Grammar: Fundamental mathematics

Grammar Points

Fractions

Kinyarwanda terms applied in maths

Locatives mu, ku, i. muri, kwa

Derivative nouns from locative 'i'

Class 3 & class 4 of nouns

Grammar

Fractions:

1/2: kimwe cya kabiri (igice kumwe cya kabiri, umugabane umwe wa kabiri).

1/3: Kimwe cya gatatu (igice kimwe cya gatatu, umugabane umwe wa gatatu).

1/4: Kimwe cya kane (igice kimwe cya kane, umugabane umwe wa kane).

1/10: Kimwe cya cumi (igice kimwe cya cume, umugabane umwe wa cumi).

1/100: Kimwe cy'ijana, Purusa imwe (1%).

2/3: Bibiri bya gatatu.

3/4: Bitatu bya kane.

4/5: Bine bya gatanu.

1 1/2: Rimwe n'igice.

2 1/2: Kabiri n'igice

10 1/4: Icumi na kimwe cya kane.

LOCATIVES

Locative “mu”, “ku”, “i”, muri

Locative “mu”	Locative “ku”
abana bari mu nzu	ibitabo biri ku ntebe
abagenzi bari mu modoka	inkoko ziri ku modoka
abanyeshuri bari mu ishuri	abanyeshuri bari ku ishuri
abantu bari mu rusengero	kura ibirahuri ku meza
abakozi bari mu mujyi	ngiye ku kazi

Locative used before noun of town, country, and place:

Locative “mu”	Locative “ku”	Locative “i”	Locative “muri”
mu Ruhengeri	ku Kibuye	i Kigali	muri Amerika
mu Ruhaango	ku Gisenyi	i Kibungo	muri Kanada
mu Rusenyi	ku Gikongoro	i Nyagatare	muri Komgo
mu Bugarama	ku Kicukiro	i Rwamagana	muri Kenya
mu Bugesera	ku Kacyiru	i Rwinkwavu	muri Tanzania
mu Nyakabanda	ku Mubuga	i Nyanza	muri Zimbabwe
mu Rwanda	ku Cyanika	i Cyangugu	muri Kameruni
mu Burundi	ku Mayaga	i Byumba	muri Gabo
mu Bufransa	ku Mugina	i Remera	muri Nigeria
mu Bubiligi	ku Rwesero	i Gikondo	muri Ethiopia
mu Bwongereza	ku Gisozi	i Nyamirambo	muri Somalia
mu Buswisi	ku Ntenyo	i Kanombe	muri Nyabugogo
mu Bushinwa	ku Ihanika	i Butare	muri Zambia
mu Butaliyani	ku Ishara	i Nyagatare	muri Libiya
mu Budage	ku Ihembe	i Nyamasheke	muri Nepali
mu Burusiya	ku Kigeme	I Rwamwata	muri Sudani

Locative “kwa” (at somebody’s place) may be used as derivative nouns formed with the locative “i”. It should be noted that “kwa” is exclusively used with proper names. See the examples below:

ngiye kwa Bayingana	I’m going at the Bayingana’s
tuvuye kurya kwa Samuel	we’re from Samuel’s
ejo twavuye kwa Krista nimugoroba	yesterday we’ve left Krista’s place in the evening
ejo tuzajya kwigira kwa Jennifer mukuru.	we’ll go to study at the older Jennifer’s
hari imbwa nziza kwa Jennifer muto	there are nice dogs at the younger Jennifer’s.
mbese watumiwe kurya kwa Diana ku manywa?	have you been invited for lunch at the Diana”s
umwana wo kwa Boyi ni munini cyane	boyi’s child is too big.
mbese abana bawe bagiye kwa sekuru?	have your children gone at the grand father’s place?

