List of Verbs
Table of Contents
- Ukuba (to be)
- Ukukwata (to have)
- Ukufwaya (to want)
- Ukwipika (to cook)
- Ukuteya (to play)
- Ukumonana (to see)
- Ukusumpula
- Ukuya (to go)
- Ukulya (to eat)
- Ukukolwa (to be drunk)
- ukupusa (to miss an object)
- ukufuluka (to miss a person)
- ukusala (to pick / or to choose)
- ukulala (to sleep)
- ukukana :: to refuse
- ukwakana :: to share
- ukuisa (to come)
- ukwafwilisha (to help)
- ukutusha (to rest after exertion)
- ukusakamana (to worry)
- ukuchita (to do)
- ukukutika (to listen (deep bemba))
- ukwensha (to drive)
- ukutapa (to fetch a fluid like water)
- ukulwala (to be sick)
- ukuchelwa (to be late)
- ukwikuta (to be satisfied from food)
- ukwenda (to go without destination)
- ukushala (to stay)
- ukutusha (to rest)
- ukulemba (to write)
- ukubelenga (to read)
- ukutemwa (to love)
- Ukukaba (to be hot)
- Ukutalala (to be quiet / to be cold)
- ukusanga (to find)
- ukutwala (to take)
- ukunjibila (to steal from me)
- ukufwala (to wear)
- ukubwela (to return for humans and animals)
- ukubwesha (to return things)
- ukushita (to buy)
- Ukumfwa (to hear / to feel)
- Ukwangala (to play)
- Ukubutuka (to run)
- ukubuka (to wake up)
- ukusukusa (to brush teeth)
- ukusakula (to comb)
- ukukumanya (to meet another person)
- ukukwela (to get into)
- ukushibuka (to wake up / part of a greeting)
- ukubuka (to wake up)
Ukuba (to be)
Ukukwata (to have)
- tabakwata
- they don't have
- namukwata
- do you have
- ninkwata
- I have
- nshikwete
- I don't have
- nakwata
- He/she has
- natukwata
- We have
- nabakwata
- They have
- naliikwata
- I had
- alikwete
- he had
- balikwete
- they had
- nalikwete
- I had
- twalikwete
- we had
Ukufwaya (to want)
- tabafwaya
- they don't want
- tabalefwaya
- they did not want
- ndefwaya
- I want
- nshilefwaya
- I don't want
- alefwaya
- he/she wants
- talefwaya
- he/she does not want
- balefwaya
- they want
Ukwipika (to cook)
- twalipika sana
- We have cooked a lot
- twaliipika sana
- We cooked a lot
- ninshi muleipika?
- what are you cooking?
- ndeipika ubowa
- I am cooking mushrooms
- nshaipiike
- I did not cook in the past
- nshaipike
- I will not cook today.
- mailo naliipika
- Yesterday I cooked
Ukuteya (to play)
- aleteya bola
- he is playing football
- alateya bola
- he plays football (he plays often, it is the habit to play football)
- ateya ku liba Sundown
- he plays for Sundown. (That is his team)
- ateya
- he is playing all the time
- ukuteya
- to play
- ndateya
- I play
- ndateya sana
- I play a lot
Present Tense (in progress right now)
- ukuteya
- to play
- ndeteya
- I'm playing
- uleteya
- you are playing
- bola
- football
- uleteya bola
- you are playing football
- ndeteya bola
- I'm playing football
- aleteya bola
- He/She is playing football
- tuleteya bola
- We are playing football
- baleteya bola
- they are playing football
(Need to find a name for this tense)
- naliteele
- I played
- aliteele
- He played
- naliteele sana bola
- I played football a lot
- twaliiteya sana bola
- We played a lot of football
Past tenses
- Akale ka nomba (past-recent / today)
- ninteya bola
- I have played football
- nauteya bola
- You have played football
- nateya bola
- He/She have played football
- natuteya bola
- we have played football
- nabateya bola
- they have played football
- Akale - earlier than the time of reporting
- nachiteya bola
- I played football
- nachiteya bola uluchelo
- I played football in the morning
- nachiteya bola akasuba
- I played football in the early afternoon (when the sun is at its peak)
- nachiteya bola ichungulo
- I played football in late afternoon
- wachiteya bola
- You played football (informal)
- mwachiteya bola
- You played football (formal)
- achiteya bola
- He/She played football
- twachiteya bola
- We played football
- bachiteya bola
- They played football
- Akale - negatives
- awe nshachiteya bola uluchelo
- No, I did not play football
- nachiteya akasuba
- I played in the afternoon
- bushe ba Samuel; mwachiteya bola uluchelo?
