“Then this happened”: the ka tense
This tense is used when two things happen after another, like a succession of events.
Construction:
- Put a ka right after the subject pronoun (usually a), usually in the past tense (li)
- For monosyllabic verbs, remove the ku stem.
| English | Verbs | Swahili |
|---|---|---|
| He got up, took a walk, and then ate. | -amka, -tembea, -kula | Yeye aliamka, akatembea, akala. |
| Go and sleep! | -enda, -lala | Nenda kalale!/ukalale |
| Yesterday he went to the market and bought some food. | -kwenda sokoni, kununua chakula | Jana alikwenda sokoni akanunua chakula. |
| This morning I woke up early, drank coffee and went for a run. | -kuamka, kunywa, kwenda kukumbia | Leo asubuhi niliamka mapema, nikanywa kawaha na kwenda kukimbia. |