B1 Relative Clauses 1 min read Médio

Relative Agreement with Noun Classes

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Pratique

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Relative clauses in Swahili use a specific infix that matches the noun class of the subject being described.

  • Identify the noun class of the head noun (e.g., M/WA class).
  • Insert the relative infix (-o-) into the verb after the tense marker.
  • Attach the class-specific agreement prefix to the relative infix.
Noun + [Verb + Tense + Class-Relative-Infix + Root]

Relative Infix Agreement

Noun Class Agreement Prefix Relative Infix
M/WA (Singular)
a-
-ye-
M/WA (Plural)
wa-
-o-
M/MI (Singular)
u-
-o-
M/MI (Plural)
i-
-yo-
KI/VI (Singular)
ki-
-cho-
KI/VI (Plural)
vi-
-vyo-

Meanings

Relative clauses allow you to add descriptive information to a noun by linking it to a verb phrase.

1

Subject Relative

Describing the subject of the clause.

“Mtu anayesoma ni rafiki yangu.”

“Kitabu kinachouzwa ni ghali.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Relative Agreement with Noun Classes
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Noun + Verb + Tense + Class-o + Root
Mtoto anayekula
Negative
Noun + Ha- + Verb + Relative + Root
Mtoto asiyekula
Past
Noun + Verb + -li- + Class-o + Root
Mtoto aliyekula
Future
Noun + Verb + -taka- + Class-o + Root
Mtoto atakayekula
Object Relative
Noun + Object-Relative + Verb
Kitabu ninachokisoma
Amba- Construction
Noun + Amba- + Relative Pronoun
Mtoto ambaye anakula

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
Mtu anayekuja.

Mtu anayekuja. (Social)

Neutro
Mtu anayekuja.

Mtu anayekuja. (Social)

Informal
Yule anayekuja.

Yule anayekuja. (Social)

Gíria
Jamaa anayekuja.

Jamaa anayekuja. (Social)

Relative Clause Anatomy

Relative Clause

Prefix

  • a- Subject agreement

Relative

  • -ye- Class marker

Infix

  • -o- Relative link

Exemplos por nível

1

Mtoto anayelia.

The child who is crying.

2

Mtu anayesoma.

The person who is reading.

3

Chakula kinachopikwa.

The food that is being cooked.

4

Watu wanaokuja.

The people who are coming.

1

Kitabu ninachokisoma ni kizuri.

The book I am reading is good.

2

Gari linaloenda haraka.

The car that is going fast.

3

Wanafunzi wanaosoma vizuri.

Students who are studying well.

4

Miti inayokua shambani.

Trees that are growing in the field.

1

Mwalimu aliyenifundisha yuko hapa.

The teacher who taught me is here.

2

Nyumba ambayo tunayoishi ni kubwa.

The house we live in is big.

3

Wageni watakaokuja kesho watafurahi.

The guests who will come tomorrow will be happy.

4

Somo nililolifanya lilikuwa gumu.

The lesson I did was hard.

1

Hii ni kazi niliyopewa na bosi.

This is the work I was given by the boss.

2

Watu wanaohusika na mradi huu.

The people who are involved in this project.

3

Mambo yanayozungumziwa hapa ni siri.

The things being discussed here are secret.

4

Nchi inayotegemea kilimo.

A country that depends on agriculture.

1

Ni yeye aliyesababisha matatizo haya.

It is he who caused these problems.

2

Mbinu inayotumiwa na wataalamu.

The method used by experts.

3

Sera zinazotekelezwa na serikali.

Policies being implemented by the government.

4

Wazo nililolifikiria jana.

The idea I thought of yesterday.

1

Ni dhahiri kuwa mabadiliko yanayotarajiwa hayatafanyika.

It is clear that the expected changes will not happen.

2

Mtu yeyote atakayekiuka sheria ataadhibiwa.

Anyone who violates the law will be punished.

3

Uamuzi uliotolewa na mahakama.

The decision made by the court.

