PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are the "to," "for," etc. statements in swahili. Unlike english, the same construction is used to cover all prepositional phrases. This is done by changing the end of the verb and (if the preposition is referencing a person or other animate object) adding an object infix. Though object infixes can be added for inanimate objects, this is not necessary and rather uncommon.

There are four different suffixes for prepositional verbs and all are dependent upon the verb's vowels. Note that "vowels" refers to all of the verb's vowels excluding the final vowel (which is usually "a" but sometimes "i" or "u"). So, the verb "kusoma" has the main vowel o and ends in a consonant while "ambia" has the main vowel(s) a/i and ends in a vowel. You will not have a mixture of o/e and a/i/u in the same verb.



The suffix is placed before the final vowel, a.

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Verbs that have the main vowels a, i, or u take i (if they end in a consonant) or li (if they end in a vowel). 

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Verbs that have the main vowels e or o take e (if they end in a consonant) or le (if they end in a vowel).



When determining prepositions, go through the following steps:





















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Examples:

Tutakutembelea kesho. We will visit you tomorrow.

     Kutembelea has the main vowel e and ends in a vowel so we add "le." There is also the object "you" referenced by the

    verb so we add the object infix "ku."

Mama aliwapikia watoto wake. The mother cooked for her children.

     Kupika has the main vowel i and ends in a consonant so we add "i." There is also the object "children" referenced by

     the verb so we add the object infix "wa."

Nilifanyia mti vitu hivi. I made these things for the tree.

     Kufanya has the main vowel i and ends in a consonant so we add "i." Here, the object referenced by the verb is "tree"

     so, though we don't need an object infix for the inanimate object, we put the noun directly after the verb, followed by

     "these things."

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