Kiswahili Note 05

说过去,和说不。

Saying the past, and saying no.

这一周的板书:Note 01 那张时态表终于进了真句子;被动式第一次出场,而且是在"我出生于"这个最常用的地方;否定式的六个前缀被摆在 -jambo 旁边,露出它们本来就是同一张表;火车的第三节车厢挂上了。周三又补上了另一半——怎么敲门,怎么说"有"和"没有",数字怎么戴帽子,月份怎么数。还有年份、序数词、连着用三次的连接词,和一个新的语气:它周一出现在"回头见"里,周三又出现在"请坐"里。

The boards of one week. The tense table from Note 01 finally gets real sentences; the passive appears for the first time, and does so inside the most useful sentence there is — I was born; the six negative prefixes are set beside -jambo, revealing that they were always the same table; and the third carriage of the train is coupled on. Wednesday supplied the other half: how to knock, how to say have and have not, how numbers take their hats, how months are counted. Also years, ordinals, a connector used three times in a row, and a new mood — heard on Monday in see you later, and again on Wednesday in please sit.

2026 年 9 月 14–16 日 · Sessions of 14–16 September 2026 Beginners’ Kiswahili Notes by Zhijun He
  1. 三行并排Three lines, side by side
  2. Nilizaliwa:被动式The passive arrives
  3. 垫片 kuWhy alikuja, not alija
  4. 年份与序数词Years and ordinals
  5. 说不Saying no
  6. 第三节车厢The third carriage
  7. 连接词连用Connectors, stacked
  8. TuonaneA new mood
  9. Hodi:站在门口At the door
  10. 有,没有Having and not having
  11. 数字戴帽子Numbers wear hats
  12. 月份、日期、年龄Months, dates, age
  13. 词汇Vocabulary
  14. 练习Drills

One

三行并排。

Three lines, side by side.

黑板上只写了三行,同一个人称,三个不同的时间。

Three lines on the board, one person, three times.

Mimi ninatoka ____.

我来自 ____。 · I come from ____.

Mimi nilizaliwa ____.

我出生于 ____。 · I was born in ____.

Mimi nitalala jioni.

我晚上睡。 · I will sleep in the evening.

Note 01 第四节给过那张时态标记表,但当时它是孤立的,没有句子挂上去。这三行就是它的证明:人称前缀不变,词根不变,变的只有第二个音节。

Note 01 §4 gave the table of tense markers, but it stood alone with no sentences attached. These three lines are the proof: the subject prefix holds, the root holds, and only the second syllable changes.

拆开 / Parts动词 / Verb时态 / Tense中文
ni + na + tokaninatoka现在 present我来自
ni + li + zaliwanilizaliwa过去 past我出生于
ni + ta + lalanitalala将来 future我将睡

黑板上第三行有一处划改的痕迹:ni-na-lala 被改成 ni-ta-lala。那不是写错,是现场演示——把第二节车厢换掉,整句的时间就变了。 · The third line on the board carries a correction: ni-na-lala struck through and rewritten as ni-ta-lala. Not a slip — a demonstration. Swap the second carriage and the sentence changes time.

Two

Nilizaliwa:被动式。

The passive arrives.

黑板右边单独写了一个词根:zaa,生、生育。旁边那个 nilizaliwa 就是从它来的。

Written off to the side of the board, on its own: zaa, to bear, to give birth. Nilizaliwa comes from it.

ni – li – zali – w – a

我 — 过去 — 生 — 被 — 词尾。我被生下来。 · I — past — bear — passive — ending.

那个 -w- 就是 Note 01 第四节讲过的被动后缀。当时给的例子是 ita → itwa(叫 → 被叫)、penda → pendwa(爱 → 被爱),并且解释了为什么 Unaitwa nani? 字面是"你被叫作谁"。现在它出现在一个每天都用得上的地方。

That -w- is the passive suffix from Note 01 §4. The examples there were ita → itwa and penda → pendwa, and the point was that Unaitwa nani? literally asks you are called who. Here it turns up somewhere you need every week.

主动 / Active被动 / Passive中文
zaazaliwa生 → 被生 bear → be born
itaitwa叫 → 被叫 call → be called
pendapendwa爱 → 被爱 love → be loved
jaalijaaliwa恩准 → 蒙准 grant → be granted

整句用起来:

In use:

Swahili中文English
Nilizaliwa Jixi.我出生在鸡西。I was born in Jixi.
Alizaliwa mwaka gani?他哪年出生的?What year was he born?
Tulizaliwa Uchina.我们出生在中国。We were born in China.

斯瓦希里语没有"出生"这个主动动词——出生这件事在语法上必然是被动的,你是被生下来的那一方。这跟英语的 be born 一致,跟中文的"出生"不一致。 · There is no active verb for being born. Grammatically you are always the one it was done to — as in English, unlike Chinese.

