"Unaenda"

Translation: You go

[AGreatUserName]

Is unakwenda also possible? I think I saw somewhere that kwenda can be like kula and those other short verbs that keep the ku- in some places.

[vtopphol]

Seems like it. I've heard the same, and at least the Foreign Service Institute courses use both forms.

[AGreatUserName]

Yeah, I've now seen both, but a lot of sources don't mention that both are possible. I've been talking to a guy from Zanzibar and he says ninakwenda etc. I haven't got a personal preference yet but I hope that comes soon, lol.

[vtopphol]

I would usually prefer the -enda form. I guess it's because my friends are from Kenya, and they are using that form.

[Vetyr_Cylni]

Is there a certain pattern for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person verbs? The person seems to be a part of the verb, so I would like to know if there is a quick way to remember it, just like for the singular/plural nouns. m/wa.

[vtopphol]

Yes, there is. For the subject markers it looks like this:

1st singular : ni-
1st plural : tu-
2nd singular : u-
2nd plural : m-
3rd singular : a-
3rd plural : wa-

By the way. The m/wa form you mentioned is only one of the possibilities. It also depends on the noun class. There exist many word classes, but fortunately it is quite predictable. For instance, words from the ki/vi class of nouns, would usually start with ki or ch in singular and vi or vy. An example sentence would be "Kiazi kimoja kinatosha" - "One potato is enough". You see now that all the words start with ki and that is because of the noun class of kiazi, which means potato. This word class is a particularly easy one, but others do also have similar systems, and are more or less predictable.

So therefore, a good idea is to try to acquaint yourself with the different word classes. It will help a lot.

[tumwebazes]

I have this same challange aswell. Perharps we share a boat. I really a direct way to understand it

[Rumactree]

I translated it as “You run”. It turns out I wasn’t entirely wrong:

Unaendesha = you run

Unaenda = you go

Endings really make a difference!

[dieprinzessin]

Assimil also uses ninakwenda etc.

And yes the author taught at the chuo kikuu in Zanzibar.