4

Mchakato unaoendelea sasa.

The process currently underway.

Fácil de confundir

Relative Agreement with Noun Classes vs Amba- vs Infix

Learners often mix the two methods of forming relative clauses.

Relative Agreement with Noun Classes vs Subject vs Object Relative

Confusing which noun the relative clause describes.

Relative Agreement with Noun Classes vs Tense Markers

Mixing up tense markers with relative markers.

Erros comuns

✗

Mtoto nani anakula

✓

Mtoto anayekula

Using 'nani' (who) as a relative pronoun.
✗

Mtoto anayekula chakula

✓

Mtoto anayekula

Redundant object inclusion.
✗

Mtoto anakula

✓

Mtoto anayekula

Missing the relative marker.
✗

Mtoto o-anakula

✓

Mtoto anayekula

Incorrect placement of the relative marker.
✗

Kitabu ninachokisoma

✓

Kitabu ninachokisoma

Actually correct, but often confused with 'kitabu ninachosoma'.
✗

Watu wanaokuja

✓

Watu wanaokuja

Confusion with 'amba-' construction.
✗

Gari linaenda

✓

Gari linaloenda

Missing the relative infix.
✗

Mtu aliyekuja jana

✓

Mtu aliyekuja jana

Confusion with past tense relative markers.
✗

Somo nililofanya

✓

Somo nililolifanya

Missing the object infix.
✗

Watu wote wanaokuja

✓

Watu wote wanaokuja

Agreement errors with quantifiers.
✗

Mambo yanayozungumziwa

✓

Mambo yanayozungumziwa

Passive voice relative clause errors.
✗

Sera zinazotekelezwa

✓

Sera zinazotekelezwa

Agreement with abstract nouns.
✗

Mtu yeyote atakayekiuka

✓

Mtu yeyote atakayekiuka

Future tense relative clause errors.

Padrões de frases

___ anayekula ni rafiki yangu.

Kitabu ___ ninachokisoma ni kizuri.

Watu ___ wanaokuja wamechelewa.

Sera ___ zinazotekelezwa ni muhimu.

Real World Usage

Social Media very common

Watu wanaonifuata kwenye Instagram.

Texting constant

Rafiki anayekuja sasa.

Job Interview common

Mradi nilioufanya zamani.

Travel common

Gari linaloenda mjini.

Food Delivery occasional

Chakula kinachopikwa sasa.

Academic common

Sera zinazotekelezwa.

💡

Focus on the Class

Always identify the noun class first. It dictates the entire agreement.
⚠️

Don't translate 'who'

Avoid using 'nani' as a relative pronoun. It is incorrect.
🎯

Use the Infix

Native speakers prefer the infix over the 'amba-' construction.
💬

Formal Speech

In formal settings, use the 'amba-' construction for clarity.

Smart Tips

Use the M/WA class agreement (ye/o).

Mtu anakuja. → Mtu anayekuja.

Use the KI/VI class agreement (cho/vyo).

Kitabu ninasoma. → Kitabu ninachokisoma.

Add -li- before the relative infix.

Mtu anayekuja jana. → Mtu aliyekuja jana.

Add -taka- before the relative infix.

Mtu anayekuja kesho. → Mtu atakayekuja kesho.

Pronúncia

a-na-ye-ku-li-a

Relative Infix

The relative infix should be pronounced clearly as part of the verb word.

Rising

Mtu anayekuja? ↑

Questioning the identity of the person.

Memorize

Mnemônico

Remember 'O' for 'Relative'. If you see an 'O' in the middle of the verb, it's connecting the noun to the action.

Associação visual

Imagine a chain link (the -o-) connecting a person (the noun) to an action (the verb). The shape of the 'O' is the link.

Rhyme

When the noun is the star of the show, add the class prefix and the letter O.

Story

Imagine a boy (mtoto) who is always hungry. He is the 'mtoto anayekula'. He meets a book (kitabu) that is being read, the 'kitabu kinachosomwa'. They both have their own special 'O' links.

