Swahili
Etymology
From Arabic فَهْم (fahm).[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
fahamu class IX (plural fahamu class X)
- knowledge, understanding, comprehension
- consciousness
Verb
-fahamu (infinitive kufahamu)
- to know, understand
- Synonym: -jua
Conjugation
| Conjugation of -fahamu
|
| Positive present
|
-nafahamu
|
| Subjunctive
|
-fahamu
|
| Negative
|
-fahamu
|
| Imperative singular
|
fahamu
|
|
| Infinitives
|
|
|
| Imperatives
|
| Singular
|
fahamu
|
| Plural
|
fahamuni
|
|
| Tensed forms
|
| Habitual
|
hufahamu
|
| Positive past
|
positive subject concord + -lifahamu
|
| Negative past
|
negative subject concord + -kufahamu
|
|
| Positive present (positive subject concord + -nafahamu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
ninafahamu/nafahamu
|
tunafahamu
|
| 2nd person
|
unafahamu
|
mnafahamu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
anafahamu
|
wanafahamu
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -nafahamu
|
|
| Negative present (negative subject concord + -fahamu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
sifahamu
|
hatufahamu
|
| 2nd person
|
hufahamu
|
hamfahamu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
hafahamu
|
hawafahamu
|
| other classes
|
negative subject concord + -fahamu
|
|
| Positive future
|
positive subject concord + -tafahamu
|
| Negative future
|
negative subject concord + -tafahamu
|
|
| Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -fahamu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
nifahamu
|
tufahamu
|
| 2nd person
|
ufahamu
|
mfahamu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
afahamu
|
wafahamu
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -fahamu
|
|
| Negative subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -sifahamu
|
| Positive present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngefahamu
|
| Negative present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singefahamu
|
| Positive past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngalifahamu
|
| Negative past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singalifahamu
|
|
| Gnomic (positive subject concord + -afahamu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
nafahamu
|
twafahamu
|
| 2nd person
|
wafahamu
|
mwafahamu
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
afahamu
|
wafahamu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
wafahamu
|
yafahamu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
lafahamu
|
yafahamu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
chafahamu
|
vyafahamu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
yafahamu
|
zafahamu
|
| u(XI)
|
wafahamu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
kwafahamu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
pafahamu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
mwafahamu
|
|
|
| Perfect
|
positive subject concord + -mefahamu
|
| "Already"
|
positive subject concord + -meshafahamu
|
| "Not yet"
|
negative subject concord + -jafahamu
|
| "If/When"
|
positive subject concord + -kifahamu
|
| "If not"
|
positive subject concord + -sipofahamu
|
| Consecutive
|
kafahamu / positive subject concord + -kafahamu
|
| Consecutive subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -kafahamu
|
|
| Object concord (indicative positive)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
-nifahamu
|
-tufahamu
|
| 2nd person
|
-kufahamu
|
-wafahamu/-kufahamuni/-wafahamuni
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
-mfahamu
|
-wafahamu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-ufahamu
|
-ifahamu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-lifahamu
|
-yafahamu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-kifahamu
|
-vifahamu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-ifahamu
|
-zifahamu
|
| u(XI)
|
-ufahamu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-kufahamu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-pafahamu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-mufahamu
|
|
| Reflexive
|
-jifahamu
|
|
| Relative forms
|
| General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -fahamu- + relative marker)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-fahamuye
|
-fahamuo
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-fahamuo
|
-fahamuyo
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-fahamulo
|
-fahamuyo
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-fahamucho
|
-fahamuvyo
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-fahamuyo
|
-fahamuzo
|
| u(XI)
|
-fahamuo
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-fahamuko
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-fahamupo
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-fahamumo
|
|
|
| Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -fahamu)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-yefahamu
|
-ofahamu
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-ofahamu
|
-yofahamu
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-lofahamu
|
-yofahamu
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-chofahamu
|
-vyofahamu
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-yofahamu
|
-zofahamu
|
| u(XI)
|
-ofahamu
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-kofahamu
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-pofahamu
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-mofahamu
|
|
|
|
| Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.
|
Derived terms
References
- ^ Baldi, Sergio (30 November 2020) Dictionary of Arabic Loanwords in the Languages of Central and East Africa (Handbuch der Orientalistik; Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten; 145), Leiden • Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 239 Nr. 2206