GENERAL COMMENTS REGARDING THE KISWAHILI GRAMMAR
info.masshele@gmail.com
PRONUNCIATIONS
Kiswahili language is among the easiest language to learn over the worlds languages. This is due the fact that, you pronounce a word as you write it. This is contrary to Indo-European languages such as German, English and French to mention just a few whose pronunciations are quite different from how they are written.
Kiswahili Vowels and Consonants
(a) Vowels: Vowels are five by number including /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. These vowels are pronounced distinctly and clearly, regardless of the position they take. A vowel is a syllable that means the utterance you make when articulating a word. In Kiswahili, stress (which is underlying realised as accent) is on the last syllable by one. As you articulate a word, you node your head at the end of a syllable. Otherwise, you will ask a question. This is because in this language, the same construction can be a statement or question - depending where the stress is.
For example a phrase meaning you will come! in Kiswahili you have to say utakuja! This is just a statement, but if you make arising tone at the end of that word, it will sound as a question utakuja? So NODING is a solution to avoid this ambiguity or confusion. This is an exercise for the first week of your interaction with the language but slowly you will get it. The only way to know this is by interaction with native speakers. People will be happy to hear you speaking their language, and they will help you correct the pronunciation. So you have to use this opportunity as long as you have a free laboratory to exercise or practice your Kiswahili phrases.
(b) Consonants: Consonants are not very different from English ones although there are minor differences. In Kiswahili when you pronounce these consonants, the sound /e/ is your guide as long as it is attached to those consonants, so you pronounce with /e/ sound. The number of these consonants is different from English as in Kiswahili we do not have /q/ and /x/ sounds but, the rest is as in English language. In addition to this, we have syllables with three to four sounds. In many cases the glide /w/ is attached to other sounds to make a syllable.
The following are Kiswahili consonants with their equivalent in English:
English Kiswahili
B B /be/
C C /che/
D D /de/
F F /fe/
G G /ge/
H H /he/
J J /je/
K K /ke/
L L /le/
M M /me/
N N /ne/
P P /pe/
Q ─ ─
R R /re/
S S /se/
T T /te/
V V /ve/
W W /we/
X ─ ─
Y Y /ye/
Z Z /ze/
BEGINNER´S SURVIVAL KIT - THE GRAMMAR
Grammar is the most important thing in any language as so it is in Kiswahili language, especially the noun classes. This is the backbone of this language, simply because a sentence can only be complete if it agrees with the noun class concerned. The same applied to the adjectives that, they will behave differently due to noun classes they modify.
Normally the prefix part in most Kiswahili adjectives is the one which misbehaves in the sense that, a construction can only be correct when you use correct prefixes depending on noun class it modifies. For example, we have an adjective zuri, which stands for good in English. This adjective will take different forms according to noun class you are referring to. A sentence this is a good child in Kiswahili it will sound as huyu ni mtoto mzuri. Observe the adjective in plural the sentence will behave as hawa ni watoto wazuri.
In things noun class, the adjective in singular will be as follows if you want to say this is nice food, in Kiswahili you will need to manipulate the adjective as hiki ni chakula kizuri. In plural you have to say hivi ni vyakula vizuri. So this goes in every noun class, whether a sentence is in singular or plural. You have to make sure that, there is correct noun-verb agreement. But you have not to worry as long as this manual is your partner in learning. This task will be as smooth as you cant imagine. Worry not you will catch it as long as you are going to be exposed to noun classes in Kiswahili, which is the backbone of the Kiswahili language.
In session one, a learner will be exposed to different grammatical aspects which are supposed not to be taken on its own sake I mean through creaming! Big NO!!! What is needed is to put grammatical patterns into practice as long as you have a Kiswahili laboratory which is available free of charge in Tanzanian context.
This means that, you will get a help on certain things, concept or pronunciation correctly even if, you did not ask anybody. This is your freely laboratory to experiment your Kiswahili phrases and vocabularies gained so far.
For example, take our previous example above hiki chakula ni kizuri then deal with every construction in this sentence like hiki = demonstrative; chakula= food; ni= is; ki = subject prefix for things noun class (KI/VI); zuri = good or nice. If you deal with every fragment like this, you will end up creaming and not learning. The important thing is to bind yourself with communicative translation neither literal nor direct translations.
The side by side translation used in this section will play a big role in helping beginners to pick up meanings. Later on translations shall be avoided. Then, the use of Kiswahili-English and English- Kiswahili Dictionaries will play an important role.
In the first week, a learner should try to acquire more than fifty new vocabularies. In week two, three times of the first week. From the third week to a month, more than a thousand new vocabularies should be acquired. In addition to this, you as a learner you are supposed to construct five sentences in week one. In week two, you are supposed to write a story about half a page. Week three, you are supposed to write one page story while in week four, you should write two pages.
These stories are from the tours, trips or experiences gained so far or about what things made you happy or worse in a new environment. Also, it can be on the host family in Tanzania, et cetera.
Kiswahili is one of the simplest languages to learn. This is due to the fact that, you write a word as it is pronounced compared to other languages which differ in writing from the way they are pronounced, as elaborated earlier. Interacting with native speakers will improve your pronunciation as long as you will listen to the way people communicate with each other.
Note: In some cases, direct translation will be given alongside communicative translation. Direct translation will follow immediately after the Kiswahili word or phrase in italics then, communicative translation will be in normal format. Equivalent meaning of words or phrases will be presented in normal formats.
