Chapter 13: Scheme of the Ngoni Verbs

I INFINITIVE MOOD.

2019 Note: The infinitive corresponds to the English to-infinitive or gerund. It is essentially an action noun. Therefore when one wants to say food, would use the infinituve ukudla which is also the word for “to eat”.

Positive Conjugation	Negative Conjugation
Ukuthanda, to love.	Ukungathandi, not to love.
Ukudla, to eat, eating.	Ukungadli, to not eat.
Ukubona, to see.	Ukungaboni, to not see.
Ukungibona, to see me.	Ukungangiboni, to not see me.
Ukwenza, to do.	Ukungenzi, to not do.
Ukosa, to roast.	Ukungosi, to not roast.

II. IMPERATIVE MOOD.

The imperative is used to issue direct commands. It can occur either alone or with an object prefix.

Thanda (sing.), love thou	Yekela ukuthanda, do not thou love
Thandani (plural), love ye	Yekelani ukuthanda, do not thou love

The plural form, with the suffix -ni, is used when addressing multiple people.

The prefix yi- is used when the verb stem has only one syllable. A shortened form y- is used when the stem begins with a vowel (regardless of number of syllables). Exceptionally, the verb -za "to come" uses the prefix wo- instead, thus woza, wozani etc. (Wikipedia)

Verb	Alone	With object
-dla	Yidla! Yidlani! "Eat!"	Yídle! Yidleni! "Eat it!" (class 4 or 9)
-enza	Yenza! Yenzani! "Do!"	Kwenze! Kwenzeni! "Do it!" (class 15 or 17)
-siza	Siza! Sizani! "Help!"	Ngisize! Ngisizeni! "Help me!"

III. INDICATIVE MOOD.

1. Present Indefinite.

The present indefinite tense, also known as simple present tense, denotes a stative or habitual or eternally true action.

Present Indefinite
1 Sing.	Ngi (Ndi)thanda	I love.	Ngingathandi	I do not love.
2 Sing.	Uthanda	You love.	Ungathandi	You do not love.
3 Sing.	U (wa)thanda	He loves.	Ungathandi	He does not love.
1 Plural	Sithanda	We love.	Singathandi	We do not love.
2 Plural	Nithanda	You love.	Ningathandi	You do not love.
3 Plural	Bathanda	They love.	Bangathandi	They do not love.

2 Present Progressive.

This is used to indicate something that is happening right now.

Present Progressive.
1 Pers. Sing	Ngiyathanda	I love.	Angithandi	I do not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Uyathanda	You love.	Akuthandi	You do not love.
3 Pers. Sing.	U(wa)yathanda	He loves.	Aka(awa)thandi	He does not love.
1 Pers. Plur.	Siyathanda	We love.	Asithandi	We do not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Niyathanda	You love.	Anithandi	You do not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bayathanda	They love.	Abathandi	They do not love.

3 Present Perfect.

This is used to indicate a completed action.

Present Perfect
1 Pers. Sing	Ngithandile	I have loved.	Angithandanga	I did not or have not loved.
2 Pers. Sing.	Uthandile	You have loved.	Akuthandanga	You did not or have not loved.
3 Pers. Sing.	U(wa)thandile	He has loved.	Aka(awa)thandanga	He did not or has not loved.
1 Pers. Plur.	Sithandile	We have loved.	Asithandanga	We did not or have not loved.
2 Pers. Plur.	Nithandile.	You have loved.	Anithandanga	You did not or have not loved.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bathandile	They have loved.	Abathandanga	They did not or have not loved.

4 Past Indefinite.

Past Indefinite Tense represents an action occurred in the past or a habit of the past and uses the past form of the verb.

Past Indefinite
1 Pers. Sing	Ngathanda	I have loved.	Angithandanga	I did not or have not loved
2 Pers. Sing.	Wathanda	You have loved.	Akuthandanga	You did not or have not loved.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wathanda	He has loved.	Aka(awa)thandanga	He did not or has not loved.
1 Pers. Plur.	Sathanda	We have loved.	Asithandanga	We did not or have not loved.
2 Pers. Plur.	Nathanda	You have loved.	Anithandanga	You did not or have not loved.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bathanda	They have loved.	Abathandanga	They did not or have not loved.

5. Past Progressive.

This is used to present or convey ongoing past actions.