Three

垫片 ku。

Why alikuja, not alija.

A: Je, ulikuja chuo kikuu mwaka gani?

B: Mimi nilikuja chuo kikuu mwaka wa ____.

A: Rafiki yako alikuja chuo kikuu mwaka gani?

B: Yeye alikuja chuo kikuu mwaka wa ____.

你哪一年上的大学?——我 ____ 年。——你朋友哪一年?——他 ____ 年。

What year did you come to university? — I came in ____. — And your friend? — ____.

这里有一件看起来像例外的事。Note 03 学过 kuja(来),其中 ku- 是不定式前缀,第 15 类。按火车模型,上了车之后 ku- 该让位给人称和时态,变成 a-li-ja。但黑板写的是 alikuja,ku 还在。

Something here looks like an exception. Note 03 had kuja, where ku- is the class 15 infinitive prefix. On the train, ku- should give way to the subject and tense carriages, giving a-li-ja. The board says alikuja. The ku is still there.

原因是 Note 01 第二节那条重音规则:重音永远落在倒数第二个音节。-ja 只有一个音节,a-li-ja 的重音会落在 li 上——那是时态标记,不该被重读。所以语言把不定式的 ku 留下来当垫片,凑出一个音节,让重音落到它上面:a-li-ku-ja。

The reason is the stress rule from Note 01 §2: stress falls on the second-to-last syllable, always. -ja is one syllable, so in a-li-ja the stress would land on li — the tense marker, which should not carry it. So the infinitive ku stays on as a spacer and takes the stress itself: a-li-ku-ja.

词根 / Root不定式 / Infinitive过去 / Past中文
-jakujaalikuja来 come
-lakulaalikula吃 eat
-fakufaalikufa死 die
-nywakunywaalikunywa喝 drink
-endakwendaalikwenda去 go
-somakusomaalisoma读——两个音节,不需要垫片 two syllables, no spacer

Note 01 词汇表里的 Nilikula yai jana(我昨天吃了鸡蛋)当时是当例句给的,现在能解释了:-la 是单音节,所以是 nilikula 而不是 nilila。 · Nilikula yai jana appeared in Note 01 as an example sentence. It can now be explained.

alikuja 还是 alikwenda came, or went

课上补了一条用法:问朋友哪年上的大学,如果朋友跟你同一所学校,用 alikuja(来),因为从你说话的地方看他是"来"的;不同学校,用 alikwenda(去)。否定过去时(见第五节):Yeye hakwenda chuo kikuu,他没上大学;Wao hawakwenda chuo kikuu,他们没上。

A usage note from class: asking what year a friend came to university, use alikuja if they are at your university — from where you stand, they came — and alikwenda if they are at a different one. In the negative past (§5): Yeye hakwenda chuo kikuu, she did not go; Wao hawakwenda chuo kikuu, they did not go.

Four

年份与序数词。

Years and ordinals.

mwaka wa ____ the year of ____

说年份要用连接词。Mwaka(年,单数)是第 3 类,第 3 类的 -a 是 wa。

Years take the connector. Mwaka is class 3, and the class 3 form of -a is wa.

Swahili中文
mwaka wa elfu mbili na ishirini na mbili2022 年
mwaka wa elfu mbili na ishirini na sita2026 年
mwaka wa elfu moja, mia tisa, tisini na nne1994 年

口语里年份也常逐位念:mwaka wa mbili sifuri mbili mbili(二〇二二)。正式说法是上面那种加法串。 · Spoken, years are often read digit by digit. The additive form above is the formal one.

Kwa shahada ya kwanza for a first degree

黑板底下补了两行:

Swahili中文English
Kwa shahada ya kwanza读本科(第一个学位)for a first degree
Kwa shahada ya pili读硕士(第二个学位)for a second degree

Shahada 在 Note 01 的词汇表里给的是"证书",在学历语境里就是学位。它是 N 类,所以连接词用 ya。Kwa 在这里表目的:为了……而来。

Shahada appeared in the Note 01 vocabulary as certificate; in an academic context it is a degree. It is N class, hence ya. Kwa here marks purpose.

Utamaliza masomo mwaka gani? what year will you finish?

同一个句型换成将来时,就是问毕业年份:

The same frame in the future tense asks when you will graduate:

A: Je, wewe utamaliza masomo mwaka gani?

B: Mimi nitamaliza masomo mwaka wa ____.

A: Je, rafiki yako atamaliza masomo mwaka gani?

B: Sijui.

你哪年完成学业?——我 ____ 年。——你朋友哪年?——我不知道。

What year will you finish your studies? — In ____. — And your friend? — I don’t know.

-maliza 完成,masomo 学业(第 6 类,somo 一课的复数)。朋友已经毕业了就换回过去时:alimaliza。Sijui 是现在时否定(第五节):si + ju + i。 · -maliza, to finish; masomo, studies, class 6. If the friend has already graduated, back to the past: alimaliza. Sijui is the negative present of §5.

