LESSON 53

Past Verb Endings

(Instead of a new vocabulary this time we give a table of all the verbs given thus far, with their past stems. Memorize as many of them as possible for this lesson, and the remainder for the vocabulary work in the following lesson.)

107.

kwambara -ambaye -fite no past
kwandika -anditse kugaruka -garutse
kwanga -anze kugenda -giye
kuba -baye kugera -geze
kubabarira -babariye kugira -gize
kubanguka -bangutse kuguma -gumye
kubanza -banje kugwa -guye
kubara -baze kugurisha -gurishije
kubaza -bajije kugwa -guye
kubika -bitse guhemba -hembye
kubona -bonye guhenda -henze
gucana -canye guhinga -hinze
kwemera -emeye kwibagirwa -ibagiwe
kwereka -eretse kwibuka -ibutse
gufasha -fashije kwica -ishe
gufata -fashe kwiga -ize
kwigisha -igishije kuririmba -ririmbye
kwihana -ihannye kuronga -ronze
kwinjira -injiye kurya -riye
kwiyuhagira -iyuhagiye gusaba -sabye
kwizera -izeye gusenga -senze
kujya -giye gushaka -shatse
kujyana -jyanye gushima -shimye
kujugunya -jugunye gushobora -shoboye
gukaraba -karabye gushuka -shutse
gukiza -kijije gushyira -shyize
gukizwa -kijijwe gusinzira -sinzirye
gukora -koze gusoma -somye
gukubura -kubuye gusubira -subiye
gukunda -kunze gutangira -tangiye
kumena -mennye guteka -tetse
kumenya -menye gutsinda -tsinze
kumesa -meshe gutuma -tumye
kunywa -nyoye kwubaka -ubatse
kwoga -oze kwumva -umvise
kwohereza -ohereje kuva -vuye
kwongera -ongeye kuvuga -vuze
kwoza -ogeje kuvura -vuye
gupfa -pfuye kuza -je
kureba -rebye kuzana -zanye
-ri no past
kurira -rize

Note that in most instances it is only the last two letters of the stem which change. In the vocabularies from now on only the syllable which is changed will be shown, except where the whole stem changes.

In the above list the verbs whose stems begin with o or u have been given with kw- as the infinitive, but remember that these-are often written without the w, koza rather than kwoza, kumva rather than kwumva.

No further grammar is given in this lesson. Spend your time learning these past suffixes.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Abahungu bakubuye neza hose mu ishuri. 2. Mbese wabitse ibitambaro byiza byose? 3. Yesu yakijije Abanyarwanda benshi nyamara dushaka ko abandi benshi bakizwa. 4. Nahembye abakozi amafaranga magana inani na mirongwine n’abiri. 5. Twagarutse hano kuko dushaka kwumva Ijambo ry’Imana. 6. Abana baje mu ishuri, ariko batatu bagumye hanze. 7. Mbese mwakarabye neza? Oya, ntidufite amazi. 8. Umusore yaguye hasij hari ibuye mu nzira. 9. Twafashe imbeba eshatu nijoro. 10. Mbese waguze iki? Naguze inyama n’amavuta.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. We helped our teacher today because he has much work. 2. Did you (pl.) sleep well in the night? 3. The child cried all day because he wanted food. 4. I counted all the men and women in church yesterday; I saw 83 men and 97 women (Write out numbers). 5. Our teachers went home (this) morning. 6. where did you (s.) put away the dishes? I put ten in a box. 7. Jesus forgave Paul all his sins. He is a wonderful Savior. 8. What did you do today? 9. We sang many songs in church yesterday. I like to sing. 10. We went with the young men to look at the big river.