Past Progressive.
1 Pers. Sing.	Bengithanda	I was loving.	Bengingathandi	I was not loving.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ubuthanda	You were loving	Ubungathandi	You were not loving.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wabethanda	He was loving.	Wabengathandi	He was not loving.
1 Pers. Plur.	Besithanda	We were loving.	Besingathandi	We were not loving.
2 Pers. Plur.	Nibenithanda	You were loving	Nibengathandi	You were not loving.
3 Pers. Plur.	Babethanda	They were loving.	Babengathandi	They were not loving.

6. Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense represents two works which were occurred in the past; the second or later action follows Past Indefinite Tense. Past Perfect Tense uses had and the past participle form of the verb

Past Perfect
1 Pers. Sing.	Bengithandile	I had loved.	Bengingathandanga	I had not loved.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ubuthandile	You had loved.	Ubungathandanga	You had not loved.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wa(u)bethandile	He had loved.	U(wa)bengathandanga	He had not loved.
1 Pers. Plur.	Besithandile	We had loved.	Besingathandanga	We had not loved.
2 Pers. Plur.	nibenithandile	You had loved.	Nibengathandanga	You had not loved.
3 Pers. Plur.	Babethandile	They had loved.	Babengathandanga	They had not loved.

7. Future (Immediate or emphatic)

This simply denotes an action one is going to do immediately.

Future (Immediate or emphatic)
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngizakuthanda	I will love.	Angizikuthanda (Zulu, angizuthanda)	I will not love.
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngizothanda	I will love.	Angizikuthanda (Zulu, angizuthanda)	I will not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Uzakuthanda	You will love.	Akuzikuthanda (Zulu, awuzuthanda)	You will not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Uzothanda	You will love.	Akuzikuthanda (Zulu, Awuzuthanda)	You will not love.
3 Pers. Sing	Wa(u)zakuthanda	He will love.	Akazikuthanda (Zulu, akazuthanda)	He will not love.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wa(u)zothanda	He will love.	Akazikuthanda (Zulu, akazuthanda)	He will not love.
1 Pers. Plur.	Sizakuthanda	We will love.	Asizikuthanda (Zulu, asizuthanda)	We will not love.
1 Pers. Plur.	Sizothanda	We will love.	Asizikuthanda (Zulu, asizuthanda)	We will not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Nizakuthanda	You will love.	Anizikuthanda (Zulu, anizuthanda)	You will not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Nizothanda	You will love.	Anizikuthanda (anizuthanda)	You will not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bazakuthanda	They will love.	Abazikuthanda (Zulu, abazuthanda)	They will not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bazothanda	They will love.	Abazikuthanda (Zulu, abazuthanda)	They will not love.

8 Future Indefinite.

It is used to express an action which has not occurred/happened yet and will occur/happen after sometime in future.

Future Indefinite
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngiyakuthanda	I will love.	Angiyikuthanda	I will not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Uyakuthanda	You will love.	Akuyikuthanda	You will not love.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wayakuthanda	He will love.	Akayikuthanda	He will not love.
1 Pers. Plur.	Siyakuthanda	We will love.	Asiyikuthanda	We will not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Niyakuthanda	You will love.	Aniyikuthanda	You will not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bayakuthanda	They will love.	Abayikuthanda	They will not love.

9. Future Progressive.

This indicates continuing action, something that will be happening, going on, at some point in the future. This tense is formed with the modal "will" plus "be," plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending): "I will be running in next year's Boston Marathon.

Future Progressive
1 Sing.	Ngiyakuba ngithanda	I shall be loving.	Angiyikuba ngithanda	I will not be loving.
2 Sing.	Uyakuba uthanda	Thou shall be loving.	Akuyikuba uthanda	Thou will not be loving.
3 Sing.	Wayakuba ethanda	He shall be loving.	Akayikuba ethanda	He will not be loving.
1 Plur.	Siyakuba sithanda	We shall be loving.	Asiyikuba sithanda	We will not be loving.
2 Plur.	Niyakuba nithanda	You shall be loving.	Aniyikuba, nithanda	You will not be loving.
3 Plur.	Bayakuba bethanda	They shall be loving.	Abayikuba bethanda	They will not be loving.

