Category: Editing

As we have seen in looking at many of the tenses and forms of Lingala verbs, the prefix (beginning) and suffix (ending) of a verb changes to show who or what is doing the action, as well as the tense or time of the action.

Lingala contains additional elements to verbs called extensions or infixes. These are used in a similar way to how we insert –ko– into the future tense verb. They help to create more complex ideas that extend the meaning of the verb root.

For that reason, extended verb roots are listed separately in the dictionary, partly because the extension can change the meaning of the root quite dramatically, and sometimes it does so in ways that are not easily understandable in English.

The following is a list of the different extensions that are used in Lingala, each with a link through to the separate article that explains and discusses their usage:

• • • Reflexive ( -mi- )
    • Passive ( -am- )
    • Reciprocal ( -an- )
    • Causative ( -is- )
    • Applicative ( -el- )
    • Reversive ( -ol- )

Not every verb uses each form of extension, and some are rarely used. There is also no best order to learn these, though the causative form is probably the easiest to learn and use.

The following is the order in which they are extended on a verb when combined together:

PREFIX + ko + mi + ROOT + ol + is + el + an + am + SUFFIX

It must be said here that there are no Lingala verbs that would use all these extensions at the same time. But the above guide helps us understand the order in which we should add extensions as we learned how to use them.

Expressing whether something might or should happen within English is done by using these additional words (and other similar ones) and is the closest we have to creating a subjunctive tense. In Lingala we have a special form of verb that does exactly this:

nazala

We have the prefix (na-), the –zal– root and then the suffix which is an ‘a’. This means our word structure is:

PREFIX + ROOT + a

This subjunctive form indicates that something is not certain. It may happen, or it it should happen. This is different to using the future tense to express that something will happen, where it is certain.

Notice some examples of how we use this form of verb in Lingala:

Lingala	English (meaning)	English (literal)
azala na nyonso oyo esengeli	he/she may have all that is needed	he/she may be with all this it is needed
basala na mabɔkɔ na bango mosala	they may do their work with his hands	they may do with hands of them work
oyoka nzala mpe oliya limpa	you may feel hunger and you should eat bread	you may feel hunger and you should eat bread
nasalisa bino	I should help you (plural)	I should help you (plural)

In most cases we can use the subjunctive to show whether something should or may happen, with context explaining it the meaning.

Note: This subjunctive tense can be confused with the distant past and plural imperative tense which both use a prefix, root and then ‘a’ to end the word. However, the other two tenses either use an accented/stressed prefix or suffix. The subjunctive doesn’t stress either end of the word. That can make it sound like the tones rises from the prefix into the root, then drops for the suffix.

In English, expressing that something is in the past is relatively simple. Whether it was recent, or very distant, we use the simple past to show (I ran to work). If we wanted to show something was a long time in the past, we would add auxiliary words to show it was a a long time ago. In Lingala, we have a special form of past tense to show distant past (distal).

Here is an example:

nazalá

We see that we have the normal prefix (na-) followed by the –zal– root, then the suffix with an accented ‘a’ (-á). This means I was (a long time ago).

So our structure for this tense is:

PREFIX + ROOT + á

Here are a few more examples we can use to show how it can be used:

Lingala	English (meaning)	English (literal)
ntango Nzambe azalisá mabele	when God created the earth	when God he created (a long time ago) earth
moto ata moko te amoná ye	nobody ever saw him	person even one not saw (from a long time ago) him
bapesamá mboka na bango	they were given their country/village	they were given (a long time ago) village of them
bato basalemá na putulu ya mabele	humans were made from the dust of the ground	people they were made (a long time ago) with dust of earth

The accent over the letter ‘a’ shows that we stress that letter, similar to the natural stress we have on the first syllable of the root of the verb. This sounds like we raise the tone from the prefix through the rest of the word. Be careful not to make it sound like a question.

Distant past is often used to show something that happened many years ago, or at the beginning of something. In general, it is normal practice to use simple past when referring to events that happened in the past within our life time.

There is also an easy confusion over the distant past with other tenses that use a similar spelling, such as plural imperatives and the subjunctive form. However, with the distant past, the final vowel (usually an ‘a’) is stressed, and show with an accent mark in traditional spelling, unlike the other two forms.

Related to the present tense form is that of the recent past. In Lingala, the tense can look similar to the present tense (nazali) of some verbs, whereas in English it looks similar to the simple past (I was).

So we write this form using this structure:

PREFIX + ROOT + i

All verbs can be expressed in this way in Lingala, but it is especially important for regular verbs (that is, verbs that don’t express the state of something). So, for example, we can say:

nasali mosala na ngai

We have the root –sal– to show we are doing or working and then the word for job or work (mosala). This gives the meaning I did my job, indicating that the work is recently completed, but is not happening now. We could also translate it as I just did my job.

Notice the following examples:

Lingala	English (meaning)	English (literal)
basololi na ngai	they just discussed with me	they discussed with me
Ana amoni ye	Anna just saw him	Anna saw him
biso topesi yango	we just gave this	we we gave it
okende kuna	you just went there	you went there

With verbs that express the state of something, they can be read both as present, or recent past, depending on the context.

