-yo- (ngeli ya 6)

Class 6 Relative -yo-

Level 3

In Swahili, to say 'the fruits that fell' or 'the words which I heard', you use a relative marker. For Class 6 plural nouns (like matunda or maneno), this marker is -yo-.

How It Works

The relative marker -yo- translates to 'which' or 'that' when referring back to plural Class 6 nouns (the ma- class, like matunda, magari, maneno). Note: This marker is not exclusive to Class 6; it is also the relative marker for Class 4 (plural mi- class) and Class 9 (singular n- class).

1. The Infixed Relative (Most Common)
For everyday speech using the -na- present, -li- past, or future tense, -yo- is placed directly inside the verb, right after the tense marker.

  • Matunda ya-na-yo-iva (The fruits that are ripening)
  • Magari ya-li-yo-haribika (The cars that broke down)

Note: For the future tense, the marker -ta- must change to -taka- before adding the relative marker (e.g., yatakayoiva, not yatayoiva).

2. Object Relatives
When the Class 6 noun is the object of the action (e.g., 'the fruits which I ate'), you can use the relative marker -yo- ('which') on its own, or include the Class 6 object marker -ya- ('them') for added definiteness or focus.

  • Matunda ni-li-yo-nunua (The fruits which I bought)
  • Matunda ni-li-yo-ya-nunua (The specific fruits which I bought)

3. The Amba- Relative
You can also attach -yo- to the independent stem amba- to make ambayo. This is required for tenses that cannot take an infix, like the -me- perfect or conditional tenses.

  • Maneno ambayo nimesahau (The words which I have forgotten)

4. Negative Relatives
To form a negative relative clause, use the tenseless infix -si- along with the relative marker (e.g., Matunda ya-si-yo-iva - 'The fruits that do not ripen / are not ripening'). Because -si- does not show time, you must use the amba- strategy for past or future negative statements (e.g., Matunda ambayo hayakuiva - 'The fruits which did not ripen').

5. Tenseless Suffix
While characteristic of formal literature, poetry, and proverbs, the tenseless relative is also used in everyday speech to express habitual actions or general truths. To form it, the tense marker is dropped and -yo is attached directly after the verb's final -a vowel (Structure: Subject Prefix + Verb Root + a + yo).

  • ya-iv-a-yo → yaivayo (which ripen)

Examples (5)

  1. Matunda yanayoiva ndiyo yanayoliwa.

    The fruits that are ripening are the ones that are eaten.

    Word by Word: Fruits they-present-which-ripen is-indeed-they they-present-which-be-eaten.

    This shows -yo- acting as the subject of the relative clause, infixed after the present tense marker -na-.

  2. Maneno tuliyoyakariri jana yatatusaidia katika mtihani.

    The words that we memorized yesterday will help us in the exam.

    Word by Word: Words we-past-which-them-memorize yesterday they-future-us-help in exam.

    An object relative clause demonstrating the optional inclusion of the object marker -ya- ('them') alongside the relative -yo- ('which') for added definiteness.

  3. Matunda niliyokula asubuhi yalikuwa matamu.

    The fruits which I ate in the morning were sweet.

    Word by Word: Fruits I-past-which-eat morning they-past-be sweet.

    This demonstrates an object relative clause without the optional object marker. Notice that the monosyllabic verb 'kula' retains its 'ku-' prefix because there is no object marker.

  4. Yale maelezo yatakayotolewa kesho ni muhimu sana.

    Those explanations that will be given tomorrow are very important.

    Word by Word: Those explanations they-future.rel-which-be-given tomorrow are important very.

    Demonstrates the mandatory change from the future marker -ta- to -taka- when an infixed relative is added.

  5. Haya ni mambo ambayo yametokea leo.

    These are things which have happened today.

    Word by Word: These are things amba-which they-perfect-happen today.

    Because the perfect tense marker -me- cannot take an infixed relative, the independent word ambayo must be used.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the infinitive 'ku-' on monosyllabic verbs when omitting the optional object marker in relative clauses.

    Matunda niliyola yalikuwa matamu.
    Matunda niliyokula yalikuwa matamu.

    When a Class 6 noun is the object of a relative clause, the object marker '-ya-' is optional. However, if you omit it with a monosyllabic verb like 'kula' (to eat), you must keep the infinitive 'ku-' (niliyokula). If you choose to include the object marker for definiteness, the 'ku-' drops (niliyoyala).

  • Using the standard future marker -ta- instead of -taka- with an infixed relative.

    Magari yatayofika kesho ni mapya.
    Magari yatakayofika kesho ni mapya.

    When adding an infixed relative marker to a future tense verb, the tense marker -ta- must morph into -taka-.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-yo- (ngeli ya 6)Level 3Class 6 Relative -yo-

Learn This First

To understand the Class 6 relative marker -yo-, you first need to be familiar with Class 6 nouns (the MA- class) and their standard subject agreement marker 'ya-'. Additionally, you should understand the general mechanics of how the relative -o- infix is inserted into the Swahili verb template.

Words in This Pattern

-yo