Lesson 8

People pretend less than animals, at least when it comes to Swahili grammar. There are some people nouns in the N/N class. They also pretend to be M/Wa nouns like the animals, but unlike them they use the possessiv pronouns of the N/N class.

M/WaN/N SgN/N Plural
mbwa

dog

wangu

my dog(s)

- -
kaka

brother

-yangu

my brother

zangu

my brothers

dada

sister

-yangu

my sister

zangu

my sisters

For all the rest they behave like the M/Wa class words, including the use of the possessive 'wa' (of) of the M/Wa class.

Let's have a look at these words:

baba yetu - our father

baba zetu our fathers

dada zako your sisters

Dada yangu ni mzuri. My sister is nice.

Dada zangu ni wazuri. My sisters are nice.

Mama wa Emilian ni mzuri. Emilian's mother is nice.

babafather(s)
mamamother(s)
kakabrother(s)
dadasister(s)
rafikifriend(s)