KISWAHILI FOR BEGINNERS: RELATIVES 2.

We will continue with our topic Relatives

1. Tunda lililoiva,The fruit which is ripe
2. Matunda yaliyoiva, The fruits which are ripe.

1. Uso uliotakata, The face which is clean
2. Nyuso zilizotakata, The faces which are clean.

1. Pahali palipochafuka,The place which is dirty.
2. Kusoma kunakofaa, Reading which is useful.

Briefly, from the above examples we get the following relative particles for all the noun classes:

MI/WA: ye and o.                          KI/VI: Cha and vyo

M/MI: o and yo.                            N: yo and zo

MA: lo and yo.                               U: a and zo

KU: ko.                                           PA: po and zo

The second way of rendering the relative pronouns is to attach the relative particles to the word amba,thus:

Mtu ambaye…….                                  Kitabu ambacho…….

Watu ambao……                                   Vitabu ambavyo…..

Mti ambao……..                                    Nyumba ambayo…..

Miti ambayo…….                                   Nyumba ambazo…..

Tunda ambalo…..                                  uso ambao…….

Matunda ambayo……..                          Nyuso ambazo…..

Kusoma ambako……..                           Pahali ambapo…..

Originally Swahili relatives were expressed only by adding the relative particle to the verb.Adding the relative particle to the word amba to express relationship is a recent introduction  into the Swahili language.It is nevertheless, accepted as correct Swahili usage.

The relative of time is expressed by-po-,”when” e.g.

Alipokuja nilikuwa shuleni, When he/she came I was at school.

Ninaposoma sitaki kelele, When I am reading I do not like noise.

We will continue next time