Verbs - past tense
From Setswana
Revision as of 12:02, 16 April 2007 by Jacob (Talk | contribs) (New page: Aim - to talk about the past. The perfect tense is most commonly used for events in the past, including events which may not have yet finished happening. Verbs in the perfect tense chan...)
Aim - to talk about the past.
The perfect tense is most commonly used for events in the past, including events which may not have yet finished happening.
Verbs in the perfect tense change their ending.
- The commonest past tense ending is -ile
- Another common endings is -tse, but some verbs are irregular and must be learnt
Examples
| ke feditse | I have finished / I finished |
| ke itumetse | I am happy (I have become happy) |
| re ile ko Gauteng | We went to Jo'burg |
| o jele eng? | what did you eat ? |
Vocabulary - Verbs
| present | perfect | meaning |
| ja | jele | eat/eaten |
| nwa | nole | drink/drunk |
| itse | itsile | know/knew |
| ya | ile | go/went |
| tlhapa | tlhapile | wash (clothes) |
| apaya | apeile | cook |
| kwala | kwadile | write |
| bua | buile | speak |
| ithuta | ithutile | learn |
| bala | badile | read |
| tsamaya | tsamaile | leave |
| tsisa | tsisitse | bring |
| isa | isitse | take (eg someone to school) |
| reka | rekile | buy |
| betsa | beditse | beat |
| kopa | kopile | ask for |
| batla | batlile | want/look for |
| akanya | akantse | think |
| tla | tlile/tsile | come |
