We have learned how to conjugate verbs in order to make sentences of affirmation. In this unit, we are going to learn how to construct sentences in the present, past, and future tenses. Finally, here we will talk about making plans for the future.
| ịmụcha | to finish studying | ||
| ọka ikpe | Judge | ||
| ụwa | World | ||
| Afọ nke ikpeazụ | Last year | ||
| Eziokwu | Truly | ||
| Icheta | To remember | ||
| Igụcha | To finish reading | ||
| ikpeazụ | Last | ||
| ịmụcha | to finish studying | ||
| kịta/ugbua | present/now | ||
| ọdinazụ | Past | ||
| ọdinihu | Future | ||
| ọka iwu | Lawyer | ||
| okwu ọdinazụ | Past tense | ||
| okwu ọdinihu | Future tense | ||
| okwu ugbua | present tense | ||
| okwu ugbua | present tense | ||
| Pụta | Come out | ||
| ụlọ ọrụ | Place of work/company | ||
| ụlọ ọrụ | Place of work/company |
| Chika na Chuba | Chika na Chuba na ekwu maka ihe ha ga eme na ọdinihu. | Chika and Chuba are talking about their future plans | |
| CHika | Kedụ ihe ị na eme kịta | What are you doing now | |
| Chuba | M na-amụ akwụkwọ na mahadum Harvard | I am studing at Harvard University | |
| Chika | Kedụ ihe ị ga eme mgbe ị puta na Harvard | What are you going to do when you get out of Harvard? | |
| Chuba | M ga-aga ụlọ akwukwọ ebe a na-azụ ndị ọgwọ ọria. Kedụ maka gị? | I will go to medical school | |
| Chika | – Na ebee? | Where? | |
| Chuba | Na Chikago. Kedụ maka gị? | In Chicago .How about you? | |
| Chika | M ga aga ụlọ akwụkwọ ebe a na azụ ndị ọka ikpe. | I will go to law school | |
| Chuba | Na ebee? | Where? | |
| Chika | Na Naijiria | In Naigeria | |
| Chuba | Kedụ ihe ị ga eme mgbe ị pụtara na ụlọ akwụkwọ ndị ọka ikpe? | What are you going to do when you get out of law school? | |
| Chika | M ga arụ ọrụ na ụlọ ọrụ Mckinsy. M ga alụ di, mụọ ụmụ atọ. | I will work at Mckinsy company. I will get married, have three children | |
| Chuba | Eziokwu, ị ma ihe ị chọ ime na ọdinihu | truely, you know what you want to do in future. | |
| Chika | Eeee!! | Yes | |
| Chuba | M chọ ị ga hụ enyi m, Peter kịta. | I want to go see my friend, Peter now | |
| Chika | OOO!!! Ka emesịa. | okay!! Bye | |
| Chuba | Ka emesịa | Bye |
PRESENT TENSE (TENSI UGBUA)
All Igbo verb roots are in the present tense: ba (enter); ti (hit); mu (study); hụ (see) etc. Sometimes, it is difficult to use them in sentences in their natural state, but when suffixes and prefixes are attached, these difficulties are removed.
Verb root : ri (eat)
M rie ( I eat)
Ị rie (You eat)
O rie (He/She/It eats) [“O can be used as the subject but never as the object”.]
Anyi erie (We eat)
Unu erie (You eat)
Ha erie (They eat)
E.g.
Bia ka i rie ihe (Come and eat something)
Nye m ihe ka m rie (Give me something to eat)
Hapu ya ka o rie nri (Leave him to eat food)
Important! The 1st, 2nd and 3rd person singular have the suffix “e” while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural have both prefix “e” and suffix “e”. The prefix and suffix must always obey the rules of vowel harmony already discussed.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
To form a present continuous tense, “na-“ is appended to the verb. The same process is followed as in conjugation of the dot and the dotless verbs discussed above e.g.
Bia (Come) na- + abia = is coming
AND
Pronoun/Noun + na- + abia =
M na-abia (I am coming)
Ị na-abia (You are coming)
Ọ na-abia (He/She/It is coming) *[Only “Ọ” should be used as the subject and never as the object. Never “O and Ya”]
Anyi na-abia (We are coming) [ In order to know when to use “Ọ and O” in sentences, simply follow the rules of the vowel Harmony.]
