View source for Verbs – present tense

Verbs in Setswana (and most Bantu languages) are almost always accompanied by a subject marker (except in the imperative/command form).

===Basic Subject Markers===
{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| ke || me (1st person)  
|-
| o ||  you (2nd person)
|-
| o* ||  he/she (3rd person)
|-
| re || us 
|-
| le** ||  you (plural)
|-
| ba || them
|}
.*in the negative, this becomes "a"
.**in some dialects, marker "lo" is used instead of "le"
These are the subject markers for people, there are many other markers for nouns which belong to other classes - see later in [[noun classes]]

===Present Tense (Short Form)===
In this form, the present tense is simply made by adding the subject marker and the verb. However, this can only be used when there is a word following the verb (otherwise you use the "long form" see below)

{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| ke bidiwa Paul || I am called Paul  
|-
| o bidiwa Ntathi ||  she is called Ntathi (or you are called Ntathi)
|-
| monna o ja apole || the man (he) is eating an apple
|-
| re ithutha Setswana  || we are learning Setswana 
|}

===Present Tense (long form)===
If there are no words following the verb, then an extra "a" marker must be added before the verb (called the "long form marker")

{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| re a ithuta || we are learning
|-
| basadi ba a ja ||  the women (they) are eating
|-
| ke a kwala  || I am writing
|}

===Present Tense (negative)===
To form the negative, the negative article "ga" comes before the subject marker, and the end of the verb changes from "a" to "e". The long form marker "a" disappears.
{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| monna o ja apole || monna ga a je apole* || the man (he) is not eating an apple
|-
| re ithutha Setswana  || ga re ithuthe Setswana || we are not learning Setswana 
|-
| re a ithuta ||  ga re ithute || we are not learning
|-
| basadi ba a ja ||  basadi ga ba je || the women (they) are not eating
|-
| ke a kwala || ga ke kwale || I am not writing
|}
.* Note "o" subject marker changes to "a" in negative form


===Verb "to be"===
There is no direct equivalent of the verb "to be" in Setswana. The verb "ke" expresses identity, but in other situations, the subject marker is used. 
{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| Jane ke moruti ||  Jane is a teacher
|-
| Jane o montle || Jane is beautiful
|}
This will become clearer with use


===Verb "to have"===
The words "na le" are used for possession, and also for association (think of it as being "to be with")
{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| ke na le koloi || I have a car
|-
| Jane o na le bana ||  Jane has children
|-
| Mary o na le Pitso || Mary is with Pitso
|-
| Go na le batho mo ofising || There are people in the office (literally "the place is with people in the office")
|}
"Go" is the subject marker for places (see later in [[noun classes]])

===Negative of "to have"===
In the negative form as well as adding the negative article "ga", the "le" dissapears

{| style="color:green;background-color:#ffffcc;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| ke na le koloi || ga ke na koloi || I don't have a car
|-
| Jane o na le bana || Jane ga a na bana ||  Jane hasn't any children
|-
| Mary o na le Pitso || Mary ga a na Pitso || Mary isn't with Pitso
|-
| Go na le batho mo ofising || Ga go na batho mo ofising || There aren't any people in the office
|}

===Vocabulary - Verbs ===
{| style="color:black;background-color:#ffcc99;" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| NOTEDITED ||  dumelang || Hello/Good Morning/Afternoon 
|-
| tsoga || tsogile || wake/woke up 
|-
| tlhola || tlhotse  || spend/spent the day
|-
| robala || robetse  || sleep/slept
|-
| sala ||   -  || stay
|-

|}