Vitenzi ni maneno ambayo huonyesha kitendo. (Verbs are words that show an action).

Kwa mfano.

Bainisha (differenciate)

shukuru (appreciate)

abudu (worship)

Beba (carry)

sumbua (disturb)

tikisa (shake)

Chambua (sort)

simama (stand)

kataza (stop)

Eleza (explain)

tafsiri (translate)

washa (light/itch)

Fafanua (expound)

tambua (identify)

leta (bring)

Fasili (define)

Tanguliza (introduce)

Wekeza (invest)

Fasiri (enterpret)

Tazama (look at/stare)

Binya (press)

Fua (wash)

Vaa (dress up)

Kataza (stop)

Goma (defy/strike)

Vua (fish out/undress)

Nawa (wash/bath)

Kimbia (run)

Vuna (harvest)

Teka (fetch)

Pambanua (describe)

Vumbua (discover)

Lala (sleep)

Panda (climp/plant)

Zaa (deliver/giver bith)

Takasa (cleanse)

Pata (get/receive)

Zuia (block)

Pika (cook)

Punguza (reduce)

zuru (visit)

kopa (borrow)

Rambaza (surf)

jaza (fill)

inua (riseup)

Safiri (travel)

jua (know)

kaa (seat)

Safisha (wash)

kua (grow)

nunua (purchase)

Sahau (forget)

kuwa (to be/become)

ficha (hide)

Sambaza (spread)

dharau (despise)

Ona (loot at)

Azima (lend)

Pima (measure)

hariri (edit)

Sikia (listen)

laghai (deceive/tell a lie)

peleka (take)

Kataza (stop)

vunja (breake)

hadhiri (lecture)

Tikisa (shake)

ficha (hide)

fundisha (teach)

Enda (go)

tomba (fuck)

hesabu (count)

Leta (bring)

penda (love)

ita (call)

Inua (riseup)

abiri (board a texi/plane)

ua (kill)

Chukua (take away)

oa (marry)

fufuka (resurrect)

Tangaza(announce)

sugua(brush/scrub)

rudi (return)

Pakia (load)

amka (wake up)

sakama (choke)

Pongeza (congratulate)

Amua (decide)

Ota (dream/grow)

Uma (bite)            Kumbuka (remember)

Nyesha (rain)

Sulubisha (crucify)

Subiri (wait)

Kaba (strungle)

Kusanya (collect)

Pongeza (congratulate)

Abiri (board a taxi/plane)

Umiza (injure)

Fagia (sweep)

Patana (agree/get each other)

Kamua (squeeze)

Chechemea (leap)

Jenga (build)

Sukuma (push)

Dekeza (pamper someone)

Kagua (inspect)

Tahini (examine)

Ezeka (roof/cover the roof)

kata (cut)

zika (burry)

Fuma (piece)

chanja (vaccinate/slice)

zirai (faint)

Pita (pass)

vunda (rote)

tubu (confess)

Piga (beat)

vuka (cross)

funua (uncover)

Kojoa (urinate)

ruka (jump)

suka (weave)

Kwaruza (scratch)                                            nyoa (tream)

yeyuka (melt)

Paa (fly)

chimbua (extract minerials)

zima (switch off)

Ruka (jump)

fahamu (understand)

suluhisha (solve)

Sahihisha (correct/mark)

tahairi (circumcise)

stahafu (retire)

Shona (mend a cloth)

chana (split)

pembua (sort)

Sinzia (doze)

paka (paint)

fuma (piece)

Bubujika (flow-water  )

tukuza (praise)

fyeka (slash)

Sukuma (push)

jamba/fusa (fart)

tafuna (chew)

Tafakari (think about/look into)

hifadhi (keep)

rindima (vibrate)

Weweseka (talk while asleep)

rithi (inherit)

ahirisha (adjourn)

Hurumia (sympathise)

Hukumu (judge)

teketeza (burn) unda(create/make)                           umba (form/create)         tisha (threaten)

N.B.The following are monosyllabic verbs. They are made-up of one syllable. They only add prefix “ku” to add a meaning. But this “ku” is not part of their root wards. In most cases, this “ku” is dropped when changing sentences into negative.The monosyllabic verbs are:

nya    (deficate)

la      (eat)

fa     (die)

ja       (come)

wa     (be)

nwya   (drink)