Word Web

anayekulakinachopikwawanaosomalinaloendaaliyekujaatakayekula

Desafio

Write 5 sentences describing people or things in your room using relative clauses.

Notas culturais

Relative clauses are used extensively in formal speech and news broadcasts.

Sheng speakers often simplify relative clauses.

More traditional, formal relative constructions are favored.

Relative clauses in Swahili evolved from the Bantu noun class system, where agreement markers were integrated into the verb.

Iniciadores de conversa

“

Ni nani anayekusaidia?

“

Ni kitabu kipi unachokisoma sasa?

“

Ni mradi upi unaoufurahia zaidi?

“

Ni sera zipi zinazokuhusu zaidi?

Temas para diário

Describe a person you know using relative clauses.
Write about a book or movie you recently enjoyed.
Describe a challenge you faced at work or school.
Discuss a social issue in your country.

Erros comuns

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Incorrect

Correto

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct relative infix.

Mtoto ___kula anataka maziwa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: anayekula
The infix -ye- matches the M/WA class.
Choose the correct sentence. Múltipla escolha

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kitabu ninachokisoma
Correct agreement for KI/VI class.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Mtu anayokula ni rafiki yangu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mtu anayekula
Incorrect infix -yo- used for M/WA class.
Change to relative clause. Sentence Transformation

Mtoto analia. (The child who is crying)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mtoto anayelia
Correct relative construction.
Match the noun to the relative infix. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -ye-, -cho-, -o-
Correct class agreement.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Ni nani ___? B: Ni rafiki yangu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: anayekuja
Present tense relative clause.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Kitabu / ninachokisoma / ni / kizuri

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kitabu ninachokisoma ni kizuri
Correct word order.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The relative infix -o- is used in all classes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
The -o- is the core relative link.

Score: /8

Exercicios praticos

8 exercises
Fill in the correct relative infix.

Mtoto ___kula anataka maziwa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: anayekula
The infix -ye- matches the M/WA class.
Choose the correct sentence. Múltipla escolha

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kitabu ninachokisoma
Correct agreement for KI/VI class.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Mtu anayokula ni rafiki yangu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mtu anayekula
Incorrect infix -yo- used for M/WA class.
Change to relative clause. Sentence Transformation

Mtoto analia. (The child who is crying)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mtoto anayelia
Correct relative construction.
Match the noun to the relative infix. Match Pairs

Match: Mtoto, Kitabu, Watu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -ye-, -cho-, -o-
Correct class agreement.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Ni nani ___? B: Ni rafiki yangu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: anayekuja
Present tense relative clause.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Kitabu / ninachokisoma / ni / kizuri

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kitabu ninachokisoma ni kizuri
Correct word order.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The relative infix -o- is used in all classes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
The -o- is the core relative link.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

The infix is more natural and concise, while 'amba-' is more analytical and formal.

Yes, the -o- is the mandatory relative link in the infix construction.

Look at the noun prefix. M/WA uses 'ye'/'o', KI/VI uses 'cho'/'vyo'.

Yes, just add the -li- tense marker before the relative infix.

Absolutely, it is essential for describing people and things.

You likely used the wrong class agreement or forgot the -o- infix.

Yes, some dialects simplify or omit relative markers in casual speech.

Try describing objects in your room using the relative clause structure.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish low

que

Swahili requires noun class agreement.

French low

qui/que

Swahili has many more agreement classes.

German moderate

der/die/das

German uses case, Swahili uses noun classes.

Japanese low

no

Japanese is head-final, Swahili is head-initial.

Arabic moderate

alladhi

Arabic has fewer classes than Swahili.

Chinese low

de

Chinese has no agreement.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
The Relative Infix -o-

Related Grammar Rules

A2

Relative Clauses using 'Amba-'

Overview Welcome to the world of `amba-`! Think of this word as the ultimate Swiss Army knife of Swahili grammar. It is...
B1

The Relative Infix -o-
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