Commands in Kiswahili

 

In Kiswahili, when giving a command to one person, the verb ends with ‘-a’, but when the recipients are more than one, the ‘–a’ at the end is removed and replaced with ‘–eni’.

To one person      To many people Fanya! Fanyeni! Do! Ngoja! Ngojeni! Wait! Chora! Choreni! Draw! Paka! Pakeni! Color! Enda! Endeni Go! Shika! Shikeni! Catch! Kula! Kuleni! Eat! Funga! Fungeni! Open! Ona! Oneni! See! Nyamaza! Nyamazeni! Keep quiet! Simama! Simameni! Stand up! Cheka! Chekeni! Laugh! Lia! Lieni! Cry! Andika! Andikeni! Write! Sema! Semeni! Speak/Say! Zungumza! Zungumzeni! Talk! Fika! Fikeni! Arrive! Kula! Kuleni! Eat! Ingia! Ingieni! Enter! Tembea! Tembeeni! Walk! Ongea! Ongeeni! Talk! Tazama! Tazameni! Look! Ruka! Rukeni! Jump! Anguka! Angukeni! Fall! Funza! Funzeni! Teach! Imba! Imbeni! Sing!

 

There are some irregular verbs which do not end with ‘–a’.

Mifano:

To one person		To many people
Karibu!		Karibuni!			Welcome!
Jaribu!		Jaribuni!			Try!
Rudi!		Rudini!			Come back!
Njoo!		Njooni!			Come!
Sahau!		Sahauni!			Forget!
Haribu!		Haribuni!			Destroy!
Jibu!		Jibuni!			Answer/Reply!

 

Sometimes, people add ‘tu’ when communicating. Depending on the context, the statement could be a command, a threat or just a plain non-threatening statement.

Fanya tu   - Just do it.

Njoo tu – Just come

Sema tu- Just say it.

 

 

Mifano

Nipe kitabu hicho.        [Give me that book.]

Keti hapa.                      [Sit here.]

Njoo hapa!                    [Come here!]

Tembea haraka!            [Walk faster!]

Nyamazeni!                   [Keep quiet!]

Tembea polepole!         [Walk slowly!]

Enda pale!                     [Go there!]

Endeni sokoni!              [Go to the market!]

Endeni nyumbani!        [Go home!]

Malizeni kazi zote!        [Finish all the tasks!]

Enda maktabani!          [Go to the library!]

Soma kitabu chako!      [Read your book!]

Acha uzembe!               [Stop being lazy!]

Usivuke mpaka huu!    [Don’t cross this boundary!]

Leteni viatu vyote!        [Bring all the shoes.]

Vuka barabara!             [Cross the road!]