O jere ahia Ụnyahụ/echi gara aga. (He/she went to the market yesterday.)
Ha gbara egwu. (They danced.)
Anyi ga-echu mmiri. (We will fetch water.)
Apart from conveying thoughts or actions which is its primary function, the Igbo verb has other functions which will be dealt with as we go along.
Verb Formation.
The easiest way to form a simple verb root is by adding any of the eight vowels after a consonant.
b + a = ba (enter)
b + e = be (cry)
b + i = bi (live)
b + u = bu (carry)
d + a = da (fall)
d + e = de (write)
d + ị = dị (exist)
d + u = du (lead)
g + a = ga (go)
g + e = ge (listen)
g + o = go (buy)
g + ụ = gụ (read)
gb + a = gba (shoot)
gb + e = gbe (crawl)
gb + ọ = gbọ (vomit)
gb + u = gbu (kill)
gh + a = gha (scatter)
gh + e = ghe (fry)
gh + ọ = ghọ (pluck)
h + ọ = họ (select)
h + ụ = hụ (see)
j + a = ja (praise)
j + e = je (go)
j + i = ji (hold)
j + ụ = jụ (refuse)
k + e = ke (dress)
k + ụ = kụ (knock)
m + a = ma (know)
m + e = me (do)
m + ị = mị (slip)
m + ụ = mụ (learn)
nw + a = nwa (tempt)
nw + e + nwe (have/own)
nw + ụ = nwụ (die)
nw + u = nwu (burn)
ny + a = nya (plaster)
ny + e = nye (give)
ny + ị = nyị (weighty/being heavy)
p + a = pa (carry)
s + a = sa (wash)
s + e = se (draw)
s + o = so (follow)
s + ụ = sụ (pound)
t + a = ta (bite)
t + e = te (dance)
t + i = ti (hit)
t + o = to (praise)
t + ụ = tụ (throw)
z + a = za (answer/sweep)
z + e = ze (collapse)
z + i = zi (send)
z + o = zo (hide)
Caution! Not all Igbo consonants can make acceptable verb roots. Some do not make sense even when a vowel is suffixed to them.
Examples: bị, gbị, gbi, fi, ghị, gho, ghu, kị, ki, lị, mọ, nị, ni, no, nị, she, sho, shu, va, vị, yu, zị, gwị, kwị, nwị, nwọ, nyu, etc.
M ba na ụlọ. (I enter the house)
O be akwa. (He cries.)
Ha bi na Bostin. (They lives in Boston.)
O bu oche. (He carries the chair.)