12 Comments
Infinitive - Imp Sg - Imp Pl – Imp Sg Neg – Imp Pl Neg
- Kukimbia – kimbia – kimbieni - usikimbie – msikimbie
To run - run ! - run (you all)! – Don’t run ! – Don’t run (you all)!
- Kusoma - soma – someni - usisome – msisome
To read - Read ! - Read (you all)! – Don’t read ! – Don’t read (you all)!
- Kuandika - Andika – Andikeni - usiandike – msiandike
To write - Write ! - Write (you all)! – Don’t write ! – Don’t write (you all)!
- Kulala - Lala – Laleni - usilale – msilale
To sleep - Sleep ! - Sleep (you all)! – Don’t sleep ! – Don’t sleep (you all)!
- Kuamka - Amka – Amkeni - usiamke – msiamke
To wake up - Wake up ! - Wake up (you all)! – Don't wake up! – Don't wake up (you all)!
- Kucheza – cheza – chezeni - usicheze – msicheze
To play - Play ! - Play (you all)! – Don’t play ! – Don’t play (you all)!
- Kujaribu - Jaribu – Jaribuni - usijaribu – msijaribu
To try - Try ! - Try (you all)! – Don't try! – Don't try (you all)!
- Kurudi – rudi – rudini - usirudi – msirudi
To return - Return ! - Return (you all)! – Don’t return ! – Don’t return (you all)!
- Kufikiri - Fikiri – fikirini - usifikiri – msifikiri
To think - Think ! - Think (you all)! – Don't think! – Don't think (you all)!
- Kurudi – furahi – furahini - usifurahi – msifurahi
To be happy - Be happy ! - Be happy (you all)! – Don’t be happy ! – Don’t be happy (you all)!
- Kuja - Njoo – Njooni - usije – msije
To come - Come ! - Come (you all)! – Don’t come! – Don’t come (you all)!
- Kwenda - Nenda – Nendeni - usiende – msiende
To go - Go ! - Go (you all)! – Don’t go! – Don’t go (you all)!
This is an amazing list! Thank you so much!
Btw: it seems that you have accidentally written "kurudi" at "-furahi".
Formation of the negative Imperative:
Sg: u + si + root (if last letter = ‘a’ it changes to ‘e’
Pl: m + si + root (if last letter = ‘a’ it changes to ‘e’
Example: kukimbia - to run
Sg: u + si + kimbi - a becomes e + usikimbie - Don’t run!
Pl: m + si + kimbi - a becomes e + msikimbie – Don’t run (you all)!
Verb stems ending in other letters than a don't change Ex. kufikiri (to think) - usifikiri (Don't think)
I wish they would accept it, but in this course you will mostly be marked wrong for "you all". Maybe because it is specifically American English.
It should be marked correct. They accept "you all" on the positive commands. But they mark the negatives wrong. How else are we supposed to let them know that we recognize that it is plural??
After reading a lot of comments on this issue in this course, I now agree with those who say that "you all" is only used in certain US dialects, and -m- should be translated as "you" because that is what the rest of us would actually say in standard English.
As a general principle, it would be wrong to translate literally where English doesn't make such a distinction, just to let them know that we recognize the grammatical category. In the same way, we shouldn't write "you (accusative)" just because English doesn't distinguish between you as subject vs. object (in the way it does with the pronouns I vs me and she vs her).
the program is inconsistent in what it will accept in terms of the pronoun use
It seems so (among many other inconsistencies in this course).
For those who actually have "you all" in their dialect, it shouldn't be marked wrong, but then it just depends which correct alternatives (e.g. "all of you", "both of you") are reported by how many students and in how many lessons. If we are lucky, the course developers detect a pattern in the reports and revise the accepted answers for a whole lesson. (At least, I am guessing that's how it works.) Then we would get more consistency.