- Mr Samuel, did you pleay footbaal in the morning?
- awe nshachiteya bola uluchelo, nachiteya akasubo
- No I did not play football in the moring, I played in the afternoon.
- bushe Samuel achiteya bola akasuba?
- Did Samuel play football in the afternoon?
- awe tachiteya
- no he did not play
- bushe Samuel alateya bola?
- Does Samuel (he) play football? (third person) (informal)
- ba Samuel, balateya bola?
- Does Mr Samuel play football? (formal)
- twachiteya
- we played
- tatwachiteya
- we didn't play
- tabachiteya
- They did not play
- Akalekasana
- naliteya bola
- I played football (long ago)
- waliteya bola
- You played football (long ago) (informal)
- mwaliteya bola
- You played football (long ago) (formal)
- aliteya bola
- He/She played football (long ago)
- twaliteya bola
- We played football (long ago)
- baliteya bola
- The played football (long ago)
- Past imperfect (did something but stopped)
Did something but then stopped. Ex past habit or past activity.
- naleteya bola
- I was playing football / I used to play football
- naleteya ku mamelodi
- I used to play for mamelodi (sundowns)
- (no term)
- Using
kufor a club - naleteya ilyo aishile
- I was playing when he came
- waleteya
- …
- mwaleteya
- …
- aleteya
- …
- twaleteya
- …
- baleteya
- …
Future Tense / Kuntanshi
- Kuntanshi kwa nomba / Very soon (on the way to)
- nkateya bola
- I'm will play football
- ukateya bola
- You will play football (informal / singular)
- mukateya bola
- You will play football (formal / plural)
- akateya bola
- He/She will play football
- tukateya bola
- We will play football
- bakateya bola
- They will play football
- Kuntanshi kwa konkanyako / Future Continuous Tense
- Imisango ya kuntanshi
- future habits
- Imisango
- habits
- nakulateya
bolakumamelodi - I will be playing football for mamelodi (club)
- wakulateya
bola - You will be playing football (informal)
- mwakulateya
bola - You will be playing football (formal)
- akulateya
bola - He/she will be playing football
- twakulateya
bola - We will be playing football
- bakulateya
bola - They will be playing football
Ukumonana (to see)
- tukamonana
- see you (in the future)
- tukamonana palichibili
- see you on tuesday
- wamonaka
- have you seen (rhetorical question)
- twalamonana
- see you (later today)
- tukamonana
- see you (after today)
See also Saying Goodbye for usage in greetings.
Ukusumpula
- Helping yourself to some food.
- Not on a plate, straight from the pot.
- When you are boiling vegetables, after some time you remove the water. Ukusumpula is to remove the toxic elements from the vegetables. Like for mushrooms.
Ukuya (to go)
Present tense
- ndeya
- I'm going
- uleya
- you are going
- aleya
- he/she is going
- tuleya
- we are going
- baleya
- they are going
Habitual tense
- ndaya
- I go
- ndaya kusukulu
- I go to school
- bushe tulaya kunchito?
- do we go to work?
- alaya
- he / she goes
- tulaya
- we go
Future tense of today
- twalaya
- we will go
Future tense after today
- tukaya
- we will go
Future
- nkaya
- I will go
- ukaya
- you will go (informal / singular)
- mukaya
- you will go (formal / plural)
- akaya
- he/she will go
- tukaya
- we will go
- bakaya
- they will go
Past / Akale ka nomba (very recent, today)
- nachiya
- I had gone (more recent than yesterday, like in the morning)
- mwachiya kwi?
- where did you go today?
- bachiya
- they went (today)
- achiya
- he/she had gone
- Examples
- nachisa kung'anda akachelo tamwachibako
- I came to your place this morning you were not there.
