Reading Swahili - Ndoto ya Amerika/ The Dream of America by Ken Walibora

QuestionAnswer
me (object infix)
- ni -
my
-angu
infix for stative forms of verb stems ending in 'e' or 'i' (stative verbs = being in the state of... e.g. + present tense to be breakable + perfect to already be broken) (opposed to passive verbs stative verbs don't need an actor)
-ek-
marker for consecutive time
-ka-
marker for if /when time
-ki-
you (object infix)
-ku-
past tense marker
-li-
him /her (object infix)
-m-
present perfect tense marker
-me-
present tense marker
-na-
in (suffix)
-ni
when / infix (after tense marker)
-po-
us (object infix)
-tu-
that /which /what (suffix)
-vyo
passive infix
-w-
you (pl) = them (object infix)
-wa-
he died (therefore) - (consecutive positive)
akafa
he was
alikuwa
He was sick and he died. (in consequence)
Alikuwa mgonjwa na akafa.
he has
ana
he is / becomes (3sg + present tense marker + verb)
anakuwa
father (m/w class for verbs and adjectives but: possessive prefix like n class)
baba
Father died when I was still very young.
Baba alikufa nikiwa bado mdogo sana.
Father was invalid and (in consequence) died when I was still very young.
Baba alikuwa mgonjwa na akafa nikiwa bado mdogo sana.
Father was an invalid
Baba alikuwa mgonjwa.
still
bado
a certain thing/ somebody / invariable adj. : certain (n-class)
fulani
he doesn't have
hana
those (follows pl noun / u-class pl /n-class pl)
hizo
they call (habitual = one form for all persons)
huita
you don't have
huna
that (follows the noun / u-class )
huo
it has (n class)
ina
name (ji/ma class / poss pref l/y /obj pref. li/ya)
jina
my name
jina langu
My name is Isaya Yano
Jina langu ni Isaya Yano.
up / above / about
juu
in / on / upon / out of / off / among / in the middle of (an action)
katika
in the district of Cherangani
katika tarafa ya Cherangani
village (ki/vi class / poss pref ch/vy /obj. pref. ki /vi / of: cha / vya)
kijiji
the village of Sangura
kijiji cha Sangura
to hate
kuchukia
to be taken of by leaf > to be thatched
kuezekwa (kwa) nyasi
to die
kufa
to live / to exist
kuishi
to call / name /refer to /request / summon /beckon
kuita
to remember/to recall
kukumbuka
to love /like
kupenda
walls (u-class)
kuta
those walls
kuta hizo
those walls have been built
kuta hizo zimetengenezwa
Those walls have been made in a circular shape.
Kuta hizo zimetengenezwa mviringo.
clay walls
kuta za udongo
the walls have been built
kuta zimetengenezwa
to make / arrange /mend / correct /edit / build
kutengeneza
to be made / built /corrected
kutengenezwa
to be
kuwa
to have
kuwana
to be able / can / relexive: to look after / to take care of
kuweza
to be taken care of (stative)
kuwezekwa
to be taken care of by / to be looked after by
kuwezwa
for / by
kwa
in short
kwa ufupi
first
kwanza
ours /our home / our place (ku class sg=pl)
kwetu
Our home is the village of Sangura in the district of Cherangani, in the Trans-Nzoia Region.
Kwetu ni kijiji cha Sangura katika tarafa ya Cherangani, Wilayani Trans-Nzoia.
Our home is the village of Sangura in the district of Cherangani.
Kwetu ni kijiji cha Sangura katika tarafa ya Cherangani.
but
lakini
But my friends call me
Lakini rafiki zangu huniita
But my friends call me in short Isa.
Lakini rafiki zangu huniita kwa ufupi Isa.
mother (m/w class for verbs and adjectives but: possessive prefix like n class)
mama
my mother
mama yangu
my mother (short form)
mamangu
rich
matajiri
young
mdogo
very young
mdogo sana
a sick person/ an invalid
mgonjwa
circular shape / round shape / sphere (m/mi class / poss pref w/y obj pref u/i of: wa /ya)
mviringo
and
na
with (= and)
na
I like (short form)
napenda
I like more
Napenda zaidi
I like more what my friends call me.
Napenda zaidi waniitavyo rafiki zangu.
dream (n class / sg=pl / poss. prefix y/z /obj pref. i/zi ya/za)
ndoto
The Dream of America
Ndoto ya Amerika
is
ni
when I live /if I live (when /if )
nikiishi
when I was
nikiwa
when I was still very young
nikiwa bado mdogo sana
I hated (imperfect)
nilichukia
when I hated
nilipochukia
I have been
nimekuwa
I have been living ( = I have been+ when I live)
nimekuwa nikiishi
I have been living with my mother
Nimekuwa nikiishi na mamangu
I have been living with my mother since father died
Nimekuwa nikiishi na mamangu tangu baba kufa
I have
nina
I remember
ninakumbuka
I remember a certain time
Ninakumbuka wakati fulani
I remember a time when I hated
Ninakumbuka wakati fulani nilipochukia
I remember a time when I hated our home very much.
Ninakumbuka wakati fulani nilipochukia kwetu sana.
I like
ninapenda
grass (ma class/ pl manyasi)
nyasi
house (n-class poss. pref. y/z / obj pref. i/zi / of: ya/za)
nyumba
the house has
nyumba ina
our house
nyumba yetu
our has been thatched (stative)
nyumba yetu imeezekwa (kwa) nyasi
Our house has been thatched above.
Nyumba yetu imeezekwa nyasi juu.
Our house has clay walls.
Nyumba yetu ina kuta za udongo.
Our house has walls.
Nyumba yetu ina kuta.
friend (n class / sg=pl / poss. prefix y/z /obj pref. i/zi ya/za)
rafiki
my friend
rafiki yangu
my friends
rafiki zangu
my friends call you (sg)
rafiki zangu hukuita
my friends call him
rafiki zangu humita
my friends call me
rafiki zangu huniita
my friends call us
rafiki zangu hutuita
my friends call you (pl) / them
rafiki zangu huwaita
very
sana
am not /are not / is not
si
I don't have
sina
we
sisi
We are not rich.
Sisi si matajiri.
chapter (n class / sg=pl / poss. prefix y/z /obj pref. i/zi ya/za)
sura
First chapter
Sura ya kwanza
since
tangu
since father died
tangu baba kufa
district /division (n class / sg=pl / poss. prefix y/z /obj pref. i/zi ya/za)
tarafa
dirt /soil/ earth /clay (u-class / no plural)
udongo
brieveness /shortness
ufupi
wall (u- class /poss. pref. w/z / obj. pref. u / of: wa /za)
ukuta
that wall
ukuta huo
you have
una
they call (gnomic tense -tense used in literature for general statements like birds fly/ water is wet)
waita
time /timing / tense (u-class / pl. nyakati / poss. pref. w/z / obj. pref. u / of: wa /za)
wakati
a certain time
wakati fulani
they call me (gnomic tense + infix)
waniita
what they call me (gnomic tense +infix +suffix)
waniitavyo
what my friends call me
waniitavyo rafiki zangu
region / district/area (n class / sg=pl / poss. prefix y/z /obj pref. i/zi ya/za)
wilaya
in the region
wilayani
in the Trans-Nzoia Region
Wilayani Trans-Nzoia
more /most
zaidi
they have been made (n/u class pl prefix- perfect tense infix - verb +passive infix)
zimetengenezwa