序数词的构成是 连接词 + 数字,而且只有前两个不规则:

Ordinals are connector + number, and only the first two are irregular:

序数 / Ordinal中文来自 / From
kwanza第一不规则,来自 -anza(开始) irregular, from -anza, to begin
pili第二← mbili
tatu第三同基数 same as the cardinal
nne第四同基数
tano第五同基数

三以上的序数词跟基数词长得一样,靠前面的连接词分辨:mwaka wa tatu 是"第三年",miaka mitatu 是"三年"。同一个 tatu,帽子不同,意思不同。第十二节的月份就是这套序数词的第一次大规模使用。 · From three up, ordinal and cardinal look identical; the connector is what tells them apart. §12 puts the ordinals to work on the months.

Five

说不。

Saying no.

黑板上这一块把两样东西并排摆着:左边是六个否定主语前缀,右边是整套 -jambo。摆在一起就看出来了——它们本来就是同一张表。

This board sets two things side by side: the six negative subject prefixes on the left, the full -jambo paradigm on the right. Together they make the point — they were always the same table.

人称 / Person否定前缀 / Prefix+ jambo+ 真动词 / a real verb
mimisi-sijambosikwenda
wewehu-hujambohukwenda
yeyeha-hajambohakwenda
sisihatu-hatujambohatukwenda
ninyiham-hamjambohamkwenda
waohawa-hawajambohawakwenda

Note 01 第四节给过左边那一列,Note 02 第一节给过右边那一套,但两篇都没说它们是一回事。这块黑板把话挑明了。周三它还会第三次出现——挂在"有"上(第十节)。

Note 01 §4 gave the left column, Note 02 §1 gave the right, and neither said they were the same thing. This board says it. On Wednesday the table appears a third time, attached to have (§10).

但时态不一样 The tenses, however, differ

黑板上 si- 底下单独写了一个 li,那是在提示一件重要的事:否定的过去时不是 si-li-,而是 si-ku-。

Under si- the board has a lone li. It flags something important: the negative past is not si-li- but si-ku-.

时态 / Tense肯定 / Affirmative否定 / Negative中文
现在 presentninakwendasiendi我不去
过去 pastnilikwendasikuenda我没去
将来 futurenitakwendasitakwenda我不会去
尚未 not yet—sijaenda我还没去

现在时的否定最特别:时态标记整个消失,词尾的 a 变成 i。ninajua → sijui、ninaona → sioni、ninasoma → sisomi。Note 01 已经给过这条,这次只是把它放回整张表里。

The negative present is the odd one: the tense marker disappears entirely and the final a becomes i. Note 01 gave this; here it is returned to the full table.

要当心 sikwenda 里的 ku 和上一节那个"垫片 ku"不是同一个东西。这里的 ku 是过去否定标记(si-ku-enda),那里的 ku 是凑音节的不定式残留(a-li-ku-ja)。同形,不同源。 · The ku in sikwenda is not the spacer ku of §3. Here it is the negative past marker; there it is a leftover infinitive filling out a syllable. Same shape, different origin.

Six

第三节车厢。

The third carriage.

黑板角落里写着一个词:aliniambia。

One word in the corner of the board: aliniambia.

a – li – ni – ambia

他 — 过去 — 对我 — 告诉。他告诉了我。 · He — past — to me — tell.

Note 01 第四节讲过火车有三节车厢:谁 — 何时 — 对谁 — 词根 — a。第三节当时只给了一张前缀表和一个 kukujua,没有完整的句子。现在它挂上了。

Note 01 §4 described the train as who — when — to whom — root — a. The third carriage came with a table of prefixes and one example, kukujua, but no full sentence. Here it is coupled on.

我 / me你 / you他她 / him, her我们 / us你们、他们 / you, them
-ni--ku--m--tu--wa-
Swahili拆开 / Parts中文
aliniambiaa-li-ni-ambia他告诉了我
alikuambiaa-li-ku-ambia他告诉了你
nilimwambiani-li-m-ambia我告诉了他
walituambiawa-li-tu-ambia他们告诉了我们

词根 -ambia 本身也有来历:它是 -amba(说)加上 Note 01 预告过的 -ia 后缀(为、向)。所以 sema 是"说",ambia 是"对某人说"——后者必须带一个宾语。

The root -ambia has a history of its own: -amba, to say, plus the -ia suffix Note 01 trailed, meaning for or to. So sema is to say and ambia is to say to someone — the latter requires an object.

Seven

连接词连用。

Connectors, stacked.

A: Je, namba yako ya simu ni ngapi?

B: Namba yangu ya simu ni ____.

A: Namba ya simu ya rafiki yako ni ngapi?

