Common Verbs in Swahili

In Brief

Nine verbs unlock a large amount of everyday Swahili: kwenda (go), kuja (come), kula (eat), kunywa (drink), kusoma (read or study), kuandika (write), kulala (sleep), kuamka (wake up), and kupenda (like or love). In the present tense, build most forms as subject prefix + -na- + verb stem: tu-na-penda (“we like”). A few short or vowel-initial verbs need special attention, as in anakula, anakuja, and ninaenda.

Overview

These verbs cover movement, food and drink, study, daily routines, and personal preferences. They are among the most useful words at A1 level because they let you talk about what you are doing now and what people commonly do. Learn them as parts of complete sentences rather than as an isolated list.

A Swahili verb can carry information that English normally expresses with separate words. In ninasoma, for example, ni- identifies the subject (“I”), -na- marks the present tense, and -soma gives the action (“read/study”). A subject is the person or thing doing the action. Because the subject is already marked on the verb, a separate pronoun such as mimi (“I”) is often unnecessary.

English often distinguishes “I read,” “I am reading,” and sometimes “I study” through separate forms or vocabulary. Swahili -na- commonly presents an action as current or in progress, while the surrounding words and situation supply the most natural English translation. This article builds on the Present Tense (-na-).

How It Works

The nine core infinitives

An infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, such as “to write.” Most Swahili infinitives begin with ku-. The part that carries the central meaning is called the verb stem.

Infinitive	Useful stem or form	Core meaning	Typical use
kwenda	-enda	to go	movement away or toward a destination
kuja	-ja	to come	movement toward the speaker or reference point
kula	-la	to eat	meals and food
kunywa	-nywa	to drink	drinks and medicine
kusoma	-soma	to read; to study	books, school, a subject
kuandika	-andika	to write	messages, names, documents
kulala	-lala	to sleep; to lie down	sleep and bedtime
kuamka	-amka	to wake up; get up	morning routines
kupenda	-penda	to like; to love	people, things, and activities

The hyphen in a form such as -soma is a teaching convention: it shows that other verb parts come before the stem. Do not write the hyphen in a normal sentence.

The present-tense frame

For the affirmative -na- present, start with this frame:

subject prefix + na + verb stem

Person	Subject prefix	With -soma	English
I	ni-	ninasoma	I am reading/studying
you (one person)	u-	unasoma	you are reading/studying
he/she	a-	anasoma	he/she is reading/studying
we	tu-	tunasoma	we are reading/studying
you (more than one)	m-	mnasoma	you are reading/studying
they	wa-	wanasoma	they are reading/studying

The parts are written as one word: tu + na + soma becomes tunasoma, not tu na soma. There is no gender distinction in anasoma: it can mean “he is studying” or “she is studying.” Context tells you which is intended.

Regular stems

Five verbs in this set fit the frame transparently:

• ninasoma — I am reading/studying
• unaandika — you are writing
• analala — he/she is sleeping
• tunaamka — we are waking up/getting up
• wanapenda — they like/love

The final -a belongs to the stem and remains in an affirmative present form. An object—a person or thing affected by the action—can follow the verb: Anaandika barua (“He/She is writing a letter”).

Short stems: kuja, kula, and kunywa

The short stems -ja, -la, and -nywa retain ku in the affirmative present tense. Treat the resulting forms as familiar patterns rather than trying to remove ku- mechanically.

Person	kuja (come)	kula (eat)	kunywa (drink)
I	ninakuja	ninakula	ninakunywa
you (singular)	unakuja	unakula	unakunywa
he/she	anakuja	anakula	anakunywa
we	tunakuja	tunakula	tunakunywa
you (plural)	mnakuja	mnakula	mnakunywa
they	wanakuja	wanakula	wanakunywa

This is why the correct form is anakula, not anala. The sequence in anakuja is a-na-ku-ja.

The vowel-initial stem -enda

The infinitive kuenda is normally contracted to kwenda, but the present-tense forms use -enda after -na-:

Person	Present form	English
I	ninaenda	I am going
you (singular)	unaenda	you are going
he/she	anaenda	he/she is going
we	tunaenda	we are going
you (plural)	mnaenda	you are going
they	wanaenda	they are going

Do not build this form by simply placing the whole infinitive after -na-. At beginner level, memorize the useful contrast kwenda → ninaenda.

Adding destinations and objects

Movement verbs often take a destination directly or a place form ending in -ni:

• Ninaenda sokoni. — I am going to the market.
• Anakuja nyumbani. — He/She is coming home.
• Tunaenda shule. — We are going to school.

Other verbs commonly take an object:

• Ninakula wali. — I am eating rice.
• Anaandika ujumbe. — He/She is writing a message.
• Tunapenda muziki. — We like music.

English learners should not automatically insert a separate word for “to” before every destination. Swahili often expresses destination through the place expression itself.

