The Infinitive ku-

01

Finding the Stem

Take off the ku- and what remains is the stem all the tenses attach to.

• kusoma gives soma, hence ninasoma
• kununua gives nunua, hence ninanunua
• kufanya gives fanya, hence unafanya

• Ninanunua ndizi moja na mayai sita.

  I am buying one banana and six eggs.

02

After Another Verb

This is where infinitives are met most often. Verbs of wanting, needing, being able, liking and starting are all followed by one, and only the first verb carries a subject and a tense.

• Nataka kuoka keki, lakini sina mayai.

  I want to bake a cake, but I have no eggs.

• Unaweza kufungua chupa hii?

  Can you open this bottle?

• Naweza kuijaribu piano hii kabla ya kuinunua?

  Can I try this piano before buying it?

Two infinitives hang from the single conjugated verb naweza in that last sentence.

03

kwenda and kwisha

Two verbs contract the prefix to kw-, and they are worth learning as exceptions: -enda gives kwenda to go, and -isha gives kwisha to finish.

• Nahitaji kwenda msalani.

  I need to go to the toilet.

• Nitasafiri kwenda Ulaya mwezi Oktoba.

  I will travel to Europe in October.

Every other stem beginning with a vowel keeps the prefix whole, with no contraction and no vowel lost on either side of the join.

• -ona gives kuona - to see
• -ingia gives kuingia - to enter

• Duka limefungwa. Huwezi kuingia.

  The shop is closed. You cannot go in.

04

An Object Can Sit Inside

Between the ku- and the stem there is a slot for an object marker, which is why infinitives in real sentences often come out three pieces long.

• Unaweza kunipa mfano?

  Can you give me an example?

• ku- to
• -ni- me
• pa give

• Naweza kuibeba. Ni nyepesi sana.

  I can carry it. It is very light.

05

Purpose

An infinitive after another verb often gives the purpose of the first action, where English says in order to.

• Nilikwenda kwake jana jioni kunywa chai.

  I went to his place yesterday evening to drink tea.

• Nitaenda kutazama igizo la jukwaani.

  I will go and watch a stage play.

06

It Is Also a Noun

The infinitive belongs to a noun class of its own, so it can be the subject of a sentence. English has to switch to an -ing form to follow it.

• Kujifunza lugha mpya ni vigumu sana.

  Learning a new language is very hard.