Conjugation of the Chinyanja Verb "kuyenda"
Present Habitual (-ma-)
Used for regular actions, habits, and general truths. Formed with the habitual marker -ma- between the subject prefix and the verb stem.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | ndimayenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | umayenda |
| iye (he/she) | amayenda |
| ife (we) | timayenda |
| inu (you pl.) | mumayenda |
| iwo (they) | amayenda |
Present Progressive (-ku-)
Used for actions happening right now. Formed with the progressive marker -ku- between the subject prefix and the verb stem.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | ndikuyenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | ukuyenda |
| iye (he/she) | akuyenda |
| ife (we) | tikuyenda |
| inu (you pl.) | mukuyenda |
| iwo (they) | akuyenda |
Past Tense (-na-)
Used for completed actions in the past. Formed with the past marker -na- between the subject prefix and the verb stem.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | ndinayenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | unayenda |
| iye (he/she) | anayenda |
| ife (we) | tinayenda |
| inu (you pl.) | munayenda |
| iwo (they) | anayenda |
Future Tense (-dza-/-za-)
Used for actions that will happen. Formed with the future marker -dza- (or contracted -za-) between the subject prefix and the verb stem.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | ndizayenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | uzayenda |
| iye (he/she) | azayenda |
| ife (we) | tizayenda |
| inu (you pl.) | muzayenda |
| iwo (they) | azayenda |
Perfect Tense (-a-)
Used for completed actions with present relevance ("have done"). The subject prefix merges with the marker -a-, creating contracted forms (ndi+a → nda-, u+a → wa-, ti+a → ta-).
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | ndayenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | wayenda |
| iye (he/she) | ayenda |
| ife (we) | tayenda |
| inu (you pl.) | mwayenda |
| iwo (they) | ayenda |
Negative (si-)
Negation is formed by adding the prefix si- before the subject prefix (si+ndi → sindi-, si+u → su-, si+a → sa-, si+ti → siti-, si+mu → simu-).
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| ine (I) | sindimayenda |
| iwe (you sg.) | sumayenda |
| iye (he/she) | samayenda |
| ife (we) | sitimayenda |
| inu (you pl.) | simumayenda |
| iwo (they) | samayenda |
Imperative (Lamulo)
Direct commands. The plural/polite form adds -ni to the singular form.
| Form | Command |
|---|---|
| Singular (iwe) | yenda! |
| Plural / Polite (inu) | yendani! |
Verb Extensions (Zowonjezera)
Bantu verb extensions modify the verb stem to create related meanings — applicative (-ir-), causative (-its-/-ets-), reciprocal (-an-), passive (-idw-/-edw-), and stative (-ek-).
| Extended Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| kuyendetsa | to drive / cause to go (causative) |
| kuyendana | to go together (reciprocal) |
Example Sentences (Zitsanzo)
Ndikuyenda ku msika.
I am going to the market.
Tayenda bwino.
We have walked well / We are well.
Yendani bwino!
Go well! (farewell)