Tenses

ukulwala

to be sick

ukuchelwa

to be late

ukwikuta

to be satisfied (from food)

nindwala

I am sick

ndi …

I am …

nau …

you are … (singular)

nin-chelwa

I am late

nau-chelwa

you are late (singular)

na-chelwa

he / she is late

natu-chelwa

we are late

namu-chelwa

you are late (plural)

naba-chelwa

they are late

ninjikuta

I am satisfied

nau-wikuta

you are satisfied (singular)

naikuta

he / she is satisfied

namwikuta

you are satisfied (plural)

nabwikuta

they are satisfied

(Examples in ukuya.)

Akale ka nomba

past, very recent (today)

Akale

past. (yesterday, last week)

Akalesana

past, long ago. (up to last month, more or less)

munshita yakale

in the past

For future tenses, you have:

• later today
• tomorrow (or soon after that)
• far in the future

Then there is also the "habitual" tenses.

ukuya

to go

ulaya

you go (singular)

bushe ulaya kusukulu

do you go to school?

emkwayi ndaya kusukula

yes, I go to school

bushe ulaya kunchito

do you have a job? / do you go to work?

emkwayi ndaya kunchito

yes, I go to work.

alaya

he / she goes

bushe alaya kunchito

does he go to work?

emkwayi alaya kunchito

yes, he goes to work.

tulaya

we go

bushe tulaya kunchito?

do we go to work?

bushe tulaya kumapepo

do wo go to church?

emkwayi tulaya kumapepo

yes, we go to church

alaya kung'anda

he / she goes home

ndeya kusukulu

I'm going to school.

uleya kumapepo

You are going to church.

tuleya kusukulu

we're going to school.

tuleya kugauteng

we're going to Gauteng

baleya ku Lusaka

they're going to Lusaka