayo It who beats isiyopiga It which doesn’t beat

 

Order of Infixes etc

subject prefix – tense sign – relative – object infix – verb stem – end of verb (for derivates etc)

S-T-R-O-V-E

eg ni-li-ye-m-piga = niliyempiga = I who beat him

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