B: Namba yake ya simu ni ____.

你的电话号码是多少?——我的号码是 ____。——你朋友的电话号码是多少?——他的号码是 ____。

What is your phone number? — Mine is ____. — And your friend’s? — Theirs is ____.

第三句是这一节的重点:namba ya simu ya rafiki yako——"你朋友的、电话的、号码"。三层所属关系,每一层都要一个连接词,一个都不能省。

The third line is the point: namba ya simu ya rafiki yako — your friend’s phone’s number. Three layers of possession, and each one needs its own connector.

两个 ya 都是 N 类,因为 namba 和 simu 都是 N 类(两个都是晚近的英语借词,跟 Note 03 说的规律一致)。号码是一位一位念的,零是 sifuri:mbili sifuri tatu,二〇三。

Both are ya because both namba and simu are N class — both recent English loans, as Note 03 said they would be. Numbers are read digit by digit, and zero is sifuri: mbili sifuri tatu, two-oh-three.

第 7 类:cha class 7

另一个新形式:chuo(学院)是第 7 类(ki-/vi- 那一类,chuo 是 ki- 在元音前的变体),第 7 类的 -a 是 cha。

Another new form: chuo is class 7 — the ki-/vi- class, with ch- before a vowel — and the class 7 -a is cha.

Swahili中文
chuo kikuu cha Yale耶鲁大学
chuo kikuu cha Columbia哥伦比亚大学
kitabu cha Kiswahili斯瓦希里语课本

把 Note 02、Note 04 和这一课的形式合起来,连接词 -a 的表现在基本齐了:

Putting Note 02, Note 04 and this session together, the table of -a is now nearly complete:

类 / Class-a例 / Example中文
1/2 人wamwalimu wa Kiswahili斯瓦希里语老师
3/4 树wa / yamwaka wa 2026;miezi ya mwaka2026 年;一年的月份
5 杂类lajina la mama妈妈的名字
6 杂类复yamajina ya watoto孩子们的名字
7/8 物cha / vyachuo kikuu cha Yale耶鲁大学
9/10 Nya / zanamba ya simu;habari za asubuhi电话号码;早晨的消息

更正:Note 01 练习三 Correction to Note 01, drill three

Note 01 的练习三里,rafiki yangu 那一行注了一句"强调人的时候也听得到 wangu",但没有给出判据。Mwalimu Wa'Njogu 给了:单复数同形的亲属词用 N 类所有格,有 m-/wa- 变化的走人类。

Note 01, drill three, noted beside rafiki yangu that wangu is also heard when the person is being emphasised, without saying when. Mwalimu Wa’Njogu supplied the test: kinship terms that do not change between singular and plural take N-class possessives; those that do take the animate forms.

词 / Word单复数 / Sg. & pl.所有格 / Possessive
dada, kaka, binamu, shangazi, bibi, babu, rafiki, jirani同形 unchangedyangu, zangu
mjomba / wajomba, mzazi / wazazi, mtoto / watoto, mwalimu / walimu变 changeswangu

所以 dada yangu、kaka zangu,但 mjomba wangu——三种形式可以出现在同一句话里,而且都是对的。周三的门口对话(第九节)正是这条规则的一次实地考试:jirani yako、rafiki yako,但 mwalimu wako。 · Hence dada yangu, kaka zangu, but mjomba wangu. All three can stand in one sentence, and all three are right. Wednesday’s doorway dialogue (§9) is a live test of the rule: jirani yako, rafiki yako, but mwalimu wako. Correction credited to the instructor.

Eight

Tuonane。

A new mood.

Tuonane baadaye.

待会儿见。 · Let us see each other later.

Note 01 给的是 tutaonana baadaye——tu + ta + onana,将来时,陈述一件会发生的事。这里的 tuonane 不一样:没有时态标记,词尾的 a 变成 e。

Note 01 gave tutaonana baadaye — tu + ta + onana, the future tense, stating something that will happen. Tuonane is different: no tense marker at all, and the final a becomes e.

Swahili拆开 / Parts语气 / Mood中文
tutaonanatu-ta-onana陈述,将来 indicative, future我们会再见
tuonanetu-onan-e虚拟,提议 subjunctive, a proposal咱们回头见吧

这个 -e 是虚拟式,用来提议、请求、表示"让我们……吧"。它没有时态,因为提议本来就不发生在任何时间上。

The -e is the subjunctive: proposals, requests, let us. It carries no tense, because a proposal does not happen at a time.

Swahili中文English
Tuende.咱们走吧。Let’s go.
Tusome.咱们读吧。Let’s read.
Nikusaidie?要我帮你吗?Shall I help you?
Karibu ukae.请坐。Please sit — literally, welcome, may you sit.

