Grammar: Subjunctive, use of 'muka, igihe, nyine' in a subordinate clause with different meanings.

Grammar Points
Use of 'muka'
Use of 'nyine' and 'sa'
Subordinate clause with 'niba', 'gutuma', 'igihe'
Subjunctive with or without 'reka'
Grammar

 

  1. Use of “muka” with the meani g of “wife of”:

Note: The plural of “muka” is “baka”. The plural form is used in limited cases such as in muslim  community and other communities where the polygamy is in practice. For example if Mr Bugingo has two wives, they will be collectively related to as “Baka Bugingo”. Mbese baka Bugingo baragiye imuhira?

Muka Bugingo

The wife of  Bugingo

Muka Nzanana

The wife of Nzanana

Muka Gatabazi

The wife of Gatabazi

Muka Rutabana

The wife of Rutabana

Muka Ngabo

The wife of Ngabo

Muka Habayo

The wife of Habayo

Muka Rukara

The wife of Rukara

Muka Seneza

The wife of Seneza

Muka Ndungutse

The wife of Ndungutse

Muka Karara

The wife of Karara

 

  1. Use of “muka” in family relationships to indicate the wife of my father (other than my mother) and my uncles. It is also used to indicate the wife of my grand father (other than my grand mother).

Muka data

My father’s wife

Muka datawacu

My uncle’s wife (father’s brother)

Muka marume

My uncle’s wife (mother’s brother)

Muka sogokuru

My grandfather’s wife

 

  1. Use of “muka” in Rwandan naming system is widely used across the country. When “muka” is prefixed to a male name to form female names which have nothing to do with the meaning of “wife of” although they seem to sound the same.

Note: The name created is a proper name of a female according to Rwandan culture. When a baby girl is born, the parents may give a name of that kind. For example:  muka+Rutabana  = Mukarutabana.

muka+ Rutabana

Mukarutabana

muka+  Kayijuka

Mukakayijuka

muka+ Gasana

Mukagasana

muka+ Karara

Mukakarara

muka+ Munana

Mukamunana

muka+ Higiro

Mukahigiro

muka+ Musoni

Mukamusoni

muka+ Nkomeje

Mukankomeje

muka+ Sarambuye

Mukasarambuye

muka+ Mugema

Mukamugema

muka+Mutara

Mukamutara

muka+Sharangabo

Mukasharangabo

muka+Ntabana

Mukantabana

muka+Kayumba

Mukakayumba

muka+Ndungutse

Mukandungutse

muka+Kayigi

Mukakayigi

muka+Kayibanda

Mukakayibanda

muka+Ngarukiye

Mukangarukiye

muka+Mwiza

Mukamwiza

 

  1. “muka” is also used naturally as part of a name  like any other simple name. In Kinyarwanda you may encounter a number of such names all of which are female.

Mukamana

Mukanyambo

Mukadisi

Mukakirehe

Mukaremera

Mukandengo

Mukarusanga

Mukantaruka

Mukantimbo

Mukasekuru

Mukampabuka

Mukawenda

Mukandatwa

Mukamwezi

Mukayumva

Mukankara

 

Subordinate close with: niba-gituma-igihe-aho-uko .  In Kinyarwanda, they are generally used to introduce indirect questions from one situation to another.

  1. Niba ‘if’:

Niba nkora simbizi

I don’t know if I’m going to work

Niba wahembwe taha

If you’ve been paid go home

Niba ushaka kumva tega amatwi

If you want to understand listen

Niba utazi ikinyarwanda ucyige

If you don’t know Kinyarwanda learn it

Niba yagiye imuhira ntitubizi

We don’t know if he went home

Niba bazaza ntitubizi

We don’t know if they will come

Niba bazampemba simbizi

I don’t know if they will pay me

Niba ankunda simbizi

I don’t know if he/she loves me

Tubwire niba ari wowe Muganga

Tell us if you are the Doctor

Mbwira niba ari wowe mugabo wa Maria

Tell me if you are Maria’s husband

Mubwire niba ari wowe mwarimu w’ikinyawanda

Tell him if you are the Kinyarwanda teacher

Gutuma ‘cause to do or not to do” (ni iki + gutuma)

Ni iki gituma utarya?

