Commands

One form for one person, another for several

A command in Kimbundu is the verb stem on its own. There is nothing to add for one person. For several people, the final -a of the stem becomes -enu. Chatelain gives this rule in a note on page 72 of his grammar.

How to give a command

1. Take the verb stem. The stem is the dictionary form of the verb without its ku- at the start. The infinitive: ku-
2. To speak to one person, say the stem.
3. To speak to several people, replace the final -a with -enu.
4. For go, use the form in the last table. It does not follow the rule.

You should now be able to give each command in the tables below, to one person and to several.

Seven verbs

These are Chatelain's own examples. Each row starts with the verb as the dictionary gives it.

In a sentence

Say what you want someone to look at, or to do, after the command. Chatelain's example uses no word for a or the before the person.

Go and come

Go has its own forms and does not follow the rule. Come does follow it, but from a shortened stem: za is iza without its first vowel, and zenu is izenu without it.

Points to watch

• Chatelain says Kimbundu has a true command only for the person or people you are speaking to. To say let him or let us do something, it uses another verb form, which this course does not teach.
• A command not to do something uses a different form. It comes later in the course.
• The dictionary writes the verb for bring as kubheka, so its stem is bheka. Chatelain writes beka, and the course follows the dictionary.

Earlier in the course

• Words for people
• Saying what something is