Vocabulary | Phrases | Grammar |
This is a list of verbs in the past tense in Swahili. First let's start with the raw format before conjugating the verbs to the past form. Make sure to compare this table and the one below it.
| To see: Kuona |
| To write: Kuandika |
| To love: Kupenda |
| To give: Kupa |
| To play: Kucheza |
| To read: Kusoma |
| To understand: Kuelewa |
| To have: Kuwa na |
| To know: Kujua |
| To learn: Kujifunza |
| To think: Kufikiri |
| To work: Kufanya kazi |
| To speak: Kuongea |
| To drive: Kuendesha |
| To smile: Kutabasamu |
| To find: Kupata |
These samples show how the verbs above are conjugated in the past tense in a sentence which includes all the object pronouns (I, you, she...).
| I saw you: Nilikuona |
| I wrote with a pen: Niliandika na kalamu |
| You loved apples: Ulipenda matofaa |
| You gave money: Ulipeana pesa |
| You played tennis: Ulicheza tenisi |
| He read (past) a book: Alisoma kitabu |
| He understood me: Alinielewa |
| She had a cat: Alikuwa na paka |
| She knew my friend: Alijua rafiki yangu |
| We wanted to learn: Tulitaka kujifunza |
| We thought Spanish is easy: Tulifikiria Kispania ilikuwa raisi |
| You (plural) worked here: Mlifanya kazi hapa |
| You (plural) spoke French: Mliongea kifaransa |
| They drove a car: Waliendesha gari |
| They smiled: Walitabasamu |
After the past tense in Swahili, make sure to check the other tenses (present, and future), which we hope you enjoyed. You can also choose your own topic from the menu above.
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