LESSON 68

How to say “Stop” and “Wait”

Vocabulary

136. a) Observe these uses of “stop”.

1) (Someone is going away) Stop, I want to tell you something - Hagarara (or, Buretse) ndashaka kukubwira ijambo. (B’uretse is just “Stop.”)

2) Stop writing on the slate - Reka (or, rekera aho) kwandika ku rubaho.

3) The child is going into the water, stop him - Umwana agiye mu mazi. Mubuze! Stop the child from going into the water - Buza umwana kujya mu mazi (or, ngo ntajye mu mazi).

4) Stop the car, I want to get out - Hagarika imodoka, ndashaka kuyivamo.

In (1) the word “stop” is by itself, and means only to cease going away with the idea of “wait” or “wait a minute”.

In (2) “stop” means to stop any kind of action that is already begun.

In (3) the idea is to “stop” or hinder, prevent, someone else from what he is doing.

In (4) the idea is to “stop” someone or something from going.

Note regarding -reka: If the subject of -reka is the same as the one who is. doing the action, it means “stop”. (In this case it may also be -rekero aho). e.g. Reka kwandika (or Rekera aho kwandika) - Stop writing (The one who is to stop is the one who is writing.)

If the subject of -reka is not the same as the one who is doing the action, it means “allow” -(e.g. Umureke agende - allow him to go.)

b) -tegereza and -hagarara, meaning “wait”.

Wait for me -ntegereza (or, untegereze).

Wait, I want to give you something - Hagarara, ndashaka kuguha ikintu. If you state whom one waits for, use -tegereza.

c) Guharuruka and guhagarara, meaning “to stand”:

The act of coming to a standing position is: guhaguruka. Referring to the duration of standing, use: guhagarara. Let’s stand and sing - Duhaguruke turirimbe. We stood for two hours - Twahagaze amasaha abiri.

137. Object pronoun: -ha-. In par. 66 you learned the use of birahari. This particle is often inserted in forms of the verb “to be”, and sometimes in other verbs as well, to mean “there” or “here”. You hear it most often if someone comes to the door and asks: Mbese muganga arahari? The reply: Yee, arahari. - Is the doctor here? Yes, he’s here.

In the past, when -ha- is inserted in a form of -ri, the verb is repeated. Observe: Wari uhari ejo? Yee, nari mpari - Were you here yesterday? Yes, I was here.

Note this other use: Washyize umusumeno hasi? Narawuhashyize. - Did you put the saw on the floor? I put it there.

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Duhaguruke twese, dusenge. 2. Abakozi bareke gusenya inzu. 3. Bareke kwasa inkwi, sinshaka izindi. 4. Muhagarare; mfite ibitabo nshaka kubaha kugira ngo mubijyane ku mwigisha. 5. Umwana afite imbugita; mubuze gukeba igitambaro. 6. Inshuti zawe ziri mu nzu? Yee, zirahari. Uziihamagare. 7. Ntimutware indabyo zose, zihagume. 8. Wajyanye amatara hanze? Yee, nayahashyize kuko nshaka kuyoza. 9. Abigishwa barahari? Bahamagare, ntibagume hanze. 10. Yohana nagende vuba kugira ngo afashe inshuti ze.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. Stop. (s.) Don’t go home now. There is work to do. 2. Wait (pl.) for the girls; they are coming. 3. Light a lamp so that we may see to read. 4. Stop the children from going (to go) to the river. 5. Stop the doctor. I want to show him my child. 6. Were you in school yesterday? Yes, we were here. 7. Were your parents in church yesterday? Yes, they were there. 8. Put the trap on the floor in the house. I put it there this morning (in the morning). 9. Let us not wait for the others but let’s hurry. 10. Don’t leave stones in the path; we want to walk there.