Why don’t you eat?

Ni iki gituma musakuza?

Why do you make noise?

Ni iki cyatumye utampamagara?

Why didn’t you call me?

Ni iki cyatumye ubivuga?

Why did you say that?

Ni iki cyatumye mumbeshya?

Why have you lied to me?

Nu iki cyatumye batajya ku ishuri?

Why haven’t  they gone to school?

 

  1. Igihe ‘when’

Mbese uzi igihe Pamela yagiriye mu Rwanda?

Do you when Pamela went to Rwanda?

Mbese Lowell azi igihe dutangirira?

Does Lowell know when we ‘ll start?

Mbese muzi igihe dutahira?

Do you know when we’ll go home?

Mbese Mugisha azi igihe arira

Does Mugisha know when he’ll eat?

Mbese muzi igihe agira gukina

Do you know when she will go to play?

 

  1. Use of   personal pronoun + “nyine” (alone) and “gusa” (only):

Personal pronoun+ nyine    

Example

Translation

(n)jye + nyine

Ngiye  (n) jyenyine

I’m going alone

We + nyine

Ugiye we wenyine

You’re going alone

We + nyine

Agiye wenyine

He/she is going alone

Twe + nyine

Turiga  twenyine

We’re studying alone

Mwe + nyine

Muriga mwenyine

You’re studying alone

Bo + nyine

Bariga bonyine

They’re studying alone

 

Ingero ‘examples’ –With the meaning of ‘alone’

Kuki uryama wenyine?

Why do you sleep alone?

Kuki abana be barya bonyine?

Why do her children eat alone?

Kuki mushaka ko tugenda twenyine?

Why do you want us go alone?

Kuki  mutiga mwenyine?

Why don’t you study alone?

Kuki  mutateka mwenyine?

Why can’t you cook alone

Kuki Paul agiye ku isoko wenyine

Why is Paul going alone to the matket?

Reka abakobwa bicare bonyine

Let girls sit alone

Reka abagabo bakore bonyine

Let men work alone

Reka bagende bonyine

Let them go alone

Reka ndirimbe jyenyine

Let me sing alone

Reka twoze amasahane twenyine

Let us clean dishes alone

 

Use of  “-sa”: When used with  class 1 (inteko ya 1) of noun, it takes the prefix “mu” in singular, “ba” in plural. For example: -          

 

Singular

Plural

Jyewe musa

Twe (bwe) basa

Wowe musa

Mwe(bwe)  basa

We musa

Bo basa

 

Note:  With class 1 (inteko ya 1) “-sa” can be used either with prefix “mu” or “gu”.

           

Jyewe+musa

Jyewe gusa

Me only

Wowe+musa

Wowe gusa

You only

We+musa

We gusa

Him/her only

Twebwe+basa

Mwebwe gusa

Us only

Mwebwe+basa

Mwebwe gusa

You only

Bo+basa

Bo gusa

Them only

 

Ingero ‘examples’- With the meaning of ‘only’

Ndashaka kuvugana na we gusa

I want to have a talk  with you only

Ndashaka gukorana na Kalisa gusa

I want to work with Kalisa only

Ndashaka gusangira na mwe gusa

I want to share food with you only

Ndashaka kwigana na Sonita gusa

I want to study with Sonita only

Ndashaka kugendana na Matata gusa

I want to walk with Matata only

Ndashaka gukina n’abana gusa

I want to play with children only

Ndashaka kurya ibishyimbo gusa

I want to eat beans only

Ndashaka kunywa mata gusa

I want to drink milk only

Subjunctive with and without “reka” (let…) and “ni…” (please let..)

In Kinyarwanda you will often hear people using “reka” to express a wish, a permission in  a polite way which would translate in English as “please let…”. For example: Please let him go ‘Reka agende”. Please let the child come in ‘Reka umwana yinjire’.