- akachelo
- in the morning
- kung'anda
- home
- mwachiba kwi?
- where were you?
- mwachiya kwi?
- were did you go?
- nachiya
- I went
- twachiya uchipatala
- we went to the hospital (some time today)
- bachiya uchipatala
- they went to the hospital (some time today)
- achiya kuchipatala
- he/she went to hospital today
Past / Akale (recent, but not today, up to two weeks ago)
yesterday, or last week
- nalile
- I had gone (can be yesterday, can be last week, can not be last month, can not be last year)
- walile
- You went / you had gone
- alile
- he/she went / had gone
- twalile
- we went / we had gone (yesterday, last week)
- balile
- they went / they had gone
Past / Akalekasana (long ago)
- naile
- I went
- waile
- You went
- aile
- he/she went
- twaile
- we went
- baile
- they went
- Example
- waile kumapepo lisa?
- when did you go to church?
- naile kumapepo uyu mulungu wapwile
- I went to church last week
- mwaile lisa kumapepo
- when did you go to church? (formal / plural)
- naile
- I went
- naliisa kumwenu tamwaliko
- I came to your place and you were not there
- naile kumapepo
- I went to church
- nalile kumapepo
- I had gone to church
- naile kumapepo
- I went to church
- This conversation only applies to the last week or two.
Ukulya (to eat)
Negative form
- nshilya ubowa
- I don't eat mushrooms (eg allergy)
- Bushe Samuel alalya ubowa?
- does Samule eat mushrooms?
- awe talya ubowa
- no he does not eat mushrooms
- nshachilya ubowa akachelo
- I did not eat mushrooms in the morning
- nshachilya ubowa uluchelo
- I did not eat mushrooms in the morning
- tatulya ubowa
- We don't eat mushroom
- tatulelya
- we are not eating
- tatwachilya ubowa akachelo
- We did not eat mushrooms in the morning
- twachilya ubowa akasuba
- We ate mushrooms in the afternoon
- bushe mwachilya ubowa akasuba?
- Is it that you ate mushrooms in the afteroon? (plural / formal)
- emkwayi twachilya ubowa akasuba
- Yes, we ate mushrooms in the afternoon. (plural / formal)
- bushe bachilya ubowa akachelo?
- Did they eat mushrooms in the morning?
- awe tabachilya ubowa akachelo; bachilya ubowa akasuba
- no they did not each mushrooms in the morning; they ate mushrooms in the afternoon.
- busho wachilya ubowa akasuba?
- Did you eat mushrooms in the afternoon?
- awe nshachilya ubowa
- No I did not eat mushrooms.
Mercy ate the bird
- lwaalile
- had eaten
- naliilya
- I ate (a long time ago)
- nindya
- I've eaten (recently, today)
- nkalya
- I will eat (tomorrow)
- nalalya
- I will eat later today
- ulelya
- You are eating
- alelya
- he/she is eating
- tulelya
- we are eating (plural)
- balelya
- they are eating
- Ninshi ulelya?
- what are you eating?
- Ninshi balelya?
- What are they eating?
- amataba
- corn / maise
- ubwali
- nshima
- amachungwa
- fruit
- nomba
- now
Ukukolwa (to be drunk)
Words
- Ninkolwa
- I'm drunk
- Namukolwa
- You are drunk (formal / plural)
- Naukolwa
- You are drunk (informal / singular)
- Nakolwa
- He/She is drunk
- Natukolwa
- we are drunk
- Nabakolwa
- They are drunk
- Nshikolelwe
- I'm not drunk
- Tamukolelwe
- You are not drunk (formal / plural)
- Taukolelwe
- You are not drunk (informal / singular)
- Takolelwe
- He/She is not drunk
- Tatukolelwe
- We are not drunk
- Tabakolelwe
- They are not drunk
- nachila kolwa
- I've been drinking
- nalilkolwa
- I was drunk
Simple Example Sentences
- Bushe Pieter naukolwa?
- Pieter, are you drunk?
- Bushe ba Pieter namukolwa?
- Mr Pieter, are you drunk?
