LESSON 39

-ngahe? How many? Vocabulary

ingofero - hat (Sw.) gutuma - to send (see par. 82)
umujura - thief kwohereza (or, kohereza) - to send (see par. 82)
igisambo - thief nyamara - but (see par. 83)
ijoro - night (5th cl.) ahubwo - but (see par. 83)
kwumva (or, kumva) - to hear, feel, smell, taste, understand

(“at night”, or “in the night” or , “last night” is usually: nijoro.)

81. -ngahe? - how many? This word also takes class prefixes, but observe that they are the same as those of the numbers, not of descriptive adjectives. Only plural forms exist because the idea is plural. Like other adjectives it follows the noun it modifies. -ngahe? cannot be followed by the -ra- present, except when it is used for future time today.

Class 1 bangahe? Class 6 zingahe?
Class 2 ingahe? Class 7 tungahe?
Class 3 zingahe? Class 8 angahe?
Class 4 bingahe? Class 9 angahe?
Class 5 angahe? Class 10 hangahe?
e.g. Hari abantu bangahe? - how many people are there?
Umukire afite inka zingahe? - how many cows does the rich man have?
Abigishwa bangahe bafite ibitabo? - how many pupils have books?

Notice the word order. When “how many?” goes with the subject it is in the beginning of the sentence; when it goes with the object it is at the end.

82. Gutuma and kwohereza. Though both of these words mean “send”, they are not quite the same. Gutuma usually emphasizes the fact of a message. Kwohereza is to send anything not a message, or no emphasis on the message. Nzatuma umuntu i Kigali - I will send a person to Kigali (implying that he carries a message). Nzohereza imbaho i Kigali - I will send some boards to Kigali.

83. Ariko nyamara, ahubwo. You have now learned three words for “but”. In most instances, ariko and nyamara are interchangeable. Ahubwo means “but” when an idea of definite contrast is involved. e.g. Ntuzane ibitabo, ahubwo uzane intebe - Don’t bring books, but bring the chair.

Note: In the vocabulary you see that kwumva (kumva) is used for all the senses except seeing. However, its commonest meaning is “to hear”. Be cautious in using it for the other senses and observe how the Africans use it. Also note this use of it: Sinumva ikinyarwanda - I don’t understand Kinyarwanda.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Mufite ibitabo bingahe? Dufite cumi na bibiri. 2. Mbese uzohereza abantu bangahe i Kigali kuzana ibintu byawe? Nzohereza icumi. 3. Mbese ufite ingofero zingahe? Mfite ebyiri. 4. Nzohereza urwandiko i Cyangugu kuko nshaka kugura imbaho mirongwitatu n’enye. 5. Imana ikunda kwumva gusenga kwacu. 6. Nbese wumva ikinyarwanda? Ndumva buhoro, nyamara si cyane. 7. Yesu atuma abantu be kuvuga Ubutumwa bwiza. 8. Abajura bafashe (past of -fata) ihene zingahe? Ni Icumi n’ebyiri. 9. Muzaguma hano amajoro angahe? Ni atatu. 10. Bara amafaranga. Ufite angahe? Mfite miongwitanu n’ane.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. How many children are entering the church? 2. How many books will you send? 3. Thieves like to go in the night because there is darkness. 4. How many years will you teach here? I will teach six years. 5. Send twelve men to bring my boards. 6. Send a pupil to bring your letter to my house. 7. Do you (pl.) hear the drums? Where are they? 8. I hear the workmen. What are they doing? They are building a church. 9. In the night the old man hears a thief in his kraal. He gets (takes) his spear. 10. I want to put away our clothes now, but I don’t see well at (in) night.