tafuna

See also: ṱafuna

Swahili

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-tákuna.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb

-tafuna (infinitive kutafuna)

1. to chew, nibble, gnaw

Conjugation

Conjugation of -tafuna
Positive present -natafuna Subjunctive -tafune Negative -tafuni Imperative singular tafuna
Infinitives
Positive kutafuna Negative kutotafuna
Imperatives
Singular tafuna Plural tafuneni
Tensed forms
Habitual hutafuna Positive past positive subject concord + -litafuna Negative past negative subject concord + -kutafuna
Positive present (positive subject concord + -natafuna) Singular Plural 1st person ninatafuna/natafuna tunatafuna 2nd person unatafuna mnatafuna 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anatafuna wanatafuna other classes positive subject concord + -natafuna
Negative present (negative subject concord + -tafuni) Singular Plural 1st person sitafuni hatutafuni 2nd person hutafuni hamtafuni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hatafuni hawatafuni other classes negative subject concord + -tafuni
Positive future positive subject concord + -tatafuna Negative future negative subject concord + -tatafuna
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -tafune) Singular Plural 1st person nitafune tutafune 2nd person utafune mtafune 3rd person m-wa(I/II) atafune watafune other classes positive subject concord + -tafune
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sitafune Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngetafuna Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singetafuna Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalitafuna Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalitafuna
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -atafuna) Singular Plural 1st person natafuna twatafuna 2nd person watafuna mwatafuna 3rd person m-wa(I/II) atafuna watafuna m-mi(III/IV) watafuna yatafuna ji-ma(V/VI) latafuna yatafuna ki-vi(VII/VIII) chatafuna vyatafuna n(IX/X) yatafuna zatafuna u(XI) watafuna see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwatafuna pa(XVI) patafuna mu(XVIII) mwatafuna
Perfect positive subject concord + -metafuna "Already" positive subject concord + -meshatafuna "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jatafuna "If/When" positive subject concord + -kitafuna "If not" positive subject concord + -sipotafuna Consecutive katafuna / positive subject concord + -katafuna Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -katafune
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nitafuna -tutafuna 2nd person -kutafuna -watafuna/-kutafuneni/-watafuneni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mtafuna -watafuna m-mi(III/IV) -utafuna -itafuna ji-ma(V/VI) -litafuna -yatafuna ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kitafuna -vitafuna n(IX/X) -itafuna -zitafuna u(XI) -utafuna see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kutafuna pa(XVI) -patafuna mu(XVIII) -mutafuna Reflexive -jitafuna
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -tafuna- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -tafunaye -tafunao m-mi(III/IV) -tafunao -tafunayo ji-ma(V/VI) -tafunalo -tafunayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -tafunacho -tafunavyo n(IX/X) -tafunayo -tafunazo u(XI) -tafunao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -tafunako pa(XVI) -tafunapo mu(XVIII) -tafunamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -tafuna) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yetafuna -otafuna m-mi(III/IV) -otafuna -yotafuna ji-ma(V/VI) -lotafuna -yotafuna ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chotafuna -vyotafuna n(IX/X) -yotafuna -zotafuna u(XI) -otafuna see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kotafuna pa(XVI) -potafuna mu(XVIII) -motafuna
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -tafunia
  • Causative: -tafunisha
  • Passive: -tafunwa
  • Reciprocal: -tafunana
  • Stative: -tafunika