- Awe nshikolelwe
- No, I'm not drunk
- Emkwayi ninkolwa
- Yes, I am drunk.
- Bushe Mercy nakolwa?
- Is it that Mercy is drunk?
- Emkwayi nakolwa
- Yes, she is drunk.
- Awe takolelwe
- No, she is not drunk.
- Bushe ba mpundu nabakolwa?
- Is it that the twins are drunk (formal / plural)
- Awe tabakolelwe
- No, they are not drunk.
- Emkwayi nabakolwa
- Yes, they are drunk.
ukupusa (to miss an object)
- Umukulu tapusa kebo, apusa akabwe
- On old old man doesn't miss a word that he misses a stone.
- It might come to pass if an older tells you something. He has experience. If he wants to stone you he might miss.
- Wise with words (won't miss) but ineffective with actions (miss)
- the old people / erderly people
- doesn't miss
- a word, a singular one
- misses
- a small stone
ukufuluka (to miss a person)
- ninkufuluka
- I've missed you
- namumfuluka
- You people have missed me
- natufuluka
- We have missed you
- nabamfuluka
- They have missed me
- bushe Pieter naumfuluka?
- Pieter, did you miss me? / Is it that you missed me, Pieter?
- emkwayi ninkufuluka
- Yes, I've missed you
- awe nshikufulwike
- No, I've not missed you.
- Nkakufuluka
- I will miss you (informal / singular)
- Nkamifuluka
- I will miss you (formal / plural)
- Emkwayi naine Nkamifuluka
- Yes and I will miss you too. (formal / plural)
ukusala (to pick / or to choose)
- ukusala umupunga
- to pick the dirt from rice
- ukusala chilemba
- picking beans
- ukusala imbalala
- picking groundnuts
- ninkusala
- I picked you / I have chosen you
- nabakusala
- You have been picked.
ukulala (to sleep)
- ukulala
- to sleep
- nindala
- I'm sleeping
- naulala
- you are sleeping (singular / informal)
- bushe naulala?
- are you sleeping?
- bushe namulala?
- are you sleeping? (formal / plural)
- natulala
- we are sleeping
- nabalala
- they are sleeping
- bushe abana abalala
- are the children sleeping?
- nalala
- he/she is sleeping
- pa bulo
- bed
- pa bed
- bed (more modern / urban)
ukukana :: to refuse
ukwakana :: to share
- twaakana
- share (plural)
- ukwakana
- to share
- namwakana
- present tense of "to share" / shared
ukuisa (to come)
- Ba Samuel, bushe kuti mwaisa kuchipatala mailo
- Mr Samuel, can you come to the hospital tomorrow?
- Emkwayi kuti naisa
- Yes, I can come.
- ukuisa
- to come
- twaisa
- we are coming
- natwisa
- we have come
ukwafwilisha (to help)
Ba Samuel, bushe kuti mwanjafwilishako?
- nkwafwilisheko?
- can I help you (singular / informal)
- myafwilisheko?
- can I help you? (formal / plural)
- ndefwaya ukumyafwilishako
- I want to help you.
- can add "bushe" to the questions
- makes it more formal
- bushe myafwilisheko?
- Is it that I can help you? / Can I help you?
ukutusha (to rest after exertion)
- mutusha
- You are resting
- natusha
- I'm resting
- naatusha
- … has left us (for death)
- aletusha
- he is resting
ukusakamana (to worry)
- awe mwisakamana, umweni wakolwe alya uto kolwe alya
- no, don't worry. When visiting a monkey you eat what the monkey eats.
- mwisakamana
- don't worry (plurar / formal)
- wisakamana
- don't worry (informal / singular)
- ukusakamana
- to worry
ukuchita (to do)
Literally to have sex (an insult in some sections of society).
Sex
- ukuchita
- to do
- balikuchita
- Someone had sex with you
- bakakuchita
- someone will have sex with you
- nde-kuchita
- I will have sex with you
- iiule-
- prostitute
Not sex
- ifya kuchita
- activities
- leka nkwebe ifyakuchita
- let me tell you what to do.
- amashiwi nefya kuchita
- words and activities
- ulechita shani?