When ku is added to them, they become:

kunya (to deficate/deficate)

kula (to eat/eat)

kufa (to die/die)

kuja (to come/come)

kuwa (to be/be)

kunywa (to drink/drink)

When “ku” is added to all verbs especially non-monosyllabic verbs, it means “to”

e.g

kucheza (to play)

kuimba (to sing)

kutembea (to walk)

kuzungumza (to converse)

Sentensi:

1. Nimekuja kucheja ( I have come to play)
2. Mwalimu atakuja kuimba (The teacher will come to sing)
3. Walimu wa takuja kuimba (The teachers will come to sing)
4. Yeye alienda kula chakula. (She/he went to eat food)

In the same way, “ku” changes the form of the verb into a noun by adding “ing” to the verb. Note that adding this to verb, looks present continuous tense but in this case the verb will have been changed into a noun. Eg

1. Kuja kwake ni kuzuri (His/her coming is good)
2. Kuimba kwake kunapendeza. (His/her singing is nice)
3. Kutembea kwao kunachosha. (There walking is tiresome)
4. Kula kwao kunatisha. (There eating is horrible/scary)
5. Kulima kwao kuna manufaa. (There didding is important)
6. Kuimba kwake ni kuzuri. (His/ her singing is good.
7. Kutembea kwake ni kuzuri (his walking is good)
8. Kuonekana kwake ni kuzuri. (His looking is nice)
9. Kusoma kwake ni kuzuri (his reading/education is good)
10. Kuzuru kwake kuna manufaa. (His visit is important).
11. Kusoma kwenu si kuzuri. (Your reading is not good)

In the above sentences, “is” has been denoted as a verb that has come after nouns with “ing” as seen above.

KUAMURU (Giving commands/orders)

When giving orders to one person, we use the original form of the verb. While giving orders to many people, we add suffix –ni on the verbs used when commanding as below.

Kuamuru mtu mmoja (giving commands to one person

Mtindo wa kukubali                                      Mtindo wa kukanusha

(Positive form)                                                 (Negative form)

Tazama! (Look at)                                            usitazame (don’t look at)

Imba (sing)                                                       usiimbe (do not sing)

Pika! (Cook)                                                     usipike (don’t cook)

Lima! (Dig)                                                      usilime (don’t dig)

Soma! (Read)                                                   usisome (don’t read)

Vua! (Undress)                                                usivue (don’t undress)

Toka! (Go away)                                              usitoke (don’t go away)

Sentensi

1. Tazama ubaoni! (Look at the blackboard!)
2. Lima shambani. (Dig in the garden!)
3. Soma kitabu! (Read the book!)
4. Imba wimbo! (Sing the song!)

Kuamuru watu wengi (giving commands to many people)

(When giving commands to many people, we add suffix –ni on the verbs. But it is dropped in negative form)

Mtindo wa kukubali                                      mtindo wa kukanusha

Tazameni! (All of you look)                             msitazame

Imbeni! (All of you sing)                                 msiimbe

Limeni! (All of you dig)                                  msilime

Someni! (All of you read)                                msisome

Vueni! (All of you undress)                             msivue

Lalani (All of you sleep)                                  msilale

Sentensi

1. Tazammeni ubaoni! (All of you look at the blackboard)
2. Limeni shamba! (All of you dig the garden)
3. Someni vitabu sasa! (All of you read the books now)
4. Laleni kitandani! (Sleep on the bed all of you)

N.B
When giving command using monosyllabic verbs, we add prefix ku- to them but this –ku is dropped in negative form. When giving commands we stress the verb by using a strong tone.

Kuamuru mtu mmoja (Giving command one person)

Kula! (eat!)                                  usile (don’t eat)

Kufa! (die!)                                  usife (don’t die)

Kunya! (defecate!)                      usinye (don’t defecate)

Kuja! (come!)                               usije (don’t come)

Kuwa! (be/become!)                    usiwe (don’t become)

Kunywa! (dring!)                         usinywe (don’t dring)

kuamuru watu wengi (Giving command to many people)

Mtindo wa kukubali                  Mtindo wa kukanusha

kuleni! (All of you eat!)               msile

Kufeni! (all of you die!)              msife

Kujeni! (all of you come!)           msije

Kuweni! (all of you becom!e)      msiwe

Kunyweni (all of you drink!)       msinywe