Examples in Context

Swahili	English	Note
Ninaenda shuleni.	I am going to school.	-enda follows the present marker directly.
Anakuja sasa.	He/She is coming now.	Short -ja retains ku.
Tunakula chakula cha mchana.	We are eating lunch.	Short -la retains ku.
Unakunywa maji?	Are you drinking water?	Intonation can turn a statement into a yes/no question.
Ninasoma kitabu jioni.	I am reading a book in the evening.	kusoma means “read” here.
Asha anasoma Kiswahili.	Asha is studying Swahili.	With a language or subject, kusoma means “study.”
Anaandika jina lake.	He/She is writing his/her name.	jina lake depends on context for gender.
Mtoto analala sasa.	The child is sleeping now.	The noun-class subject mtoto takes a-.
Tunaamka mapema kila siku.	We wake up early every day.	A routine can use -na- when presented as current habit.
Tunapenda muziki.	We like music.	kupenda can express either liking or love.
Wanalala mapema.	They sleep early.	wa- marks a plural human subject.
Mnaenda wapi?	Where are you all going?	m- addresses more than one person.
Ninapenda kusoma.	I like reading/to read.	An infinitive can follow kupenda.
Juma anaandika barua, na Mariam anasoma.	Juma is writing a letter, and Mariam is reading.	Two present actions joined by na (“and”).

Common Mistakes

Using the whole infinitive with every verb

• Wrong: Ninakusoma kitabu.
• Right: Ninasoma kitabu.
• Why: Ordinary multi-syllable stems such as -soma do not retain infinitive ku- after -na-. The short stems in kuja, kula, and kunywa are the important exceptions in this set.

Removing ku from a short stem

• Wrong: Anala wali.
• Right: Anakula wali.
• Why: The short stem -la retains ku in the affirmative present. Learn anakula as a-na-ku-la.

Keeping the uncontracted infinitive inside kwenda

• Wrong: Ninakuenda shuleni.
• Right: Ninaenda shuleni.
• Why: In the core pattern taught here, kwenda uses the stem -enda after -na-. You may also encounter ninakwenda in real usage, but do not build the form as nina-ku-enda.

Writing the verb pieces separately

• Wrong: Tu na penda muziki.
• Right: Tunapenda muziki.
• Why: The subject prefix, tense marker, and stem form one written verb word.

Translating kusoma too narrowly

• Wrong interpretation: Ninasoma Kiswahili = “I am reading Swahili.”
• Right: Ninasoma Kiswahili = “I am studying Swahili.”
• Why: Kusoma covers both reading and studying. The object supplies the intended sense.

Assuming kupenda always means romantic love

• Misleading translation: Ninapenda kahawa = “I love coffee” only.
• Natural translation: Ninapenda kahawa = “I like coffee” or “I love coffee.”
• Why: Kupenda has a wider range than either English verb alone. Context and intensity determine the best translation.

Usage Notes

Swahili normally leaves out independent subject pronouns when the verb prefix is enough. Ninaenda already means “I am going.” Add mimi only when contrast or emphasis matters: Mimi ninaenda, lakini yeye anabaki (“I am going, but he/she is staying”). This differs from English, where a finite verb normally requires an explicit subject such as “I” or “she.”

With people’s names and human nouns, the verb still carries a subject prefix: Asha anasoma and mtoto analala. Do not copy English by placing a bare verb after the noun. As you learn Swahili noun classes, you will meet other subject prefixes for things and animals; the six-person table above is the right starting point for conversations about people.

Both kusoma and kupenda depend heavily on context. Kusoma kitabu is “to read a book,” while kusoma historia is “to study history.” Kupenda can range from ordinary preference to deep affection. A literal one-to-one English gloss is therefore less useful than remembering typical phrases.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the forms in this section yet, but they explain patterns you will see later.

The -na- tense is not the only way to describe the present. Swahili has other constructions for habitual, general, or current situations, and usage can vary by context and variety. At A1, use -na- for actions presented as going on now and for simple current routines, then learn finer tense and aspect contrasts separately. Aspect means how an action is viewed—for example, as ongoing, completed, or habitual.

Present negatives use a different pattern rather than inserting an English-like word meaning “not.” They also show special shapes for several verbs in this set:

Affirmative	Negative	Basic meaning
ninaenda	siendi	I am going / I am not going
anakuja	haji	he/she is coming / is not coming
anakula	hali	he/she is eating / is not eating
anakunywa	hanywi	he/she is drinking / is not drinking
anasoma	hasomi	he/she is reading / is not reading
anaandika	haandiki	he/she is writing / is not writing
analala	halali	he/she is sleeping / is not sleeping
anaamka	haamki	he/she is waking up / is not waking up
anapenda	hapendi	he/she likes / does not like

Notice that many negative forms end in -i, but the complete pattern includes a negative subject prefix and changes involving vowel contact. Learn these later as whole forms rather than trying to derive them from the affirmative table alone.

Verb stems also combine with object markers placed inside the verb. An object marker represents the person or thing affected: Ninakupenda means “I love/like you,” where -ku- means singular “you.” This -ku- is not the infinitive prefix retained by a short stem, even though it looks identical. In ninakula, ku belongs to the protected short-stem pattern; in ninakupenda, it represents the object “you.”

Finally, the same stems appear with other tense markers: compare ninasoma (“I am reading”) with forms you will later learn for past and future time. Keeping the stem visible in your notes makes these future patterns easier to recognize.

Practice Tips

1. Build a six-person chain. Choose one verb each day and say all six forms aloud: ninasoma, unasoma, anasoma, tunasoma, mnasoma, wanasoma. Give extra rounds to kuja, kula, kunywa, and kwenda.
2. Attach each verb to a realistic phrase. Use your own routine: Ninaamka mapema. Ninakunywa kahawa. Ninaenda kazini. Personal sentences are easier to retrieve than isolated infinitives.
3. Sort what you hear into three pieces. When you encounter a present verb, identify the subject prefix, -na-, and the stem. For wanapenda, say “wa = they, na = present, penda = like/love.”

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense (-na-) — explains the subject prefixes and present marker used throughout this article.