Subjunctives are verbs used to express suggestions, wishes, uncertainty and possibility. It is a verb form that shows things that could or should happen.
You form a subjunctive by
changing the final -a into -e in a verb.
Mifano
Anasoma [She or he is reading]
Asome [She or he should
read]
Anakula [She or he is eating]
Ale [She or he should eat]
Tutakuja [We will come]
Tuje [We should come]
Ninafikiri [I
think]
Nifikiri [I should think]
Atakuja [She or
he will come.]
Aje [She or he should come]
Nala [I am
eating]
Nile [I should eat]
Analala [She or
he is sleeping.]
Alale [He or she should
sleep]
When to use Subjunctives
1. Giving indirect commands (for ‘you’ to do to someone else)
Mpatie chakula [Give him food]
Mwitishe kitabu [Ask him for the book]
2. Making suggestions
Ulale [You should sleep]
Apumzike [He should rest]
3. Second part of two commands
Chukua kalamu uandike [Take a pen and write]
Fungua kitabu usome [Open the book and read]
The words used with subjunctive words include;
Lazima [It’s a must]
Afadhali [It is better
that]
Tafadhali [please]
Ni bora [It is better]
Ili [so that]
Mifano katika sentensi
1. Ni bora ulale. [It is better that you sleep.]
2. Afadhali tusome. [We should read.]
3. Ni lazima uende shuleni. [You must go to school.]
4. Ni bora twende nyumbani. [We should go home.]
5. Alikuja ili nimsaidie. [He/she came so that I could help
her/him.]
Negating Subjunctives
When negating subjunctives, we insert the infix ‘si’ between the subject prefix and verb.
Uende [you
should go]
Usiende [you should not go]
Acheke [he
shold laugh]
Asicheke [he should not
laugh]
Mlale [you
should sleep]
Msilale [you should not
sleep]
Tutembee [Let
us walk]
Tusitembee [we should not
walk]
Exercises
A. Write the subjunctive verbs of the following words.
1. Analala
2. Anaandika
3. Unakuja
4. Anasoma
5. Unajibu
6. Asiende
7. Asikuje
8. Atakula
Translate the following
sentences into Kiswahili.
1. Take a pen and write.
2. Write, and do not ask me
questions.
3. Close the door, and do
not go out.
4. Do not ask him
questions.
5. Enter so that we may
talk.
6. Don’t let anyone open
this door.
7. I ask you to be patient.
8. I would like you to
sing.
9. I will sit down so I can
have some rest.