Passive Voice in Swahili

In Brief

Swahili makes a verb passive by adding an extension inside the verb stem: soma “read” becomes somwa “be read,” and andika “write” becomes andikwa “be written.” The receiver of the action controls the subject prefix: Kitabu kiliandikwa means “The book was written,” while Vitabu viliandikwa means “The books were written.” If the doer matters, introduce it with na: na mwandishi “by the author.”

Overview

The passive voice presents an event from the viewpoint of the person or thing affected by it. Compare Mwandishi aliandika kitabu (“The author wrote the book”) with Kitabu kiliandikwa na mwandishi (“The book was written by the author”). In the first sentence, mwandishi performs the action. In the second, kitabu is the subject (the noun that the verb agrees with), while the author can be mentioned or omitted.

This B1 topic combines familiar parts of Swahili grammar. You still use ordinary subject prefixes and tense markers such as -na-, -li-, -me-, and -ta-. The new element is a passive extension—most visibly -w-—near the end of the verb stem. Because Swahili marks noun-class agreement on the verb, changing an active sentence into a passive one usually changes the verb’s subject prefix as well.

English normally uses a form of “be” plus a past participle: “is cooked,” “was written,” “has been repaired.” Basic Swahili instead changes the lexical verb itself. There is no separate equivalent of “be” in kimepikwa; the single word contains class 7 subject agreement ki-, perfect -me-, and passive -pikw-a.

How It Works

From active to passive

Start with an active sentence:

Mwalimu alisoma barua. — “The teacher read the letter.”

Here, mwalimu is the subject, or doer. Barua is the object (the person or thing directly affected by the action). To make the sentence passive:

1. Move the receiver, barua, into the subject role.
2. Make the verb agree with barua (class 9 singular: i-).
3. change soma to the passive stem somwa.
4. Add the old doer with na only if useful.

The result is Barua ilisomwa (na mwalimu) — “The letter was read (by the teacher).”

Part	Active	Passive
Subject	mwalimu (class 1)	barua (class 9)
Subject prefix	a-	i-
Past marker	-li-	-li-
Verb stem	-soma	-somwa
Other participant	barua	(na) mwalimu

The main passive forms

For a large group of common verbs ending in -a, the practical learner rule is to place w before the final vowel. Sound patterns within the stem produce several visible forms. Learn frequent passive stems together with their active verbs rather than trying to calculate every form from spelling alone.

Active infinitive	Passive infinitive	Core meaning
kusoma	kusomwa	to be read/studied
kupenda	kupendwa	to be loved/liked
kuandika	kuandikwa	to be written
kupika	kupikwa	to be cooked
kujenga	kujengwa	to be built
kufunga	kufungwa	to be closed/locked
kufanya	kufanywa	to be done/made
kupokea	kupokewa	to be received
kutoa	kutolewa	to be taken/given out
kununua	kununuliwa	to be bought
kuchagua	kuchaguliwa	to be chosen
kuzaa	kuzaliwa	to be born

Forms such as -iw-/-ew- and -liw-/-lew- reflect Swahili’s sound system and the shape of the stem. The vowel commonly follows vowel harmony (a tendency for the inserted vowel to match nearby vowels): compare chaguliwa and tolewa. Some very frequent words have forms that are best memorized, especially kula → kuliwa (“be eaten”), kupa → kupewa (“be given”), and kuzaa → kuzaliwa (“be born”). A dictionary normally lists or makes the passive stem recoverable when the form is not predictable.

Keep tense and agreement in place

Once you know the passive stem, conjugate it like another verb. A useful template is:

subject prefix + tense marker + passive stem

Using -pikwa “be cooked”:

Time or polarity	Swahili	English
Present ongoing	Chakula kinapikwa.	The food is being cooked.
Simple past	Chakula kilipikwa.	The food was cooked.
Perfect	Chakula kimepikwa.	The food has been cooked.
Future	Chakula kitapikwa.	The food will be cooked.
Present negative	Chakula hakipikwi.	The food is not being cooked.
Past negative	Chakula hakikupikwa.	The food was not cooked.
Future negative	Chakula hakitapikwa.	The food will not be cooked.

