Verb ‘to have’

 In Swahili, there is no actual verb for ‘to have’. We therefore say ‘to be with’ which is: ‘kuwa na’

When we use kuwa na in the present tense, the verb kuwa na is substituted by -na.

In other tenses, it takes the structure of -kuwa na.

Just like all other verbs, the verb ‘to have’ is used in the following structure in a simple sentence:

Subject prefix + Tense marker + Verb

	Present tense	Past tense	Present perfect tense	Future tense
Mimi	Nina [I have]	Nilikuwa na	Nimekuwa na	Nitakuwa  na
Wewe	Una [You have]	Ulikuwa na	Umekuwa na	Utakuwa  na
Yeye	Ana [he/she has]	Alikuwa  na	Amekuwa  na	Atakuwa  na
Sisi	Tuna [We have]	Tulikuwa na	Tumekuwa  na	Tutakuwa  na
Nyinyi	Mna [You [pl]  have]	Mlikuwa na	Mmekuwa  na	Mtakuwa  na
Wao	Wana [They have]	Walikuwa na	Wamekuwa  na	Watakuwa  na
KI-VI	Kiti kina [the chair has]	kilikuwa na	kimekuwa na	kitakuwa na
	Viti vina [the chairs have]	vilikuwa na	vimekuwa na	vitakuwa na
JI-MA	Jino lina [the tooth has]	lilikuwa na	limekuwa na	litakuwa na
	Meno yana [the teeth have]	yalikuwa na	yamekuwa na	yatakuwa na
M-MI	Mti una [the tree has]	uli-	ume-	uta-
	Miti ina [the trees have]	ili-	ime-	ita-
N	Nyumba ina [the house has]	ili-	ime-	ita-
	Nyumba zina [the houses have]	zili-	zime-	zita-
U	Ukuta una [the wall has]	uli-	ume-	uta-
	Kuta zina [the walls have]	zili-	zime-	zita-

 

 

Mifano katika Sentensi

Nina riwaya nzuri.	[I have a good novel.]
Baba alikuwa na pesa.	[My father had money.]
Nchi yao ina dhahabu nyingi.	[Their country has a lot of gold.]
Darasa langu lina viti vitatu.	[My class has three chairs.]
Jamaa yetu ina wavulana wengi.	[Our family has many boys.]
Kiti kitakuwa na miguu minne.	[The chair will have four legs.]
Mti ule una matunda mengi.	[That tree has many fruits]
Nyumba ina madirisha matatu.	[The house has three windows.]
Gari lilikuwa na abiria.	[The car had passengers.]

 

Exercise 1: Use the appropriate descriptive word meaning 'to have' to fill in the blank spaces.

Gari hili ________magurudumu manne.	[This car has four tyres.]
Nyumba hii ______vyumba vinne.	[This house will have four rooms.]
Mtoto huyu _______miaka kumi.	[This child is ten years old.]
Jirani wale ________mbwa wakubwa sana.	[Those neighbors had very big dogs.]
Nchi yetu ________wananchi wema.	[Our country has good citizens.]
Nyumbani kwetu ________ng’ombe watano.	[Our home had five cows.]
Dada yangu __________simu nzuri sana.	[My sister will have a very nice phone.]

 

 

Kukanusha [negations]

 

Mtu [person]	Verb
Mimi	Sina [I don’t have]
Wewe	Hauna [You don’t have]
Yeye	Hana [he/she doesn’t have]
Sisi	Hatuna [we don’t have]
Nyinyi	Hamna [You all don’t have]
Wao	Hawana [they don’t have]

 

 

Mifano katika sentensi

Malaika hana kitabu.	[Malaika doesn’t have a book.]
Shule haina basi.	[The school doesn’t have a bus.]
Marina hana rafiki.	[Marina doesn’t have a friend.]
Mnunuzi hana pesa za kutosha.	[The buyer does not have enough money.]
Babu hana ng’ombe wengi.	[My grandfather doesn’t have many cows.]

 

 

Exercise 2: Negate the following sentences

Baba yangu ana gari nzuri.	[My father has a nice car.]
Mbuga hii ina wanyama wengi.	[This park has many animals.]
Mtoto ana furaha nyingi.	[The baby is very happy.]
Nyumba hii ina televisheni lakini haina viti.	[This house has a television but doesn’t have chairs.]
Vyumba vyote vina vitanda viwili.	[All rooms have two beds.]

Exercise 3

1. Translate into Kiswahili 'I have a car'

a. Mimi nina gari

b. wewe una gari

c. Sisi tuna gari

d. Wao wana gari

2. Translate into Kiswahili 'You (singular) have a book'

a. Nyinyi mna kitabu

b. Wewe una kitabu

c. Yeye ana kitabu

d.Wewe hauna kitabu

3. Translate into Kiswahili 'He has a baby'

a. Yeye nina mtoto

b. Yeye tuna mtoto

c. Yeye wana mtoto

d. Yeye ana mtoto

4. What is being said: Sisi tuna kalamu

a. We have a pen

b. He has a pen

c. They have a pen

d. We don't have a pen

5. What is being said: Nyinyi mna watoto

a. You have a baby

b. You have babies

c. They have a baby

d. They have babies

6. Translate to Kiswahili: 'I don't have a cup'

a. Mimi nina kikombe

b. Mimi sina kikombe

c. Mimi ni kikombe

d. Mimi si kikombe

7. What is being said: Wewe hauna kijiko

a. You (singular) have a spoon

b. You (plural) have a spoon

c. You (singular) don't have a spoon

d. You (plural) don't have a spoon

8. Translate to Kiswahili: 'She doesn't have a plate'

a. Yeye ana sahani

b. Yeye ni sahani

c. Yeye si sahani

d. Yeye hana sahani

9. Translate to Kiswahili: 'We don't have a book'

a. Sisi ni kitabu

b. Sisi hatuna kitabu

c. Sisi si kitabu

d. Sisi tuna kitabu

10. Translate to Kiswahili 'You (plural) don't have children'

a. Nyinyi hamna watoto

b. Nyinyi si watoto

c. Nyinyi ni watoto

d. Nyinyi mna watoto