LESSON 64

Stative Voice

Vocabulary

kunezerwa (nezerewe) - to be happy kurwara (ye) - to be sick, ill
gukomera (ye) - to be strong kumera (ze) neza - to be well
gusonza (shonje) - to be hungry gukonja (nje) - to be cold, wet, damp

129. Stative Voice. In Kinyarwanda, words that express a condition or state of being, or bodily or mental attitude, are used in the stative voice which means that the prefix is in the -ra- present, but the suffix is past. This applies to present time. For past and future time these verbs are formed like any others (or by compound tenses which are not taught in this book). In the negative and in dependent clauses the -ra- drops out; it also drops out when an object or phrase (other than the infinitive) follows the verb in the same clause. e.g. arwaye malaria - he’s ill with malaria.

ndarwaye - I am ill ndanezerewe - I am happy
ndicaye - I am sitting down ndizeye - I trust, am trusting

For habitual present of these verbs the regular prefixless present is used. e.g. Arwara iminsi vose - he is ill every day (or, always)

Note: When a part of the body is the object of a verb, but the owner of the part is not the same person as the subject of the verb, use the proper object pronoun in the verb instead of the possessive adjective. e.g. Yamfashe ukuboko - he seized my arm.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Ndanezerewe cyane kuko Yesu yambabariye ibyaha byanjye kandi yanyogeje umutima. 2. Umwana w’impumyi ararwye cyane. Baramujyana kwa muganga. 3. Ntitwariye uyu munsi; turashonje cyane. 4. Cana umuriro mwinshi; ndakonje. 5. Umuhungu yarwaye mu gitondo ariko ubu arameze neza. 6. Abana baranezerewe kuko babonye imyenda mishya. 7. Abigishwa bemeye gufasha ababyeyi babo mu mirima. 8. Inzira iraruhije ariko ndagira ngo turahagera vuba. 9. Inzu yacu nshya irakomeye cyane kandi ni nini. 10. Umunyabyaha arizeye Yesu; nuko arakizwa ibyiha bye. (nuko = so)

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. The children want a lot of food. They are very hungry. 2. Two girls were absent today because they are sick. 3. I trust Jesus because He saved me. 4. I heard that you were sick. Are you well now? Yes, I am very well and I have peace in my heart. 5. The teachers are willing to work hard to help their people to be saved. 6. The shepherd’s dog is dying; the doctor can’t treat it. 7. The clothes are wet; I’ll put them out in the sun. Remember to bring them in (this) evening. 8. My rope is very strong. I bought it yesterday. 9. Mary’s baby (infant) is always sick. The doctor is treating it. 10. We are very happy to see you (pl.). We haven’t seen you (for) years.