The subjunctive verb form is much more common in Shingazidja.
It is used to express a wish, desire, request, suggestion, obligation as
well as purpose, intention, etc…
The subjunctive is not a tense, and has therefore no tense prefix.
The simplest form is made from the subject prefix + the verb stem with
its final A changed to E in the case of shingazidja Bantu originated verb stems and no
change in verb stems of nonBantu origin. It
an object prefix is needed, it immediately precedes the verb stem, after the
subject prefix.
|
INFINITIVE |
SUBJUNCTIVE |
MEANING |
|
HUSOMA |
NARISOME |
Let
us learn |
|
HULAMHA |
NANIMLAMWE |
Let
me wake him up |
|
HULA
|
NALE |
He
should eat |
|
HUFURAHI |
NAWAFURAHI |
They
should rejoice |
|
HUFIKIRI |
NARIFIKIRI |
Let
us think |
|
HUHISABU |
TAFADHALI UZIHISABU |
Please,
count them (the houses) |
|
HUJA |
NAWADJE |
Let
them come |
It is formed by inserting TSI immediately following the subject prefix
and preceding the object prefix if there is one.
|
INFINITIVE |
SINGULAR |
PLURAL |
MEANING |
|
HUSOMA |
UTSI-SHI-SOME |
NAMTSI-SHI-SOME |
Do
not read it (book) You
should not read it |
|
HULA
|
NTSILE |
RITSILE |
I
should not eat Let
us not eat |
|
HUFIKIRI |
NTSIMFIKIRI |
RITSIMFIKIRI |
I
(we) should not think about him (her) |
|
HWAMBA |
UTSIMWAMBIE |
NAMTSIMWAMBIE |
Do
not tell him / her(them) |
|
HUJA |
ATSIDJE |
WATSIDJE |
He
(they) should not come |
The subjunctive is used with all persons and noun classes; in generals it
conveys a wish or desire either stated or questioned.
Specific uses may be listed:
a)
polite imperative
It is used only with a 2nd person singular or plural subject.
See the part for polite imperative for more examples.
TAFADHALI UMSAIDIE
Please, help him
TAFADHALI USOME YE SHIO Please,
read the book
b)
Suggestion, wish, request
It is used with all persons other than 2nd
person singular or plural. In
shingazidja, the use of HURANTSI
(to let ), HULAZIMU (should), or HUDJUZU
(may).
|
NIRENTSI
NIH-USAIDIE |
Let
me help you |
|
MRENTSI YAH-USAIDIE |
Let
him help you |
|
WARENTSI WAH-USAIDIE |
Let
them help you |
|
YILAZIMU ARONGOWE SHIFARANTSA |
He/she
should speak french |
c)
Questioned suggestion, request for advice
|
NI-H-USAIDIE
? |
Should
I help you ? |
|
Y-ENDE NDI ? |
When
should he go ? |
|
RI-MW-AMBIE
HINDRI ? |
What
should we tell him/her ? |
|
RI-W-AMBIE
HINDRI ? |
What
should we tell them ? |
|
|
|
d)
Second of two commands, or and indirect command
|
NTSO ULE |
Come
and eat |
|
MW-AMBIE
Y-ADJE MAUDU |
Tell
him to come tomorrow |
|
NTSO U-RI-WONE |
Come
to see us |
|
TRULIYA UYISHIE YE HADISI |
Be
still and hear the story |
|
|
|
e)
Following expression of obligation or necessity
In this case, the subjunctive is used with proverbs which indicates:
v
Strong obligation ( sharti, laszima,
ya…passa, ya…bidi )
v
Desirability (tafadhali, keri,
bora )
|
Tafadhali u-ri-saidie |
You
had better help us |
|
Keri w-ende hodahoni |
You
had better go home |
|
Bora ri-lamhe |
It
is good that we awaken |
|
Sharti urentsi wo widzi |
You
have to stop the steal |
|
Lazima wende holapitali |
You
must go to the hospital |
|
Yi-hu-pasa uhudhurie hobundjilioni |
It's
your duty to attend the meeting |
|
Yi-ri-bidi ri-mdjulize zehabari |
We're
bound to tell (inform) him the news |
Any object may be used with "hupasa
or yi…pasa" and "hubidi
or yi…bidi" depending on
the subject of the next clause
f)
To express purpose or intention with or without "ili"
or "kusudi":
|
Hanisaidia ili nitimizi ye hazi kabula |
He
(she) helped me so that I would finish the work early. |
|
Sihulisa ndro ze nkuhu ili rihundre madjwayi |
We
feel well the chicken in order to get eggs |
|
Hadja ha kusudi yahuwone |
He
came so he could see you |
|
|
|
g)
Dependant clause after verbs of :
Consenting (hukubal), allowing
(hurantsi), requesting (huomba),
advising (hushawiri), or commanding (huamrisha,
hufanya).