You can buy your copy at lulu.com website
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-1-beginners-book/paperback/product-20928398.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-2-swahili-for-intermediate-level/paperback/product-20928416.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-3-swahili-for-advanced-level/paperback/product-20928428.html
info.masshele@gmail.com
PRONUNCIATIONS
Kiswahili language is among the easiest language to learn over the worlds languages. This is due the fact that, you pronounce a word as you write it. This is contrary to Indo-European languages such as German, English and French to mention just a few whose pronunciations are quite different from how they are written.
Kiswahili Vowels and Consonants
(a) Vowels: Vowels are five by number including /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. These vowels are pronounced distinctly and clearly, regardless of the position they take. A vowel is a syllable that means the utterance you make when articulating a word. In Kiswahili, stress (which is underlying realised as accent) is on the last syllable by one. As you articulate a word, you node your head at the end of a syllable. Otherwise, you will ask a question. This is because in this language, the same construction can be a statement or question - depending where the stress is.
For example a phrase meaning you will come! in Kiswahili you have to say utakuja! This is just a statement, but if you make arising tone at the end of that word, it will sound as a question utakuja? So NODING is a solution to avoid this ambiguity or confusion. This is an exercise for the first week of your interaction with the language but slowly you will get it. The only way to know this is by interaction with native speakers. People will be happy to hear you speaking their language, and they will help you correct the pronunciation. So you have to use this opportunity as long as you have a free laboratory to exercise or practice your Kiswahili phrases.
(b) Consonants: Consonants are not very different from English ones although there are minor differences. In Kiswahili when you pronounce these consonants, the sound /e/ is your guide as long as it is attached to those consonants, so you pronounce with /e/ sound. The number of these consonants is different from English as in Kiswahili we do not have /q/ and /x/ sounds but, the rest is as in English language. In addition to this, we have syllables with three to four sounds. In many cases the glide /w/ is attached to other sounds to make a syllable.
The following are Kiswahili consonants with their equivalent in English:
English Kiswahili
B B /be/
C C /che/
D D /de/
F F /fe/
G G /ge/
H H /he/
J J /je/
K K /ke/
L L /le/
M M /me/
N N /ne/
P P /pe/
Q ─ ─
R R /re/
S S /se/
T T /te/
V V /ve/
W W /we/
X ─ ─
Y Y /ye/
Z Z /ze/
BEGINNER´S SURVIVAL KIT - THE GRAMMAR
Grammar is the most important thing in any language as so it is in Kiswahili language, especially the noun classes. This is the backbone of this language, simply because a sentence can only be complete if it agrees with the noun class concerned. The same applied to the adjectives that, they will behave differently due to noun classes they modify.
Normally the prefix part in most Kiswahili adjectives is the one which misbehaves in the sense that, a construction can only be correct when you use correct prefixes depending on noun class it modifies. For example, we have an adjective zuri, which stands for good in English. This adjective will take different forms according to noun class you are referring to. A sentence this is a good child in Kiswahili it will sound as huyu ni mtoto mzuri. Observe the adjective in plural the sentence will behave as hawa ni watoto wazuri.
In things noun class, the adjective in singular will be as follows if you want to say this is nice food, in Kiswahili you will need to manipulate the adjective as hiki ni chakula kizuri. In plural you have to say hivi ni vyakula vizuri. So this goes in every noun class, whether a sentence is in singular or plural. You have to make sure that, there is correct noun-verb agreement. But you have not to worry as long as this manual is your partner in learning. This task will be as smooth as you cant imagine. Worry not you will catch it as long as you are going to be exposed to noun classes in Kiswahili, which is the backbone of the Kiswahili language.
In session one, a learner will be exposed to different grammatical aspects which are supposed not to be taken on its own sake I mean through creaming! Big NO!!! What is needed is to put grammatical patterns into practice as long as you have a Kiswahili laboratory which is available free of charge in Tanzanian context.
This means that, you will get a help on certain things, concept or pronunciation correctly even if, you did not ask anybody. This is your freely laboratory to experiment your Kiswahili phrases and vocabularies gained so far.
For example, take our previous example above hiki chakula ni kizuri then deal with every construction in this sentence like hiki = demonstrative; chakula= food; ni= is; ki = subject prefix for things noun class (KI/VI); zuri = good or nice. If you deal with every fragment like this, you will end up creaming and not learning. The important thing is to bind yourself with communicative translation neither literal nor direct translations.
The side by side translation used in this section will play a big role in helping beginners to pick up meanings. Later on translations shall be avoided. Then, the use of Kiswahili-English and English- Kiswahili Dictionaries will play an important role.
In the first week, a learner should try to acquire more than fifty new vocabularies. In week two, three times of the first week. From the third week to a month, more than a thousand new vocabularies should be acquired. In addition to this, you as a learner you are supposed to construct five sentences in week one. In week two, you are supposed to write a story about half a page. Week three, you are supposed to write one page story while in week four, you should write two pages.
These stories are from the tours, trips or experiences gained so far or about what things made you happy or worse in a new environment. Also, it can be on the host family in Tanzania, et cetera.
Kiswahili is one of the simplest languages to learn. This is due to the fact that, you write a word as it is pronounced compared to other languages which differ in writing from the way they are pronounced, as elaborated earlier. Interacting with native speakers will improve your pronunciation as long as you will listen to the way people communicate with each other.
Note: In some cases, direct translation will be given alongside communicative translation. Direct translation will follow immediately after the Kiswahili word or phrase in italics then, communicative translation will be in normal format. Equivalent meaning of words or phrases will be presented in normal formats.
You can buy your copy at lulu.com website
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-1-beginners-book/paperback/product-20928398.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-2-swahili-for-intermediate-level/paperback/product-20928416.html
http://www.lulu.com/shop/elizabeth-mahenge/nasema-kiswahili-3-swahili-for-advanced-level/paperback/product-20928428.html
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