LESSON 22

Infinitive and Imperative

Vocabulary

Note: tr. after a verb means “transitive”, i.e. a verb that takes an object. int. means intransitive, i.e. it does not take an object. “to go” is intransitive; “to help” is transitive.

36. Infinitive. You will see that all the verbs in this vocabulary begin with ku or gu. (Remember the change-down rule, par. 21). In English we form an infinitive by placing the word “to” before the verb, e.g. to work. In Kinyarwanda, ku (gu) is attached to the verb stem. Then to conjugate a verb we simply remove the ku and add the proper prefixes. From now on all verbs given in the vocabularies will be given in the infinitive form.

Note the use: Ndashaka kugenda - I want to go.

You can easily form the infinitives of the verbs already learned.

37. Imperative. The singular imperative is simply the stem of the verb: Kora - work! Genda - go! Zana - bring!

The singular negative imperative is like the present negative, except that the final a is changed to e, e.g. Ntugende - don’t go, Ntuteke ibijumba - don’t cook sweet potatoes.

For further explanations see par. 132-134. Two imperatives may not follow each other without changing the form of the second one (see par. 134). Except in the imperative, the verb stem can never stand alone.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Zana igitabo n’amafaranga. 2. Turashaka kujya i Kigali. 3. Ntukore mu murima ubu, kora mu nzu. 4. Abana barakunda gusoma mu ishuri. 5. Mbese mufite iki? Dufite ibitabo byacu. 6. Soma mu gitabo cyawe gishya. 7. Mena amazi mabi; ntuteke i bigori mu mazi mabi. 8. Fasha abakobwa guhinga mu bitoke. 9. Teka inyama z’inkoko ku ziko. 10. Turafasha abigisha bacu gukora mu ishuri.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. Hoe well in your (s.) big garden. 2. Cook the sweet potatoes and corn. 3. Go to help the poor people. 4. I like to work in the house. 5. The boys want to go to school. 6. The pupils like to read in school. They read very well. 7. Don’t bring your (s.) sleeping mats and clothes into the house now. 8. What are you (pl.) doing? We are helping the boys (to) bring the fish. 9. Don’t empty out the milk; it is good. 10. The wind is bringing the smoke into our eyes.