|
Wakubali ri-rohe na kabula |
They
agreed that we should leave early |
|
Umrentsi yende zahe |
Let
him(her) go his (her) way |
|
Tsidjo-hushawiri uredjei hodahoni |
I
would advise you to return home |
|
Ridjo-huomba urentsi ye mahiyo |
We
would request that you stop the noise |
|
Amrisha ye mwana ende hoshioni |
You
should command the child to go to school |
h)
Following certain preposition rangu
(since), mpaka, hata (until), karibu
(almost)
|
Rangu ridja
ka-ri-djala mpvahindru |
Since
we arrived, we haven't had tea |
|
Utsirohe mpaka warudi |
Don't
leave until they returns |
|
Ngutsodjonitaabisha hata nihasirihe? |
Will
he bother me until I get angry ? |
|
Ngasi karibu nahweda zatru |
We
are about to leave |
i)
Negative subjunctive following verbs of
restriction and prevention: huzia (to prevent), huharaziza
(to forbid), hutraza (to protect
), hufahamisha (to warn).
|
Wa-ri-zia
ri-tsi-pvire |
They
prevented us from passing |
|
Mbaba ha-m-haraziza ya-tsi-lole unu mwaha |
Father
have forbidden him to get married this year |
|
Shahula shema sho-hu-ri-traza nausihwa ni mawade |
Nutritious
food prevents us from getting disease |
|
Tsimfahamisah ya-tsende yiho |
I
warned him (her) not to go there |
j)
Positive-negative alternatives
Thes may be set forth simply by using the affirmative form, followed by
"hau" and by
immediately by the negative clause:
|
N-ende hau n-tsende ? |
Should
I go or not ? |
|
Nambe hau ya-ts-ambe, pia sawa |
Whether
he says or not, it is the same |
|
Ri-some hau ri-tsi-some ? |
Should
we read or not ? |
k)
Emphatic use with ne, nge
|
Mwendza mashishio na ishie |
He
who has ears, let him hears |
|
Yeka ngwandzo wende yenda |
If
you want to go, so go |
|
Mwendza matso na wone |
He
who has eyes, let him see |
|
Mnvua na inye |
So
let it rain |
l)
Idiomatic negatives
The idiomatic tsidjo has the
connotation of "lest" which is a strong negative purpose (so you don't,
so as not to )
|
Na-ri-fanye haraka ri-tsidjo tara |
Let
us hurry up so we won't be late |
|
Angaliya ye mwana ya-tsidjo danguha |
Look
after the child so he (she) doesn't fall |
|
Zima womro u-tsidjo-hupva |
Turn off the fire so
that you don't burn |
m)
The subjunctive with YILI
The "yili" indicates
that the action is to be carried out at some place other than that in which the
words are spoken. A "going"
is therefore implied
|
Ri-linde yili r-ende ra-wone |
Wait
(for us) and let us go and see |
|
Yenda yili wu-hule ndrovi |
Go
and buy bananas |
|
Ri-rentsi yili r-ende ra-pihe yeshahula |
Let
us (go and) prepare food |
|
Hende yili ya-wone wowana |
He
went to see the children |
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