STATIVE VERBS

Stative verbs express the condition of a subject or the potential of entering that condition.

Unlike passive verbs, stative verbs do not indicate who performed the action.

1.      Active: Mtu alijenga nyumba [a person built the house]

Passive: Nyumba ilijengwa na mtu [a house was built by a person]

Stative: Nyumba imejengeka [the house has been built]

 

2.      Active: Baba atapika mayai [dad will cook eggs]

Passive: Mayai yatapikwa na baba [the eggs will be cooked by dad]

Stative: Mayai yamepikika [the eggs are cooked]

 

3.     Active: Gari limeangusha mti [the car has hit a tree]

Passive: Mti umeangushwa na gari [the tree has been hit by the car]

Stative: Mti umeanguka [the tree has fallen]

 

Verbs with a, i or u, use -ika

Panda [climb/plant]	Pandika [climbable/plantable]
Vunja [beak]	Vunjika [be/can be broken]
Fikiri [think]	Fikirika [be/can be thinkable]
Hitaji [need]	Hitajika [be/can be needed]
Jaribu [try]	Jaribika [be/can be tried]
Haribu [destroy]	Haribika [be/can be destroyed]

 

Verbs where 2^nd last syllable contains e or o use -eka

Penda [love/like]	Pendeka [lovable/likeable]
Soma [read]	Someka [legible]

 

Verbs that use infixes

Verbs ending with -aa use infix -lik-

Verbs ending with -ua or -ia use infix -k- or -lik-

Verbs ending with -ea or -0a use infix -lek-

Kaa [stay]	Kalika [habitable]
Fungua [open]	Funguka [openable]
Sikia [hear]	Sikika [audible]
Lea [raise]	Leleka [raisable]
Ondoa [remove]	Ondoleka [removable]

 

Exceptions that use -kana

Ona [see]	Onekana [to be visible]
Pata [get]	Patikana [to be available]
Jua [know]	Julikana [to be known]
Weza [be able	Wezekana [to be possible]

Zoezi 1 [Exercise 1]

Which of the following is a stative verb

Kula

Lika

Lima

Linda

Translate: Shamba letu linalimika

Our farm was cultivated

We cultivated our farm

Our farm can be cultivated

Our farm cannot be cultivated

Select the sentence that contains a stative verb

Msichana alioa alipoteseka kwao

Msichana alioleka alipoteseka kwao

Msichana hajaoa na kuteseka

Msichana atao mume na kuteseka

Tafsiri: The handwriting could not be read

Mwandiko hausomi

Mwandiko haukusomeka

Mwandiko ulisoma

Mwandiko hujasoma

Select the stative verb

Semeka

Zima

koma

Palilia

Alishindwa ku____ alichofunza mhubiri

Kumbukumbu

Kumbuli

Kumbuza

Kumbuka

Select the sentence that contains a stative verb

Chakula cha mama kinalika vizuri

Chakula kinakula vizuri

Mama anakula chakula vizuri

Chakula ni kizuri

Translate: The things he did are unspeakable

Mambo aliyoyafanya hayasemeki

Hakusema mambo ambayo alisema

Alisema mambo aliyoyafanya

Mambo aliyoyafanyayanasemeka

Zoezi 2: Translate the following to Kiswahili

a.     The chair is broken

b.    This wall is climbable

c.     The girl is lovable

d.    His book is readable

e.     That house is habitable

f.       The door is open

g.     Your mistake is forgivable

h.    The question is answerable