We had coffee and tea and couldn't even drink them.
Let's remedy!
Oh and before that let's welcome you all.
| asubuhi | morning |
is an N/N class word, too.
| Asubuhi njema ! | Good morning ! |
- - ema is very similar to
- -zuri
Both mean 'good'.
| -zuri | - good / pretty / beautiful - nice - often used to describe things/ conditions / situations |
| -ema | - good / healthy (food) - nice / pleasant - describes people or their qualities - moral goodness - mtu mwema - a good person - asubuhi njema - Good morning - usiku mwema - Good night |
As a conclusion '-ema' is used in greetings meaning pleasant
- a pleasant morning / a pleasant night
- Hodi hodi - May I come in ? / Knock, knock !
- Hodi nyumbani ? - May I come inside (the house) ?
- Karibu ! - Welcome !
habari - news
Another N/N word and a very versatile one.
- Habari ya asubuhi ? - 'news (sg) of the morning = How is your morning ? / How are you doing? / What's up ?
- Habari za asubuhi - 'news (pl) of the morning = How is your morning ? / How are you doing? / What's up ?
- Habari za nyumbani? - How is home/ family ?
- kazi - work
- Habari za kazi?- -How is work?
- safari - trip / journey
- Habari za safari? - How is/was your trip?
- Habari za shule ? - How is school ?
- Habari za baba? - How is Dad?
I guess you got the idea...
Let's look at some answers:
- Nzuri. - Fine./ I'm fine / We are fine./ Everything is fine...
- Salama. - Peaceful. / I'm fine / Everything is peacefull....
- Poa. - Cool/ calm / I am fine...
- Safi. - Clean / pure / I am fine....
And now let's have some coffee.
| kunywa | to drink |
| kula | to eat |
These two verbs behave a little different from 'kupenda' and 'kuogopa'.
'Kupenda' dropped its infinive marker 'ku-' in order to add person and time marker instead. e.g. ninapenda. Our new verbs keep the 'ku-' for the positive present tense; they drop it for the negative present tense. ( ninaKUla - Sili)
| Kula - to eat | positive | negative | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First person sg | Ni-na-ku-la | I eat | Si-li | I don't eat |
| Second person sg | U-na-ku-la | You eat | Hu-li | You don't eat |
| Third person sg | A-na-ku-la | He eats | Ha-li | He doesn't eat |
| First person pl | Tu-na-ku-la | We eat | Ha-tu-li | We don't eat |
| Second person pl | M-na-ku-la | You eat | Ha-m-li | You don't eat |
| Third person pl | Wa-na-ku-la | They eat | Ha-wa-li | They don't eat |
| Kunywa - to drink | positive | negative | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First person sg | Ni-na-ku-nywa | I drink | Si-nywi | I don't drink |
| Second person sg | U-na-ku-nywa | You drink | Hu-nywi | You don't drink |
| Third person sg | A-na-ku-nywa | He drinks | Ha-nywi | He doesn't drink |
| First person pl | Tu-na-ku-nywa | We drink | Ha-tu-nywi | We don't drink |
| Second person pl | M-na-ku-nywa | You drink | Ha-m-nywi | You don't drink |
| Third person pl | Wa-na-ku-nywa | They drink | Ha-wa-nywi | They don't drink |
Before we drink our coffee quick some food. Of course all pure N/N food. ;)
| chumvi | salt |
| mboga | vegetables |
| ndizi | banana |
| nazi | coconut |
| nyama | meat |
| pilipili | pepper |
| pilipili hoho | paprika / bell pepper |
| siagi | butter / margarine |
| sukari | sugar |
Ninakunywa kahawa kila asubuhi. - I drink coffee every morning.
Sili sukari. - I don't eat sugar.
Before we start eating meat let's give some choice:
| ng'ombe | cow / ox |
| nyama ya ng'ombe | beef |
| nguruwe | pig |
| nyama ya nguruwe | porc |
| kuku | chicken |
| nyama ya kuku | chicken (meat) |
| mbuzi | goat |
| nyama ya mbuzi | goat meat |
Unapenda kula nyama ya mbuzi? - Do you like eating goat meat?
Sili nyama ya nguruwe. - I don't eat porc meat.
Leo tuna nyama ya ng'ombe. Today we have beef.
Mnakunywa chai? - Do you (pl) drink tea?
Mwalimu anakula ndizi. - The teacher is eating bananas.
chumvi na sukari - salt and sugar
Pilipili hoho ni mboga. - Bell peppers are vegetables.
Unapenda kula mboga? - Do you like eating vegetables?
Wageni wangu hawali samaki. - My guests don't eat fish.