“He was driving fast, but he won’t be driving again”: Perfect tense in the past or future.
You can combine kuwa (to be) and a verb to describe a past or future state,
Rules
- Use -ki- for past or future continuous, e.g.
- You can use -na- as well instead of -ki-. But -ki- is more common.
- Negate kuwa in the normal way.
| Sentence | Verb | Tense | Perfect tense meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| He was driving very fast | -endesha | Past continuous | Alikuwa akiendesha |
| They were gone | -kwenda | Past state | Walikuwa wamekwenda |
| I was seated | -kaa | Past state | Nilikuwa nimekaa. |
| Next year I will be studying in Nairobi. | -soma | Future continuous | Mwaka ujao nitakuwa nikisoma Nairobi. |
| If you call me at 11 o’clock, maybe I will be asleep. | -lala | Future state | Ukinipigia simu saa tano usiku pengine nitakuwa nimelala. |
| Next week I will be travelling | -safiri | Future continuous | Wiki ijayo nitakuwa nikisafiri. |
| He was not driving. | -endesha | Past continuous (negative) | Hakuwa akiendesha. |
| We will not be asleep | -lala | Future state. | Hatutakuwa tumelala. |