Tip: When translating past events from English into Lingala, try to have clearly in mind if you need this recent past form, or if the action is further back and would be best said using the (simple) past (-aki) form.

In English, we often talk about something that repeats or is continuous using the same form as the present tense, with adverbs indicating how often it happens.

Notice how this is formed in Lingala. So now the verb –zal– is written as:

nazalaka

Breaking down the verb we notice first that we have the prefix na– meaning I, followed by the –zal– root and finally the suffix –aka. This gives the meaning of I always am.

Therefore, when looking at the structure of a future tense verb in Lingala we find:

PREFIX + ROOT + aka

This helps us with many expressions in Lingala where we would normally need additional adverbs in English, but in Lingala the idea is expressed completely within the verb:

Lingala	English (meaning)	English (literal)
nalobaka Lingala	I speak Lingala	I speak (as a habit) Lingala
Jacques afandaka na ndako kuna	Jacques lives in that house there	Jacques he (always) lives with house there
basalaka mosala na bango	they do their job	they (always) do job of them
boyokaka baboti na bino te	you (plural) don’t listen to your (plural) parents	you (plural) (always) listen parents of you (plural) not

Notice how when talking about speaking Lingala as a language (nalobaka Lingala), we use this –aka form of the word to show it is something we always do. In a similar way, we use this form for referring to where we live (afandaka na ndako kuna) to again show that it is ongoing, permanent and a habit.

Tip: Be careful when reading or listening to Lingala that you don’t confuse it with the similar sounding past tense (i.e. –aki).

zal[a]	be/am/are
nazali	I am
ozali	you are
azali	he/she is
ezali	it is (they are, plural form)
tozali	we are
bozali	you are (plural)
bazali	they are
kozala	to be

tozali koyekola Lingala	we are learning Lingala
nazali koyekola Lingala	I am learning Lingala
azali koyekola Lingala	he/she is learning Lingala
nazali kokende ndako na ngai	I am going to my house
tozali kokende ndako na ye	we are going to his house
ozali kokende ndako ya Mama	you (singular) are going to Mum’s house
bazali kokende eteyelo	they are going to school
nazali koteya yo	I am teaching you (singular)
bazali koteya biso	they are teaching us
bozali koliya bilei	you (plural) are eating food

–yekola	learn
eteyelo	school
–teya	teach
–liya	eat
–mela	drink
bilei	food
–zala	be (exist)

ngai	me, I	biso	we, us
yo	you	bino	you
ye	he, she	bango	they, them
yango	it	yango	they, them

na ngai ya ngai	my, mine	na biso ya biso	our, ours
na yo ya yo	your, yours	na bino ya bino	your, yours
na ye ya ye	his/her(s)	na bango ya bango	their, theirs
na yango ya yango	it, its	na yango ya yango	their, theirs

kiti na ngai	my chair
kiti na ye	his/her chair
kiti na bango	their chair
mesa na ngai	my table
mesa na ye	his/her table
mesa na bango	their table

kiti ya mama	mum’s chair
mesa ya papa	dad’s table
mesa ya Hana	Hannah’s table
kiti ya Yoane	John’s chair

mesa	table
kiti	chair

I	go to	grandmother’s house
na-	-zali kokende	ndako ya nkoko
we	go to	grandmother’s house
to-	-zali kokende	ndako ya nkoko

na-	I	to-	we
a-	he/she	ba-	they
o-	you	bo-	you
e-	it	e-	they

Nazali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Tozali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Azali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Bazali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Ozali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Bozali kokende ndako ya nkoko
Ezali kokende ndako ya nkoko

Ozali kokende wapi?

Mbote!	Hello!
Ozali malamu?	How are you?	You are well / good?
Nazali malamu	I am well / great	I am well / good
Nazali malamu te	I’m not well / great	I am well / good not
Nsango nini?	What news? (What’s up?)	News what?
Nsango malamu	Good news (Everything’s OK)	News good
Nsango te	No news (Nothing new)	News no / not
Nasepeli komona yo	I am happy to see you
Nasepeli komona ye	I am happy to see him / her
Nasepeli komona bino	I am happy to see you (plural)
Nkombo na ngai …	My name is …	Name of me …
Nkombo na yo nani?	What’s your name?	Name of you who?

Tɛlɛma	Stand up	Stand
Fanda	Sit down	Sit
Fanda awa	Sit here
Fanda kuna	Sit there
Yaka	Come
Yaka awa	Come here
Kende	Go / Go away	Go
Kende kuna	Go there
Liya	Eat
Liya yango	Eat it / them
Liya limpa	Eat bread
Liya loso	Eat rice
Liya nsoso	Eat chicken
Liya nsoso ná loso	Eat chicken and rice	Eat chicken with rice
Mɛla	Drink
Mɛla yango	Drink it
Mɛla mai	Drink water
Tala	Look
Tala yango	Look at it / them	Look it / them
Tala ngai	Look at me	Look me
Tala ye	Look at him / her	Look him / her
Pesa	Give
Pesa ngai	Give me
Pesa ye	Give him / her