The final -a changes to -i in the ordinary present negative, just as it does with active verbs: kinapikwa → hakipikwi. The passive marker remains present.

Agreement belongs to the receiver

English agreement gives only a small clue in “the book was” versus “the books were.” Swahili agreement is much more visible. The noun now functioning as subject supplies its noun-class subject prefix.

Passive subject	Class	Present passive	English
mtoto (child)	1	Mtoto anaitwa Amina.	The child is called Amina.
watoto (children)	2	Watoto wanaitwa.	The children are being called.
mti (tree)	3	Mti unakatwa.	The tree is being cut down.
miti (trees)	4	Miti inakatwa.	The trees are being cut down.
kitabu (book)	7	Kitabu kinasomwa.	The book is being read.
vitabu (books)	8	Vitabu vinasomwa.	The books are being read.
barua (letter)	9	Barua inatumwa.	The letter is being sent.
barua (letters)	10	Barua zinatumwa.	The letters are being sent.

The class 9 and class 10 examples show why agreement matters: barua itself can look identical in singular and plural, but i- versus zi- reveals the number.

Naming the doer with na

The former active subject may appear after the passive verb in a by-phrase (a phrase naming who carried out the action). Swahili uses na:

Kitabu kiliandikwa na mwandishi maarufu. — “The book was written by a famous author.”

Here na means “by,” not its familiar coordinating meaning “and.” Do not add a possessive connector such as wa or ya. When the doer is unknown, obvious, deliberately hidden, or simply unimportant, leave the na phrase out: Dirisha limevunjwa (“The window has been broken”).

Examples in Context

Swahili	English	Note
Kitabu kiliandikwa na mwandishi maarufu.	The book was written by a famous author.	Past; the doer is named with na.
Chakula kimepikwa.	The food has been cooked.	Perfect; the cook is not important.
Anapendwa na wote.	He/She is loved by everyone.	Class 1 agreement a-.
Sheria hii ilipitishwa mwaka jana.	This law was passed last year.	Common in public and legal reporting.
Barua zitatumwa kesho.	The letters will be sent tomorrow.	Class 10 plural agreement zi-.
Mti ulikatwa kwa sababu ulikuwa umeanguka.	The tree was cut because it had fallen.	Class 3 agreement u-.
Watoto walichaguliwa kushiriki mashindano.	The children were chosen to take part in the competition.	Passive stem chaguliwa.
Zawadi ilitolewa na mkuu wa shule.	The prize was presented by the head of the school.	toa → tolewa.
Bidhaa hizi zinauzwa sokoni.	These goods are sold at the market.	Ongoing or general present.
Mkutano umeahirishwa hadi Jumatatu.	The meeting has been postponed until Monday.	Typical announcement.
Jina lako linaandikwaje?	How is your name written?	Passive plus question form -je.
Mlango haukufungwa jana usiku.	The door was not locked last night.	Negative past.
Kiswahili kinazungumzwa katika nchi kadhaa.	Swahili is spoken in several countries.	The speakers are left general.
Alizaliwa Mombasa.	He/She was born in Mombasa.	Fixed, very frequent passive of zaa.

Common Mistakes

Keeping the active subject prefix

• Wrong: Kitabu aliandikwa jana.
• Right: Kitabu kiliandikwa jana.
• Why: Kitabu is now the subject, so class 7 ki- must replace the human class 1 prefix a-.

Using a separate form of “be” as in English

• Wrong: Kitabu kilikuwa kiliandikwa na mwalimu when you simply mean “The book was written by the teacher.”
• Right: Kitabu kiliandikwa na mwalimu.
• Why: The passive is already expressed inside kiliandikwa. A form of kuwa can occur in a compound tense, but it is not required to build the basic passive.

Forgetting the passive extension

• Wrong: Chakula kimepika.
• Right: Chakula kimepikwa.
• Why: kimepika would give chakula the role of cook. The w in kimepikwa marks the food as receiving the action.

Translating “by” with a possessive connector

• Wrong: Barua iliandikwa ya Asha.
• Right: Barua iliandikwa na Asha.
• Why: An agent—the doer in a passive sentence—is introduced with na.