Derivative Nouns from Locative “i” + Possessive pronoun

We have seen the word “imuhira” which means “domicile, home, at one’s place”. In this context the possessive pronouns associated with “i”can take some attributes of a noun. Let’s have a look at the formation of those derivative nouns:

i-wa- njye

iwanjye

i-

locative

-wa-

connector

-njye

personal pronoun

i-wanjye	iwanjye	at my domicile/home
i-wawe	iwawe	at your domicile/home
i-we	iwe	at hi/her domicile/home

i-wacu	iwacu	at our domicile/home
i-wanyu	iwanyu	at your domicile/home
i-wabo	iwabo	at their domicile/home

Examples: ingero

ndi iwanjye	I’m at my domicile
uri iwawe	you’re at your home
ari iwe	he is at his residence
turi iwacu	we’re at our place
muri iwanyu	you’re at your domicile
bari iwabo	they’re at their residence
abana bagiye iwanyu	children are going to your place
abanyeshuri bavuye iwanjye	students are from my home
Kabera na Kankindi bari iwabo	Kabera and Kankindi are at their residence
ejo tuzajya iwacu	we’re going home tomorrow
kuwa mbere muratumiwe iwe	you’re invited at his residence on Monday

Amazina yo mu nteko ya 3 (Class 3 nouns): Characteristics: in-in

Amazina (nouns) Singular	Amazina nouns) Plural	Examples with Possessives Singular	Examples with Possessives Plural
Inka	Inka	Inka yanjye	Inka zanjye
Inkoko	Inkoko	Inkoko yawe	Inkoko zawe
Intare	Intare	Intare ye	Intare ze
Inzovu	Inzovu	Inzovu yanjye	Inzovu zanjye
Intama	Intama	Intama yawe	Intama zawe
Ingurube	Ingurube	Ingurube ye	Ingurubeze
Injangwe	Injangwe	Injangwe yanjye	Injangwe zanjye
Ingagi	Ingagi	Ingagi yawe	Ingagi zawe
Imbwa	Imbwa	Imbwa ye	Imbwa ze
Imbeba	Imbeba	Imbeba yanjye	Imbeba zanjye
Ihene	Ihene	Ihene yawe	Ihene zawe
Inuma	Inuma	Inuma ye	Inuma ze
Intebe	Intebe	Intebe yanjye	Intebe zanjye

Amazina yo mu nteko ya 4 (Class 4 nouns): Characteristics: iki-ibi/igi-ibi/icy-ibi

Amazina (nouns) Singular	Amazina (nouns) Plural	Examples with Possessives Singular	Examples with Possessives Plural
Ikibabi	Ibibabi	Ikibabi cyanjye	Ibibabi byanjye
Ikirahure	Ibirahure	Ikirahure cyawe	Ibirahure byawe
Ikirenge	Ibirenge	Ikirenge cye	Ibirenge bye
Ikibero	Ibibero	Ikibero cyanjye	Ibibero byanjye
Ikiyaga	Ibiyaga	Ikirahure cyawe	Ibirahure byawe
Ikibiriti	Ibibiriti	Ikibiriti cye	Ibibiriti bye
Igifu	Ibifu	Igifu cyanjye	Ibifu byanjye
Igiti	Ibiti	Igiti cyawe	Ibiti byawe
Igitabo	Ibitabo	Igiti cye	Ibiti bye
Igitebo	Ibitebo	Igitebo cyanjye	Ibitebo byanjye
Icyuma	Ibyuma	Icyuma cyawe	Ibyuma byawe
icyayi	Ibyayi	Icyuma cye	Ibyuma bye

Grammar Introduction

Basically, in fundamental mathematics operation (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication) you use cardinal numbers in agreement with nouns.

1. Addition (kongeraho):

1+2 = Rimwe wongeyeho kabiri bingana na gatatu.

One plus two is equal to three.

4+5 = 9 Kane wongeyeho gatanu ni icyenda.

Four plus five

2. Subtraction (gukuramo):

8-2 = 6 Umunani ukuyemo kabiri hasigara gatandatu.

Eight minus two remains six.

10-3 =7 icumi ukuyemo gatatu hasigara karindwi.

Ten minus three remains seven.

3. Division (kugabanya):

24/3 = 8 Makumyabiri na kane ugabanyije na gatatu ni umunani.

Twenty four divided by three is equal to eight.

100/5 = 20 Ijana ugabanyije na gatanu ni makumyabiri.

hundred divided by five is equal to twenty.

4. Multiplication (gukuba):

7x9 = 63 Karindwi ukubye n'icyenda ni mirongwitandatu na gatatu.

Seven times nine is equal to sixty three.

11 x 18 = cumi na rimwe ukubye na cumi n'umunani ni ijana na mirongocyenda n'umunani. Eleven multiplied by eighteen is equal to hundred and