周一只学到 tuonane 这一个形式;周三它在 Karibu ukae 里第二次出现(第九节)。中间几个是同一规律的推演,供参考。 · Only tuonane was taught on Monday; ukae followed on Wednesday (§9). The middle rows follow the same rule and are given for reference.

Nine

Hodi:站在门口。

At the door.

周三的第一块板旁边画了一扇门和一间屋子。东非不敲门——站在门口喊一声 Hodi!,常喊两遍,黑板上也写了两遍。屋里人应 Karibu!,然后一步一步把人请进来。

Wednesday’s first board came with a drawing of a door and a house. In East Africa one does not knock: one stands at the door and calls Hodi!, usually twice, as the board had it. From inside comes Karibu!, and then the visitor is brought in a step at a time.

A: Hodi! Hodi!

B: Karibu! Nani anabisha?

A: Ni mimi, jirani yako.

B: Karibu, tafadhali ingia. Karibu ukae.

A: Asante.

有人吗?——请进!谁在敲门?——是我,你的邻居。——欢迎,请进。请坐。——谢谢。

May I come in? — Welcome! Who is knocking? — It is me, your neighbour. — Welcome, please come in. Please sit. — Thank you.

Swahili拆开 / Parts中文English
Hodi!—可以进来吗?May I come in?
Karibu!—欢迎 / 请进Welcome, come in
Tafadhali ingia.请 + 进入请进Please enter
Karibu ukae.u-ka-e,来自 kukaa请坐Welcome, sit
Karibu kiti.欢迎 + 椅子请坐(字面:请用椅子)Welcome, take a chair
Nani anabisha?a-na-bisha谁在敲门?Who is knocking?

Karibu 是斯瓦希里语最忙的词之一:欢迎、请进、不客气(回应 asante 时)都是它,Note 01 里还见过它当"附近"用(karibu na)。Karibu ukae 和 Karibu kiti 二选一,不连着说。

Karibu is one of the busiest words in the language: welcome, come in, and you’re welcome in reply to asante; Note 01 had it as near (karibu na). Karibu ukae and Karibu kiti are alternatives, not a sequence.

Ni mimi, ____ yako it is me, your ____

门外人的三种自报家门,黑板上并排写着,重点是最后一个词:

Three ways for the visitor to say who they are, written side by side on the board. The point is the last word:

Swahili中文所有格 / Possessive
Ni mimi, jirani yako.是我,你的邻居。N 类 N class
Ni mimi, rafiki yako.是我,你的朋友。N 类
Ni mimi, mwalimu wako.是我,你的老师。第 1 类 class 1

这就是第七节那条更正的实地考试。jirani 和 rafiki 虽然指人,但单复数同形,走 N 类,所以 yako;mwalimu 有 walimu 这个复数,走人类,所以 wako。不能看"是不是人",只能看名词本身的班。 · This is §7’s correction put to the test. jirani and rafiki are people but do not change in the plural, so N class and yako; mwalimu has the plural walimu, so the animate wako. The noun’s class decides, not whether it is a person.

Ten

有,没有。

Having and not having.

A: Je, wewe una dada na kaka?

B: Ndiyo, mimi nina dada na kaka.

B: Hapana, mimi sina dada au kaka.

B: Mimi nina dada lakini sina kaka.

B: Mimi nina kaka lakini sina dada.

你有姐妹和兄弟吗?——有,我有姐妹和兄弟。——没有,我没有姐妹或兄弟。——我有姐妹但没有兄弟。——我有兄弟但没有姐妹。

Do you have a sister and a brother? — Yes, both. — No, neither. — A sister but no brother. — A brother but no sister.

斯瓦希里语没有一个单独的动词叫"有"。"我有"是 ni + na——字面是"我(和)……在一起",那个 na 就是"和"。所以 nina dada 是"我与姐妹同在"。它不带时态标记,人称前缀直接贴在 -na 上;否定式换成第五节那六个否定前缀,一个不多一个不少。

There is no separate verb to have. I have is ni + na — literally I (am) with; the na is the same and. So nina dada is I am with a sister. It carries no tense marker: the subject prefix attaches straight to -na, and the negative swaps in the six prefixes of §5, exactly as they stand there.

人称 / Person有 / have没有 / have not
mimininasina
weweunahuna
yeyeanahana
sisitunahatuna
ninyimnahamna
waowanahawana

黑板上六个人称代词是跟着一起写的:mimi, wewe, yeye, sisi, ninyi, wao。它们可以省——前缀已经标了人称,Sina dada 和 Mimi sina dada 意思一样,加 mimi 只是强调。课堂对话里老师总带着代词,是为了让代词和前缀对上号。 · The six pronouns were written beside the forms. They are optional — the prefix already marks the person; mimi adds emphasis. The instructor keeps them in classroom dialogue so that pronoun and prefix are learned together.

na,au,lakini and, or, but

四种回答用了三个连接词,一句一个,位置固定:

The four answers use three connectors, one each, and the choice is fixed:

句型 / Frame连接词 / Connector例 / Example
肯定 affirmativena 和nina dada na kaka
否定 negativeau 或sina dada au kaka
一正一反 one of eachlakini 但nina dada lakini sina kaka

否定句里"和"要换成"或",跟英语 I don’t have a sister or a brother 的逻辑一样——sina dada na kaka 是错的。黑板上 nina 上方悬着一个 au,就是在标这条对比。 · In the negative, and becomes or, as in English; sina dada na kaka is wrong. The au hovering above nina on the board was marking exactly this contrast.

