If you're trying to learn Swahili Negation which is also called Kiswahili, check our courses about Negation and negative expressions... to help you with your Swahili grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Swahili. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Swahili Negation is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you practice the subject, the closer you get to mastering the Swahili language. But first we need to know what the role of Negation is in the structure of the grammar in Swahili.
Swahili negation is the process that turns an affirmative statement (I am happy) into its opposite denial (I am not happy).
In Swahili, negation depends on the pronoun and the tense. However some negations just require the word “No” but it comes after the question. For example:
1ST person- present tense- siwezi ( I cant)
- past tense- sikuweza( I could’nt)
- future tense- sitaweza( I will not)
So, for the 1st pesrson prefix si- is used but what follows depends with the tense.
The other way of negating is after a question is asked: For example:
Ninaweza?( am I able?) LA(NO)
Unaweza?( are you able?) LA(NO)
Anaweza?(is she/he able) LA(NO)
LA is Swahili for No
Here are some examples:
| English Negation | Swahili Negation |
|---|---|
| Negation | kukubaliana |
| he is not here | hako hapa |
| that is not my book | hicho si kitabu changu |
| do not enter | usiingie |
As you can see from the example above, the structure of the Negation in Swahili has a logical pattern. Locate the Negation above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in Kiswahili.
Below is a list of the Negation and negative expressions in Swahili placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Swahili vocabulary.
| English Negation | Swahili Negation |
|---|---|
| I don't speak | sisemi |
| I don't write | siandiki |
| I don't drive | siendeshi |
| I don't love | sependi |
| I don't give | siwezi kupeana |
| I don't smile | sitabsamu |
| I don't take | sichukui |
| he doesn't speak | haongei |
| he doesn't write | haandiki |
| he doesn't drive | haendeshi |
| he doesn't love | hapendi |
| he doesn't give | hapeani |
| he doesn't smile | hatabasamu |
| he doesn't take | hachukui |
| we don't speak | hatusemi |
| we don't write | hatuandiki |
| we don't drive | hatuendeshi |
| we don't love | hatupendi |
| we don't give | hatuwezi kutoa |
| we don't smile | hatutabasamu |
| we don't take | hatuchukui |
Negation and negative expressions have a very important role in Swahili, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the Kiswahili Negation, you might want to check the rest of our Swahili lessons here: Learn Swahili. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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