Unu na-abia (You are coming)
Ha na-abia (They are coming)
Clara na- abia (Clara is coming)
M na-abia ihu gi taa (I am coming to see you today)
Ị na-aga ahia (You are going to the market)
Ọ na-arụ ọrụ (He/She/It is working)
Ha na-abia ụlọ akwụkwọ (They are coming to school)
Unu na-agba egwu (You are dancing)
PAST TENSE (TENSI NDINAZỤ)
Note: here O can be used as the subject.
For past tense, simply add the suffix “r” to the verb followed by the vowel, group of either ‘a’ or ‘e’ or the same vowel that is in the verb.
Example
Verb PresentPast
iga (to go) na-aga (is going) gara (went)
ibe akwa (to cry) na-ebe akwa bere akwa
iti ihe (to hit) na-eti ihe tiri ihe.
1. Obi gara ahia. (Obi went to the market)
2. Ada riri nri. (Ada ate food)
3. Ha gbara ọsọ. (They ran)
4. Ọ biara echi gara-aga. (He came yesterday)
5. O gburu ewu. (He killed a goat.)
Verb Past Tense
ri (eat) riri (ate)
je (go) jere (went)
ta (chew) tara (chewed)
tụ (throw) tụrụ (threw)
pu (germinate) puru (germinated)
rị (climb) rịrị (climbed)
to (praise) toro (praised)
kọ (plant kọrọ (planted)
Pronoun/Noun + nara + Verb + Complement
M nara esi nri (I was cooking)
Obi nara achị ọchị (Obi was laughing)
Nneka nara eche echiche (Nneka was thinking)
Ada nara agba/ete egwu (Ada was dancing)
The past continuous tense is formed by combining the present continuous marker “na” and the the past tense marker “ra”. Thus, “nara” is the identifying element. E.g.
Pronoun/Noun + nara + Verb + Complement
M nara esi nri (I was cooking)
Obi nara achị ọchị (Obi was laughing)
Nneka nara eche echiche (Nneka was thinking)
Ada nara agba/ete egwu (Ada was dancing)
FUTURE TENSE (TENSI NDINIHU)
The prefix “ga” is joined to a verb with a hyphen to form a future tense.
Verb Future Tense
hu (see) ga-ahu (will see)
ri (eat) ga-eri (will eat)
ga/je (go) ga-aga/ga-eje (will go)
ta (chew) ga-ata (will chew)
bịa (come) ga-abịa (will come)
rị (climb) ga-arị (will climb)
M ga-ahu (I will see)
Ị ga-eri (You will eat)
Ọ ga-aga/eje (He/She/It will go)
Anyi ga-ata (We will chew)
Unu ga-abia (You will come)
Ha ga-ari (They will climb)
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE (TENSI NKE NA EMEREGAWA)
A verb assumes the future continuous tense when preceded by “ga” and “na-”.
Verb Future Tense Continuous
hụ (see) ga na-ahu (will be seeing)
ri (eat) ga na-eri (will be eating)
ta (chew) ga na-ata (will be chewing)
bịa (come) ga na-abịa (will be coming)
ga/je (go) ga na-aga/eje (will be going)
rị (climb) ga na-ari (will be climbing)
M ga na-ahu (I will be seeing)
Ị ga na-eri (You will be eating)
Ọ ga na-ata (He/She/It will be chewing)
Anyi ga na-abia (We will be coming)
Unu ga na-aga/eje (You will be going)
Ha ga na-ari (They will be climbing)
Ajụjụ
1. Kedụ ihe Chuba na eme kịta?
2. Kedụ ihe ọ ga eme mgbe ọ pụta na mahadum?
3. Na ebee ka Chuba na aga ụlọ akwụkwọ ebe a na azụ ndị ọgwọ ọrịa?
4. Kedụ ihe Chika ga eme mgbe ọ pụtara ụlọ akwụkwọ ebe a na azụ ndị ọka ikpe?
5. Onye chọrọ iga hụ enyi ya?