换成第三人称 in the third person

问别人家里的事,把 u- 换成 a-,其他不动。Note 04 的 Wewe unatoka wapi? 也一样换:

Asking about someone else, swap u- for a- and leave the rest. Note 04’s Wewe unatoka wapi? shifts the same way:

Swahili中文English
Je, rafiki ana dada?朋友有姐妹吗?Does your friend have a sister?
Kaka anatoka wapi?兄弟是哪里人?Where is your brother from?
Kaka anatoka Jixi.他来自鸡西。He is from Jixi.

往前看 Looking ahead

"有"之所以没有时态标记,是因为它其实是"是"(kuwa)加 na 的缩略。要说过去和将来,kuwa 就回来了:nilikuwa na(我曾有)、nitakuwa na(我将有)。这课没讲,但迟早会来。

Have has no tense marker because it is a contraction of to be (kuwa) plus na. In the past and future, kuwa reappears: nilikuwa na, I had; nitakuwa na, I will have. Not taught yet; it will come.

Eleven

数字戴帽子。

Numbers wear hats.

黑板左下角三个词组:watu watatu(三个人),dada watano(五个姐妹),wanane(八个)。同一个"三",跟着名词换衣服——但只有一部分数字会换。

Bottom left of the board, three phrases: watu watatu, three people; dada watano, five sisters; wanane, eight. The same three changes its clothes to match the noun — but only some numbers do this.

数 / N数数用 / Counting人 1/2 watu物 7/8 viti年 3/4 miaka
1mojamtu mmojakiti kimojamwaka mmoja
2mbiliwatu wawiliviti viwilimiaka miwili
3tatuwatu watatuviti vitatumiaka mitatu
4nnewatu wanneviti vinnemiaka minne
5tanowatu watanoviti vitanomiaka mitano
6sitawatu sitaviti sitamiaka sita
7sabawatu sabaviti sabamiaka saba
8nanewatu wananeviti vinanemiaka minane
9tisawatu tisaviti tisamiaka tisa
10kumiwatu kumiviti kumimiaka kumi

规律:1、2、3、4、5、8 戴帽子,6、7、9、10 不戴。原因是来历不同。戴帽子的六个是班图本土词,在语法上是形容词,所以像 -zuri、-kubwa 一样要配名词班。sita、saba、tisa 是阿拉伯语借词(sitta、sabʿa、tisʿa),整块搬进来,没有词根可以加前缀。kumi 虽然是班图词,但从一开始就是名词"一个十",不是形容词,所以也不变。二十以上(ishirini、thelathini……)和 mia、elfu 全是阿拉伯语,同理。

The rule: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 take a prefix; 6, 7, 9 and 10 do not. The reason is origin. The six that agree are native Bantu words and grammatically adjectives, so they agree like -zuri and -kubwa. sita, saba, tisa are Arabic loans, taken over whole with no root to prefix. kumi is Bantu but has always been a noun, a ten, not an adjective, so it too stays put. Twenty upwards, and mia, elfu, are all Arabic and behave the same.

为什么偏偏 6、7、9 被换掉?一般的解释是沿海贸易和记账用阿拉伯数字体系,本土的 6、7、9 用得少,被挤掉了;1 到 5 是一只手,用得最多;8 是 4+4,在班图语里是个很稳的词,所以留了下来。其他班图语里能看见原来的样子,比如很多语言的 6 是 -tandatu。 · Why 6, 7 and 9? The usual account is that coastal trade and bookkeeping ran on the Arabic system, and the less-used native words were crowded out; 1 to 5 are one hand and used constantly, and 8, as 4 + 4, is a stable Bantu word. Other Bantu languages keep the originals — 6 is -tandatu in many.

"二"的两副面孔 Two faces of two

数数的时候是 mbili,戴帽子的时候词根是 -wili:watu wawili、viti viwili。第四节的序数 pili 和第十二节的 kumi na mbili 用的都是数数形式。

Counting, it is mbili; agreeing, the root is -wili: watu wawili, viti viwili. The ordinal pili in §4 and kumi na mbili in §12 both use the counting form.

dada watano,但 dada yako the animate rule

黑板上的 dada watano 值得多看一眼。第七节说过 dada 走 N 类所有格(dada yako),可数词却用了人类的 wa-。这不矛盾:数词、形容词和动词一律看"是不是活物",是人就用 wa-;只有所有格和连接词才跟着名词本身的班走。

dada watano on the board deserves a second look. §7 established that dada takes N-class possessives (dada yako), yet the number takes the animate wa-. No contradiction: numbers, adjectives and verbs agree with animacy — a person gets wa- — while only possessives and connectors follow the noun’s own class.

