Lesson 15

Special uses of Class 4

Vocabulary

igitambaro - cloth, piece of cloth imbabazi - mercy, pity, forgiveness
ikigori - corn, maize (stalk, ear) igitoki - bananas (bunch, tree)
ikirago - grass mat (for sleeping) umuneke - ripe banana

23. Compund subject When there is a compound subject, especially if the two nouns are not of the same class, the verb takes the 4th class plural prefix. This is true also of a possessive modifying two nouns, e.g. umugati n’umyana biri mu nzu - bread and meat are in the house., umurima n’inzi bye - his garden and house

However, if both nouns should be of the first class, the first class plural prefix is used, e.g. umuhungu n’umukobwa barakora - the boy and girl are working.

If both nouns are in the same class (other than the 1st class), the verb may take the plural prefix of that class or it may take the 4th class plural prefix. In most localities it seems preferable to used the same class as the nouns. The same is true of the possessive particle or adjective. Thus, it could be: ihene n’intama z’umusaza, or, ihene n’intama by’umusaza.

24. Thing class. When reference to something indefinite is made, such as we in English use “thing”, “something”, “it”, etc., no definite object being referred to, the fourth class agreements are used, usually in the plural:

ibyiza - good things ibyanjye - my things
bizaba byiza - it will be well

Note that in ibyiza and ibyanjye the initial vowel has been added, making nouns out of the adjectives. Now they are just like vowel-stem nouns.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Umunezero n’imbabazi by’Imana ni bikuru. 2. Ibigori ni birebire cyane. 3. Ihepe nyinshi n’inyamaswa nke biri ku musozi. 4. Imbabazi z’Imana ni nyinshi cyane. 5. Ibyanjye biri iwacu. 6. Ikirago cy’umugabo kiri mu nzu ye. 7. Umukozi wacu arakora ibyiza byinshi. 8. Abagore bafite ibigiri byinshi mu mirima yabo. 9. Abana bafite umunezero mwinshi. Ni byiza.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. The dog and a wild animal are over there. 2. There are ripe bananas in his house. 3. The boys have corn (pl.) and sweet potatoes. 4. Bananas are very good. 5. The new cloth is long. 6. There is a lot of (i.e. much) rain over here. 7. The men are hoeing well in the bananas. 8. Our bread (pl.) and meat are in a cloth. 9. The child’s head and feet are large. 10. The man’s chairs and drums are in his house.