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

We have already seen the subject markers

ke	I (1st person)
o	you (2nd person)
o*	he/she (3rd person)
re	we
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)

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
ke bao ko lelapeng	I am returning home

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")

re a ithuta	we are learning
basadi ba a ja	the women (they) are eating
ke a kwala	I am writing
ke a bao jaanong	I am returning now *

.* the verb still takes the long form even though followed by "jaanong". More strictly the long form applies if the verb is "questionable" (eg "I am returning now" is questionable - where are you returning? but "I am returning home" is not)

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.

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 marker "ke" is used to express identity, but in other situations the normal subject marker is used.

Jane ke moruti	Jane is a teacher
Jane o montle	Jane is beautiful

This will become clearer with use

Negative of verb "to be"

The marker "se" is used as the negative of "ke"

Jane ga se moruti	Jane is not a teacher
Jane ga o montle	Jane is not beautiful

Verb "to have"

The words "na le" are used for possession, and also for association (think of it as being "to be with")

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 "to be with people in the office")

"Go" is the subject marker for infinitives (see later in noun classes)

Negative of "to have"

In the negative form as well as adding the negative article "ga", the "le" dissapears

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

bereka	work
rata	like/love
ithuta	learn
tshwara	catch
thusa	help
bina	dance
opela	sing
nwa	drink
taga	intoxicate
utswa	steal
batla	want/need
sia	run away
bela	boil/brew
tsoga	wake up
tlhola	spend the day
robala	sleep
sala	stay

Vocabulary - Nouns

mosadi	basadi	woman
mosetsana	basetsana	girl
motswana	batswana	Botswana national
moithuti	baithuti	trainees/learners
lepodisi	x	police officer
x	masole	soldier
sefofu	x	blind person
x	digole	disabled person
kgomo	x	cow
lonao	x	foot
bojalwa	x	beer/alcoholic beverage
mabele	x	sorghum
setswana	x	language of Batswana
legodu	x	thief
metsi	x	water
madi	x	money/blood