-ngapi 也是形容词 -ngapi agrees too

Swahili中文English
Una kaka wangapi?你有几个兄弟?How many brothers do you have?
Nina kaka mmoja.我有一个兄弟。I have one brother.
Una viti vingapi?你有几把椅子?How many chairs?
Una miaka mingapi?你几岁?(字面:你有几年)How old are you? — literally, how many years do you have

第七节的 namba ni ngapi? 用的是光杆 ngapi,因为那里问的是号码本身,不是数量。 · §7’s namba ni ngapi? has bare ngapi because it asks for the number itself, not a quantity.

Twelve

月份、日期、年龄。

Months, dates, age.

Miezi ya mwaka the months of the year

斯瓦希里语传统上不给月份起名字,直接数:第一个月,第二个月……用的就是第四节的序数词,连接词是 mwezi(第 3 类)的 wa。

Traditionally the months are not named but numbered — first month, second month — using the ordinals of §4, with the class 3 connector wa of mwezi.

Swahili中文借词名 / Loan name
mwezi wa kwanza一月Januari
mwezi wa pili二月Februari
mwezi wa tatu三月Machi
mwezi wa nne四月Aprili
mwezi wa tano五月Mei
mwezi wa sita六月Juni
mwezi wa saba七月Julai
mwezi wa nane八月Agosti
mwezi wa tisa九月Septemba
mwezi wa kumi十月Oktoba
mwezi wa kumi na moja十一月Novemba
mwezi wa kumi na mbili十二月Desemba

标题 miezi ya mwaka 里的 ya 是第 4 类的连接词——mwezi 的复数 miezi 属第 4 类,跟 mwaka / miaka 一样。右栏那套英语借名报纸和正式场合用得多,课上先教的是左边这套。 · The ya in the title is the class 4 connector: miezi, plural of mwezi, is class 4 like miaka. The loan names on the right dominate print and formal use; the numbered set was taught first.

Tarehe the date

黑板上单独写了一个词 tarehe,日期。完整地说今天:

One word stood alone on the board: tarehe, date. Today, in full:

Tarehe kumi na sita, mwezi wa tisa, mwaka wa elfu mbili na ishirini na sita.

二〇二六年九月十六日。 · The sixteenth of the ninth month, 2026.

日 → 月 → 年,跟中文相反。日期数字用数数形式,不戴帽子。 · Day, then month, then year — the reverse of Chinese. The day uses the counting form, no prefix.

Una miaka mingapi? how old are you

年龄的问法就是第十节的"有"加第十一节的 -ngapi:你有几年。

Age is §10’s have plus §11’s -ngapi: how many years do you have.

A: Je, wewe una miaka mingapi?

B: Mimi nina miaka ____.

A: Je, rafiki ana miaka mingapi?

B: Yeye ana miaka ____.

你多大?——我 ____ 岁。——朋友多大?——他 ____ 岁。

How old are you? — I am ____. — And your friend? — ____.

miaka 是第 4 类,所以是 mingapi;答的时候年龄数字跟着 miaka 戴帽子:miaka ishirini na minne(二十四岁——nne 戴帽,ishirini 不戴)。 · miaka is class 4, hence mingapi; in the answer the number agrees where it can: miaka ishirini na minne, twenty-four — nne takes the prefix, ishirini does not.

Thirteen

词汇。

Vocabulary.

动词 Verbs

词根 / Root中文English备注 / Note
-zaa生、生育bear, give birth主动 · active
-zaliwa出生be born被动 · passive of -zaa
-ja来come单音节,保留 ku
-enda去gokwenda;单音节,保留 ku
-amba说say—
-ambia告诉(某人)tell someone-amba + -ia,须带宾语
-lala睡sleepNote 01
-maliza完成finishnitamaliza masomo
-jua知道knowsijui 我不知道
-ingia进入entertafadhali ingia
-kaa坐、待、住sit, stay, liveukae 虚拟式
-bisha敲门、喊 hodiknock, call hodinani anabisha?
-na有have无时态标记,见第十节

名词 Nouns

Swahili中文EnglishClass
mwaka / miaka年year3/4
mwezi / miezi月、月亮month, moon3/4
tarehe日期dateN
chuo / vyuo学院college7/8
chuo kikuu大学university字面:大的学院
kiti / viti椅子chair7/8
somo / masomo课;学业lesson; studies5/6
shahada学位、证书degree, certificateN
simu电话telephoneN
namba号码numberN
mtu / watu人person1/2
mwalimu / walimu老师teacher1/2 → wako
jirani邻居neighbourN → yako
rafiki朋友friendN → yako