- how are you doing?
- ninshi ulechita?
- what are you doing?
ukukutika (to listen (deep bemba))
ukwensha (to drive)
- ukwensha
- driving
- nde ensha
- I'm driving
- baleensha
- they are writing
- aleensha
- he drives / he is driving
ukutapa (to fetch a fluid like water)
- ukutapa amenshi
- to fetch water
- ukutapa mukanwa
- "fetch your mouth" (figuratively your words will be quoted)
ukulwala (to be sick)
See Present tense.
ukuchelwa (to be late)
See Present tense.
ukwikuta (to be satisfied from food)
See Present tense.
ukwenda (to go without destination)
ukushala (to stay)
ukutusha (to rest)
ukulemba (to write)
- tulelemba
- we are writing
- balelemba
- they are writing
ukubelenga (to read)
ukutemwa (to love)
The verb to express affection. Also a name Kutemwa.
- nalikutemwa
- I love you
- ninkutemwa
- All of a sudden, I love you.
- natemwa ngashi ukumimona
- I am extremely happy to see you.
- natemwa ngashi ukumimona
- I am delighted to see you.
Ukukaba (to be hot)
- nakaba
- it is hot
Ukutalala (to be quiet / to be cold)
- nakutalala
- it is cold / it is quiet
- kwalitalala
- it was quiet
- nakutalala lelo
- it is cold today
- kuli tondolo lelo
- there's no noise today
ukusanga (to find)
- nikwisa ningasanga ichipatala
- where can I find the hospital?
ukutwala (to take)
- ukutwala
- to take
ukunjibila (to steal from me)
- nabanjibila chola
- someone robbed my bag
ukufwala (to wear)
- nimfwala
- I'm wearing
- nafwala
- he / she is wearing
- natufwala
- we were wearing
- nabafwala
- they were wearing
- ukufwala
- to wear
- nafwele itoloshi
- I wore trousers
- achifwala
- he wore
- achifwala akasote aka mukumbi makumbi
- he wore a blue cap
- ifyo nafwele
- what I wore (last year / yesterday)
ukubwela (to return for humans and animals)
- inshita nachibwela
- the time I got back / the time I returned
- nachibwela kuma 14
- I returned at 14:00
ukubwesha (to return things)
ukushita (to buy)
- ukushita
- to buy
- ndeshita
- I am buying
- uleshita
- you are buying
- tuleshita
- we are buying
- baleshita
- they are buying
- naleshita
- I was buying / I bought
- waleshita
- you are buying
- aleshita
- he / she is buying
- uleshita
- you are buying (informal)
- muleshita
- you are buying? (formal)
- uleshita inshi?
- what are you buying?
- natushita
- we have bought
- ninshita
- I bought
- naushita
- you have bought
- nashita
- he / she has bought
- nabashita
- they bought
ukushitilako (to buy for someone)
- mwanshitilako
- (you must) by for me
- mwamushitilako
- you must by for him
- mwabashitilako
- you must buy for them
- namishitilako
- I will buy for you (in this moment)
ukunshitako (to buy from)
- mwanshitako
- you must buy from me
- mwabashitako
- you must buy from them
- abashitako
- he/she must buy from them
Ukumfwa (to hear / to feel)
- twaumfwa
- we have heard
- tuleumfwa
- we are hearing
Ukwangala (to play)
- ukwangala
- to play
- tuleangala
- we are playing
- aleangala
- he is playing
- tabaleangala
- they are not playing
Ukubutuka (to run)
- alebutuka
- he is running
- talebutuka
- he is not running
ukubuka (to wake up)
ukusukusa (to brush teeth)
- ukusukusa mukanwa
- brushing teeth in the mouth (emphasis)
ukusakula (to comb)
- ukusakula imishishi
- to comb hair
ukukumanya (to meet another person)
ukukwela (to get into)
- ukukwela sacha
- to get into (to climb) a bus
- ukukwela ichimuti
- to climb a tree
ukushibuka (to wake up / part of a greeting)
- mwashibukeni?
- how did you wake up?
ukubuka (to wake up)
- mwachibuka nshi tanshi
- what time did you wake up?