The Subjunctive — Swahili Grammar

The subjunctive is the form for what should happen rather than what does. It is made by dropping the tense marker altogether and changing the stem's final -a to -e, which leaves just the subject prefix and the stem.

The Pattern

Twende nyumbani.
Let us go home.

tu- we
ende go, with its final vowel changed from -a

There is no tense marker between them, and that absence is the whole signal.

I am reading, beside that I read, let me read
you are coming, beside that you come

Lazima niende.
I must go.
Tuhesabu: moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano.
Let us count: one, two, three, four, five.

Verbs borrowed from Arabic keep their final vowel, so and look unchanged.

Let Us, and Let Him

With tu- the subjunctive is the ordinary way to make a suggestion, and English needs let us to render it.

Ndiyo. Tule chakula cha Kichina.
Yes. Let us eat Chinese food.
Tufanye mpango kwa ajili ya wikendi.
Let us make a plan for the weekend.
Twende tukatazame filamu?
Shall we go and watch a film?

With other prefixes it gives a third-person instruction that English struggles to translate directly.

Unaweza kumwomba mhudumu afike hapa?
Can you ask the waiter to come here?

is let him arrive, with the class 1 a- and the changed final vowel.

After Verbs of Wanting and Asking

When one person wants another to do something, the second verb stands in the subjunctive. English uses an infinitive here, so the two structures do not line up.

Nataka ufanye mpango na uufuate.
I want you to make a plan and follow it.
Nikusaidie nini?
How can I help you?

After lazima and Similar Words

Words meaning must, it is necessary and it is better are followed by a subjunctive, never by an infinitive.

Lazima niende.
I must go.
Lazima saa yangu iwe imeharibika.
My watch must be broken.
Lazima niendeshe baiskeli mpaka nipate gari jipya.
I must ride a bicycle until I get a new car.

Purpose

A subjunctive after another clause gives the reason for it, doing the work of English so that. The word often introduces it.

Anafungua mlango ili niweze kuingia.
He is opening the door so that I can come in.
Tafadhali nenda dukani ukanunue dazeni moja ya mayai.
Please go to the shop and buy a dozen eggs.

The Negative Subjunctive

Insert -si- after the subject prefix. This is also how prohibitions are made.

Usiwe mvivu.
Do not be lazy.
Kwa nini tusiende kwenye mkahawa?
Why do we not go to a restaurant?

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Swahili course

49 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “The Subjunctive” is about in bold:

Ndiyo. Tule chakula cha Kichina.
Yes. Let's eat Chinese food.
Lesson 127
Lazima niendeshe baiskeli mpaka nipate gari jipya.
I have to ride my bike until I get a new car.
Lesson 301
Nendeni mkaangalie jikoni. Ni dogo sana.
Go and check out (pl.) the kitchen. It is so small.
Lesson 322

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