MONOSYLLABIC VERBS There is one very important set of verbs that operate in a slightly irregular way. These are “monosyllabic verbs”–those verbs whose verb roots are just a single consonant sound (no vowels). Here are five monosyllabic verbs that you will use frequently, presented below in infinitive form: Kuja: To come Kula: To eat Kunywa: To drink Kufa: To die Kupa: To give When conjugating monosyllabic verbs in the basic affirmative tenses (-na-, -li-, -me-, -ta-), the infinitive “ku” remains affixed to the verb root. Some examples: Present Tense Ni-na-(ku)j-a –> Ninakuja (I am coming) U-na-(ku)l-a –> Unakula (You are eating) How would you say, “They are drinking?” Simple Past Tense A-li-(ku)f-a –> Alikufa (He died) M-li-(ku)w-a –> Mlikuwa (You all were) How would you say, “I ate?” Past Perfect Tu-me-(ku)nyw-a –> Tumekunywa (We have drunk) U-me-(ku)p-a...
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