Subjunctive with ‘reka’

Translation

Subjunctive without ‘reka’ –Use ‘ni’ instead

Translation

Kwinjira

 

 

 

Reka ninjire

Let me come in

Niwinjire

Please come in

Reka yinjire

Let him/her come in

Niyinjire

Please let him/her come in

Reka twinjire

Let us come in

Nimwinjire

Please come in

Reka binjire

Let them come in

Nibinjire

Please let themcome in

 

Kwiga

 

 

 

Reka nige

Let me study

Niwige

Please study

Rekayige

Let him/her study

Niyige

Please let him/her study

Reka twige

Let us study

Nimwige

Please study

Reka mwige

Let them study

Nibige

Please let them study

 

Kwicara

 

 

 

Reka nicare

Let me sit down

Niwicare

Please sit down

Reka yicare

Let him/her sit down

Niyicare

Please let him/her sit down

Reka twicare

Let us sit down

Nimwicare

Please sit down

Reka mwicare

Let them sit down

Nibicare

Please let them sit down

 

Kuvuga

 

 

 

Reka mvuge

Let me talk

Nuvuge

Please talk

Reka reka avuge

Let him /her talk

Navuge

Please  let him/her talk

Reka tuvuge

Let us talk

Nimuvuge

Please talk

Reka bavuge

Let them talk

Nibavuge

Please let them talk

 

Gusoma

 

 

 

Reka nsome

Let me read

Nusome

Please read

Reka asome

Let him/her read

Nasome

Please let him/her read

Reka dusome

Let us read

Nimusome

Please read

Reka basome

Let them read

Nibasome

Please let them read

 

Kuryama

 

 

 

Reka ndyame

Let me sleep

Nuryame

Please sleep

Reka aryame

Let him/her sleep

Naryame

Please let him/her sleep

Reka turyame

Let us sleep

Nitumuryame

Please sleep

Reka baryame

Let them sleep

Nibaryame

Please let them sleep

 

Gukina

 

 

 

Reka nkine

Let me play

Nukine

Please play

Reka akine

Let him/her play

Nakine

Please let him/her play

Reka dukine

Let us play

Nimukine

Please play

Reka banine

Let them play

Nibakine

Please let them play

 

Kubaza

 

 

 

Reka mbaze

Let me ask

Nubaze

Please ask

Reka abaze

Let him/her ask

Nabaze

Please let him/her ask

Reka tubaze

Let us ask

Nimubaze

Please ask

Reka babaze

Let them ask

Nibabaze

Please let them ask

 

Kuririmba

 

 

 

Reka ndirimbe

Let me sing

Nuririmbe

Please sing

Reka aririmbe

Let him/her sing

Naririmbe

Please let him/her sing

Reka turirimbe

Let us sing

Nimuririmbe

Please sing

Reka baririmbe

Let them sing

Nibaririmbe

Please let them sing

 

Guteka

 

 

 

Reka nteke

Let me cook

Nuteke

Please cook

Reka ateke

Let him/her cook

Nateke

Please let him cook

Reka duteke

Let us cook

Nimuteke

Please cook

Reka bateke

Let them cook

Nibateke

Please let him/her cook

 

Kunywa

 

 

 

Reka nywe

Let me drink

Nunywe

Please drink

Reka anywe

Let him/her drink

Nanywe

Please let him/her drink

Reka tunywe

Let us drink

Nimunywe

Please drink

Reka banywe

Let them drink

Nibanywe

Please let them drink

 

Kurya

 

 

 

Reka ndye

Let me eat

Nurye

Please eat

Reka arye

Let him/her eat

Narye

Please let him/her eat

 Reka turye

Let us eat

Nimurye

Please eat

Reka barye

Let them eat

Nibarye

Please let them eat

Guhaha

 

 

 

Reka mpahe

Let me do shopping

Nuhahe

Please do shopping

Reka ahahe

Let him/her do shopping

Nahahe

Please let him/her do shopping

Reka duhaye

Let us do shopping

Nimuhahe

Please do shopping

Reka bahahe

Let them do shopping

Nibahahe

Please let them do shopping

 

 

Grammar Introduction

 

The application of the vocabulary in this context in sentences take different meanings considering one at time. In this section we will particularly show the grammar of each word 'nyine, sa, muka, igihe' 

Copyright © ELIAS 2018.  All rights Reserved.