LESSON 33

Class 10 aha-

Vocabulary

64. Class 10.

65. There is only one word in class 10: ahantu - place. However, this prefix ha- is used to express the idea of place whether the word ahantu is used is used or not.

66. Some uses of the ha- prefix:

1. In the adjective:

a) to agree with the adverb of place. e.g. Hano ni heza - here it is nice (or, clean), or, It is a good place here.

b)in the adjective when ahantu is understood. e.g. Ni habi cyane - it is very dirty (place).

2.As a verb subject:

a) to agree with ahantu or adverb of place. e.g. Hariya hitwa Kigali - That place over there is called Kigali.

b) in an impersonal sense when no subject is expressed. e.g. Harashyushye - it is hot.

c) to represent the English expletive “there”. (You have already seen this in hari.) e.g. Haza umugabo - there comes a man. Hari ibijumba - are there any sweet potatoes? Yee, birahari - Yes, there are.

Note: In birahari the -ha- gives the idea of place also. Note that in answering this question one would make the verb agree with ibijumba: Yee, birahari - Yes, there are. Nta bihari - there are none. (See par. 213).

Sometimes just hari is used. e.g. Hari amazi menshi hano - there is much water here.

3. In the expression: mu maso hawe - your face. Since there is no other word for “face”, amaso is used with the possessive adjective having the ha- prefix, and it is preceded by mu.

4. “In” is not usually used with ahantu: not “mu hantu heza”. Thus “in a good place” is ahantu heza.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Hano ni habicyane. 2. Kubura hasi yuba. 3. Haza abantu benshi mu ishuh. 4. Hariya ni hanini. 5. Mbese hari ibishyimbo byinshi? Yee, birahari. 6. Umukiza akiza abantu ibyaha byabo. 7. Hari ibishyimbo byinshi hasi mu ruga. 8. Ndashaka kuguma iwacu, sinshaka kujya i Kigali. 9. Tuzajya kuba ahantu heza cyane. 10. Uyu munsi abigishwa ntigakubura hasi mu ishuri.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. I don’t want to stay in a dirty place. 2. Are there (any) bananas on the ground? 3. Jesus likes to save people from their sins. 4. The girls are sweeping the floor. 5. Outside it is very dirty; go to sweep the ground well. 6. I see a nice place over there. 7. Peter’s son will not go to Cyangugu. 8. Are there (any) people in the school? Yes, there are–many men and women and a few children. 9. In the morning there come a few workmen. (While awkward in English, this is correct in Kinyarwanda.) 10. John has joy in his face.