Guessing every passive from a single spelling rule

• Wrong: Zawadi ilitowa.
• Right: Zawadi ilitolewa.
• Why: Not every stem simply inserts w before final a. Learn common patterns such as toa → tolewa, chagua → chaguliwa, and zaa → zaliwa as complete pairs.

Confusing passive and stative meanings

• Wrong distinction: treating Kioo kimevunjwa and Kioo kimevunjika as interchangeable.
• Right distinction: Kioo kimevunjwa means someone or something has broken the glass; Kioo kimevunjika presents the glass as having become broken, without asserting an external doer.
• Why: -w- is passive, while -ik-/-ek- is the stative extension, which often describes a resulting state, spontaneous change, or possibility.

Usage Notes

Passives are natural in both speech and writing, but they become especially useful in notices, instructions, news, academic prose, and official statements. They let the speaker keep attention on the result or affected item: Maombi yamepokelewa (“The applications have been received”) sounds more relevant than naming the office worker who received them.

Do not assume that an English passive must always become a Swahili passive. If the doer is central, an active Swahili sentence may be clearer. Conversely, Swahili may use a passive where English chooses “people,” “they,” or an impersonal expression: Inasemekana kwamba… is naturally translated “It is said that…” or “People say that…”. Translate the message, not word for word.

Some passive forms acquire conventional translations. Anaitwa Musa literally has a passive form of ita “call,” but idiomatic English is “His name is Musa” or “He is called Musa.” Likewise, imefungwa can describe an event (“it has been closed”) or the resulting situation (“it is closed”); context determines the best English wording.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Passive with other verb extensions

Swahili can place more than one verb extension (an element added to the stem to change its meaning) in the same verb. The exact form and extension order belong to more advanced study, but common words already show the result:

• pitisha → pitishwa: “cause to pass” → “be passed,” as with a law
• ahirisha → ahirishwa: “postpone” → “be postponed”
• fundisha → fundishwa: “teach” → “be taught”
• andikia → andikiwa: “write to/for” → “be written to/for”

When analyzing a long verb, work from the outside inward: first identify the subject and tense prefixes, then look for the passive element near the end of the stem.

The promoted participant need not be a simple physical object

With verbs containing an applied extension, a beneficiary or recipient may become prominent in a passive construction. This produces forms whose most natural English translation varies with context. At this stage, prioritize recognizing the passive form and checking which participant controls agreement rather than forcing every sentence into an English “X was verbed by Y” mold.

Impersonal and reporting passives

Formal and informational Swahili often uses passive reporting expressions:

• Inajulikana kwamba… — “It is known that…”
• Inaaminika kwamba… — “It is believed that…”
• Inasemekana kwamba… — “It is said that…”

The initial i- is an impersonal agreement pattern in these expressions. Such constructions shift attention away from a specific source and toward the reported claim. They are useful, but good writing should still identify a source when evidence matters.

Passive versus stative

The passive normally implies an action affecting the subject, even when no doer is named: Mlango umefungwa (“The door has been closed”). A stative verb in -ik-/-ek- often focuses instead on condition, possibility, or what happens without naming an outside agent: Mlango unafungika (“The door closes/can be closed”). This contrast is not always captured neatly by one English form, so learn it through situations rather than translations alone.

Practice Tips

1. Transform complete sentences. Take five active sentences and change both the verb stem and agreement: Wanafunzi walisoma vitabu → Vitabu vilisomwa na wanafunzi. Saying only soma → somwa does not train noun-class agreement.
2. Build a passive-stem notebook. Record verbs in pairs, especially less transparent ones: toa/tolewa, chagua/chaguliwa, zaa/zaliwa, pa/pewa. Add one real sentence for each pair.
3. Notice why the doer disappears. In news, signs, and service messages, underline passive verbs and ask whether the agent is unknown, obvious, sensitive, or irrelevant. This develops a better instinct than translating every English passive mechanically.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Past Tense (-li-) — review the tense marker used in forms such as kiliandikwa and ilipitishwa.
• Contrast: Stative Extension (-ik-/-ek-) — distinguish an action done to something from a state, possibility, or spontaneous change.
• Next steps: Complex Passive and Impersonal Constructions — extend the passive to reporting, impersonal patterns, and more complex verb structures.