10 Future Perfect.

The form of the verb that is used to show that an action will have been performed by a particular time. In English it is formed by "will have" or "shall have" and a past participle: In the sentence "By that time I will have finished" the verb phrase "will have finished" is in the future perfect.

Future Perfect
1 Sing.	Ngiyakuba ngithandile	I shall have loved.	Angiyikuba ngithandile	I will not have loved.
2 Sing.	Uyakuba uthandile	Thou shall have loved.	Akuyikuba uthandile	Thou will not have loved.
3 Sing.	Wayakuba ethandile	He shall have loved.	Akayikuba ethandile	He will not have loved.
1 Plur.	Siyakuba sithandile	We shall have loved.	Asiyikuba sithandile	We will not have loved.
2 Plur.	Niyakuba nithandile	You shall have loved.	Aniyikuba nithandile	You will not have loved.
3 Plur.	Bayakuba bathandile	They shall have loved.	Abayikuba bethandile.	They will not have loved.

IV POTENTIAL MOOD.

Potential mood. That form of the verb which is used to express possibility, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write.

1. Present Indefinite.

1. Present Indefinite
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngingathanda	I may love.	Ngangingathandi	I may not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ungathanda	Thou may love.	Ngawungathandi	Thou may not love.
3 Pers. Sing.	Wangathanda	He may love.	Ngawangathandi	He may not love.
1 Pers. Plur.	Singathanda	We may love.	Ngasingathandi	We may not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Ningathanda	You may love.	Nganingathandi	You may not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Bangathanda	They may love.	Ngabangathandi	They may not love.

2. Present Indefinite (another)

Present Indefinite (another)
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngengithanda	I should, &c., love.	Ngangingathandi	I should, &c., not love.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ngewuthanda	Thou should, &c., love	Ngawungathandi	Thou should, &c., not love.
3 Pers. Sing.	Ngewathanda	He should, &c., love	Ngawangathandi	He should, &c., not love
1 Pers. Plur.	Ngesithanda	We should, &c., love.	Ngasingathandi	We should, &c., not love.
2 Pers. Plur.	Ngenithanda	Ye should, &c., love	Nganingathandi	Ye should, &c., not love.
3 Pers. Plur.	Ngebathanda	They should, &c., love.	Ngabangathandi	They should, &c., not love.

3 Present Perfect.

Present Perfect
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngengithandile	I should, &c., have loved.	Ngangingathandanga	I should not have loved.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ngewuthandile	Thou should, &c., have loved.	Ngawungathandanga	Thou should, &c., not have loved.
3 Pers. Sing.	Ngewathandile	He should, &c., have loved.	Ngawangathandanga	He should, &c., not have loved.
1 Pers. Plur.	Ngesithandile	We should, &c., have loved.	Ngasingathandanga	We should, &c., not have loved.
2 Pers. Plur.	Ngenithandile	Ye should, &c., have loved.	Nganingathandanga	Ye should, &c., not have loved.
3 Pers. Plur.	Ngebathandile	They should, &c., have loved.	Ngabangathandanga	They should, &c., not have loved.

4. Past Indefinite

Past Indefinite.
1 Pers. Sing.	Ngengathanda	I should, &c., have loved	Ngangingathandanga	I should, &c., not have loved.
2 Pers. Sing.	Ngewathanda	Thou should, &c., have loved	Ngawungathandanga	Thou should, &c., not have loved.
3 Pers. Sing.	Ngewathanda	He should, &c., have loved	Ngawangathandanga	He should, &c., not have loved.
1 Pers. Plur.	Ngesathanda	We should, &c., have loved.	Ngasingathandanga	We should, &c., not have loved.
2 Pers. Plur.	Ngenithanda	Ye should, etc., have loved.	Nganingathandanga	Ye should, &c., not have loved.
3 Pers. Plur.	Ngebathanda	They should, etc, have loved.	Ngabangathandanga	They should, &c., not have loved.

A more strictly potential mood commonly use, is formed from the verb, ukuyazi, to know, and another verb. Example: Ngiyazi ukulemba (ukubhala), I know to write, i.e., I can write.  Or, where physical power is indicated the verb ukuba, to be, and the conjunction "with" and amandla, strength is used. Example. Nginamandla ukuhamba, I have power to walk. i.e., I can walk.

Click here for Chapter 14: Ngoni Greetings