其他 Other

Swahili中文English备注 / Note
hodi可以进来吗may I come in门口用,常两遍
karibu欢迎;请进;不客气welcome; come in; you’re welcome—
tafadhali请please—
je(疑问标记)question marker句首,可省
ndiyo / hapana是 / 不是yes / no—
na / au / lakini和 / 或 / 但and / or / but肯定 / 否定 / 转折
-ngapi几个、多少how many形容词,戴帽子
sifuri零zero念号码用
kwanza / pili第一 / 第二first / second序数
kwa为了、用for, by means of—
cha……的(第 7 类)of, class 7连接词 -a
mimi, wewe, yeye, sisi, ninyi, wao我、你、他/她、我们、你们、他们the six pronounsninyi 亦作 nyinyi

Fourteen

练习。

Drills.

一 — 换第二节车厢 One — swap the second carriage

用 -soma 造:我在读;我读了;我将读;我不读;我没读;我还没读。

ninasomani-na-soma
nilisomani-li-soma
nitasomani-ta-soma
sisomisi + 词根 + i
sikusomasi-ku-soma
sijasomasi-ja-soma
二 — 单音节还是双音节 Two — one syllable or two

判断哪些过去时要保留 ku:-ja、-soma、-la、-kaa、-fa、-toka、-enda。

alikuja, alikula, alikufa, alikwenda单音节 → 保留 ku one syllable — ku stays
alisoma, alikaa, alitoka双音节 → 不保留 two syllables — no spacer
三 — 说出你自己的年份 Three — your own years

用完整句说:我出生于 ____ 年;我 ____ 年来读本科;我 ____ 年来读硕士;我将在 ____ 年完成学业。

Nilizaliwa mwaka wa ____.出生 born
Nilikuja chuo kikuu mwaka wa ____, kwa shahada ya kwanza.本科 first degree
Nilikuja chuo kikuu mwaka wa ____, kwa shahada ya pili.硕士 second degree
Nitamaliza masomo mwaka wa ____.毕业 graduate
四 — 挂上第三节车厢 Four — couple the third carriage

译成斯瓦希里语:他告诉了我;我告诉了你;她告诉了他们;他们告诉了我们。

aliniambiaa-li-ni-ambia
nilikuambiani-li-ku-ambia
aliwaambiaa-li-wa-ambia
walituambiawa-li-tu-ambia
五 — 连接词配帽子 Five — fit the connector

填空:mwalimu ___ Kiswahili;jina ___ mama;chuo kikuu ___ Yale;namba ___ simu;habari ___ asubuhi;mwaka ___ 2026;miezi ___ mwaka。

wamwalimu wa Kiswahili(第 1 类)
lajina la mama(第 5 类)
chachuo kikuu cha Yale(第 7 类)
yanamba ya simu(N 类)
zahabari za asubuhi(N 类复数)
wamwaka wa 2026(第 3 类)
yamiezi ya mwaka(第 4 类)
六 — 门口 Six — at the door

把对话补完整,门外人换成"你的老师":

A: Hodi! Hodi!—
B: Karibu! Nani anabisha?谁在敲门?
A: Ni mimi, mwalimu wako.是我,你的老师——第 1 类,wako 不是 yako
B: Karibu, tafadhali ingia. Karibu ukae.请进,请坐
七 — 有,没有 Seven — have and have not

译成斯瓦希里语:我们有老师;你们没有椅子;他有姐妹但没有兄弟;他们没有电话或椅子。

Tuna mwalimu.tu-na
Hamna viti.ham-na
Ana dada lakini hana kaka.a-na … ha-na,转折用 lakini
Hawana simu au viti.hawa-na,否定用 au 不用 na
八 — 给数字戴帽子 Eight — hat the number

三个人;两把椅子;五年;六个老师;八个月;一个兄弟。

watu watatu第 2 类,wa-
viti viwili第 8 类,vi-;词根 -wili 不是 mbili
miaka mitano第 4 类,mi-
walimu sita6 是借词,不戴帽
miezi minane8 是本土词,戴帽
kaka mmoja活物走 m-,虽然所有格是 kaka yangu
九 — 今天几号 Nine — today’s date

说出这三个日期:9 月 16 日;1 月 1 日;12 月 25 日。

Tarehe kumi na sita, mwezi wa tisa.日在前,月在后
Tarehe moja, mwezi wa kwanza."第一"用 kwanza
Tarehe ishirini na tano, mwezi wa kumi na mbili.12 里的 mbili 用数数形式

← All Kiswahili notes

← Note 04 · Note 06 follows next week.