Nyakati za Kiingereza (tenses) kwa Kiswahili: li, me, ta, hu, ki, nge

Viambishi vya Kiswahili vinaweza kukuongoza kwenye nyakati za Kiingereza, lakini havilingani moja kwa moja. Kwa ufupi: li- mara nyingi ni past simple, ta- ni will au going to, hu- ni present simple, na me- ni present perfect au hali ya sasa, kama I am tired. Jedwali hapa chini linaonyesha yote.

Jedwali: kutoka kiambishi hadi wakati wa Kiingereza

Jedwali hili ni ramani, si kanuni. Sehemu zinazofuata zinaeleza mahali ambapo ramani inapotosha, yaani pale tafsiri ya kiambishi kwa kiambishi inapozaa Kiingereza kibaya.

Me- ya hali: nimechoka si I have tired

Kiswahili hutumia me- kwa vitenzi vingi vya hali: tendo limetokea, na matokeo yake ndiyo hali ya sasa. Kiingereza mara nyingi huieleza hali hiyo kwa to be na kivumishi, si kwa have. Hili ndilo kosa la nyakati linalosikika zaidi kwa Waswahili.

Swali la kujiuliza ni hili: je, ninaeleza tendo au hali? Amelala ukimaanisha yuko kitandani amelala usingizi sasa hivi ni he is asleep au he is sleeping. Lakini I have slept for eight hours ni sahihi, kwa sababu hapo unahesabu tendo, si kueleza hali.

-ja- na -wahi-: yet, ever na never

Kiambishi -ja- ni kizuri kwa sababu kina mwenzake kamili: sijala ni I haven't eaten yet. Neno yet ndilo linalobeba ile maana ya bado inayosubiri kutokea. Kosa la kawaida ni kutumia past simple: I didn't eat humaanisha hukula kabisa wakati fulani uliokwisha, si kwamba bado unatarajia kula.

• Sikula jana. I didn't eat yesterday.
• Bado sijala. I haven't eaten yet.
• Umeshakula? Have you eaten yet? au Have you already eaten?

Kwa -wahi-, kumbuka jozi moja ambayo Kiswahili hakiitofautishi wazi: gone na been. Ameenda Dodoma ukimaanisha bado yuko huko ni he has gone to Dodoma. Amewahi kwenda Dodoma, yaani alikwenda na akarudi, ni he has been to Dodoma. Swali la uzoefu kwa hivyo ni Have you ever been to Zanzibar?, si Have you ever gone to Zanzibar?, na jibu hasi ni No, I have never been there.

Tangu: since au for?

Neno tangu moja linabeba kazi mbili ambazo Kiingereza kinazigawanya. Since hufuatwa na mwanzo wa kipindi: since January, since Monday, since I was a child. For hufuatwa na urefu wa kipindi: for three years, for two weeks.

Tena, wakati wenyewe hubadilika. Ninaishi Arusha tangu miaka mitatu iliyopita hutumia na-, lakini Kiingereza hakikubali present continuous hapa. Sema I have lived in Arusha for three years au I have been living in Arusha for three years, kamwe si I am living in Arusha since three years. Vivyo hivyo Nimekuwa nikikusubiri kwa saa nzima ni I have been waiting for you for an hour.

-ka- katika hadithi: kila kitenzi kinabaki past

Tunasimulia hivi: Nilienda sokoni, nikanunua ndizi, nikarudi nyumbani. Wakati unatajwa mara moja tu, kwa li-, kisha -ka- inabeba vitenzi vinavyofuata. Kiingereza hakina kiambishi kama -ka-. Kila kitenzi lazima kiwe katika past chenyewe: I went to the market, bought some bananas and went back home.

Kwa sababu -ka- haibebi alama ya wakati wazi, wanafunzi wengi hurudi kwenye umbo la msingi baada ya kitenzi cha kwanza: I went to the market and buy bananas. Ukisimulia jambo lililokwisha, kagua kila kitenzi, si cha kwanza tu.

Hu- na mazoea: present simple na used to

Hu- ni mazoea, na mwenzake ni present simple: Yeye huamka mapema ni She gets up early. Kumbuka -s ya nafsi ya tatu. Kwa mazoea ya zamani ambayo yamekwisha, Kiswahili husema nilikuwa nikicheza mpira kila siku, na Kiingereza kina muundo maalum: I used to play football every day. Usitafsiri moja kwa moja kuwa I was playing football every day, kwa sababu hiyo inasikika kama kipindi kimoja maalum, si mazoea.

-ki-, -nge- na -ngali-: masharti

-ki- mara nyingi ni if au when, na hapa kuna mtego: baada ya if na when, Kiingereza hutumia present hata kama tukio ni la baadaye. Ukifika, nipigie simu ni When you arrive, call me, si When you will arrive. Mvua ikinyesha, hatutaenda ni If it rains, we won't go.

-nge- ni sharti lisilo la kweli sasa: Ningekuwa na pesa, ningenunua gari ni If I had money, I would buy a car. Angalia kwamba would iko upande mmoja tu; baada ya if tunatumia had, si If I would have money.

-ngali- ni sharti lisilowezekana tena kwa sababu limepita: Ningalijua, ningalikuja ni If I had known, I would have come. Wazungumzaji wengi wa leo hutumia -nge- kwa hali zote mbili, lakini Kiingereza hakikuruhusu kuchanganya: kwa jambo lililopita lazima utumie had known na would have come.

Nyakati hukaa kichwani pale unapozitumia kusimulia maisha yako mwenyewe. Jaribu kueleza jana yako kwa sauti, kisha mipango ya kesho, kisha jambo ambalo ungefanya tofauti, ukiwa na mtu anayekusahihisha papo hapo.

Maswali yanayoulizwa mara kwa mara

Nimechoka kwa Kiingereza ni I have tired?

Hapana. Nimechoka ni I am tired. Vitenzi vingi vya hali vinavyotumia me- kwa Kiswahili hutafsiriwa kwa am, is au are pamoja na kivumishi: nimeshiba ni I am full, amelala ni he is asleep, nimechelewa ni I am late.

Sijala kwa Kiingereza ni nini?

Sijala ni I haven't eaten yet. Kiambishi -ja- kinalingana na present perfect hasi pamoja na neno yet. I didn't eat ni sikula, yaani hukula wakati fulani uliokwisha.

Ameenda na amewahi kwenda: gone au been?

Ameenda Dodoma, akiwa bado yuko huko, ni he has gone to Dodoma. Amewahi kwenda Dodoma, yaani alikwenda na akarudi, ni he has been to Dodoma. Kwa uzoefu wako mwenyewe uliza Have you ever been to...?

Ningalijua ningalikuja kwa Kiingereza?

If I had known, I would have come. Upande wa if unachukua had pamoja na kitenzi cha past participle, na upande mwingine unachukua would have. Usiweke would katika pande zote mbili.