ambacho / ambavyo

Class 7 and 8 Amba- Forms

Level 3

Ambacho and ambavyo are independent relative pronouns used to say "which" or "that" for nouns in Class 7 (ki-) and Class 8 (vi-). Ambavyo is also used to mean "how" or "the way that."

How It Works

The amba- relative pronouns are formed by taking the root amba- (historically meaning "to say") and adding the "o-of-reference" suffix that agrees with the noun class.

  • Class 7 (ki-): amba- + -cho = ambacho
  • Class 8 (vi-): amba- + -vyo = ambavyo

Where to put it:
The word stands alone and is placed after the noun phrase it modifies (e.g., Kitabu changu kipya ambacho... = 'My new book which...'). It typically comes before the verb of the relative clause, although an explicit subject can intervene between them (e.g., Kitabu ambacho Juma alikinunua = 'The book that Juma bought'). Notice the object infix -ki- in alikinunua: when a relative pronoun acts as the object of the sentence, the verb must include the corresponding object marker.

Why use amba-?
Swahili has three relative strategies: the infixal relative (e.g., nilichosoma), the suffixal or tenseless relative (e.g., kisomwacho), and the amba- strategy. The amba- strategy is incredibly versatile because it can be used with any tense. For tenses that cannot take an infix—such as the perfect tense or the conditional—using amba- is mandatory. Furthermore, amba- is the only way to explicitly maintain tense in a negative relative clause (e.g., ambacho sikukisoma 'which I did not read' vs. the tense-neutral nisichokisoma).

Singular to Plural:
When changing from singular to plural, ambacho becomes ambavyo (e.g., Kiti ambacho... = 'The chair which...' becomes Viti ambavyo... = 'The chairs which...').

Ambavyo for Manner:
Because Class 8 (vi-) is the designated noun class for manner in Swahili, ambavyo is widely used to mean "how," "the way that," or "as." It is frequently paired with the words jinsi or namna (e.g., jinsi ambavyo = 'the way in which' or 'how'). For example, kama ambavyo means "just as."

The Wider Amba Family:
Amba- takes the relative form matching the antecedent: ambaye for a singular person, ambao for plural people, ambacho for Class 7 and ambavyo for Class 8. Compare kitabu ambacho kimeanguka (the book that has fallen), where the book is the subject, with kitabu ambacho nimekisoma (the book that I have read), where -ki- marks it as object. Subject and object roles require different agreement slots.

Examples (5)

  1. Kitabu ambacho nimekisoma ni kizuri.

    The book which I have read is good.

    Word by Word: Book which I-have-it-read is good.

    Modifying a Class 7 noun (kitabu). Notice the object concord '-ki-' in the verb.

  2. Vipaza sauti ambavyo vimevunjika vitatengenezwa.

    The loudspeakers which are broken will be repaired.

    Word by Word: Loudspeakers which they-have-broken they-will-be-repaired.

    Modifying a Class 8 noun (vipaza sauti).

  3. Sipendi ambavyo anafanya.

    I don't like the way he is acting.

    Word by Word: I-don't-like how he-is-doing.

    Here, 'ambavyo' is used as an adverbial relative of manner, meaning 'the way that' or 'how'.

  4. Chakula ambacho alikipika kilikuwa kitamu.

    The food that she cooked was delicious.

    Word by Word: Food which she-cooked-it it-was delicious.

    Modifying a Class 7 noun (chakula). Notice the required object concord '-ki-' in the verb.

  5. Fanya kama ambavyo tumekubaliana.

    Do exactly as we have agreed.

    Word by Word: Do like how we-have-agreed-with-each-other.

    Using 'ambavyo' for manner after 'kama' (like/as).

Common Mistakes

  • Using double relative marking.

    Kitabu ambacho nilichosoma.
    Kitabu ambacho nilikisoma.

    You must choose either the independent 'amba-' word OR the infixed relative marker inside the verb. Using both in the same clause is grammatically redundant.

  • Omitting the object concord when the relative pronoun is the object.

    Kitabu ambacho nilisoma.
    Kitabu ambacho nilikisoma.

    In standard Swahili, if the relative pronoun refers to the object of the verb, the verb must include the corresponding object marker (in this case, -ki- for Class 7).

How It Connects

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

ambacho / ambavyoLevel 3Class 7 and 8 Amba- Forms

Learn This First

To understand 'ambacho' and 'ambavyo', you first need to understand how the amba- relative stem works in Swahili. You also need to be familiar with the KI-VI noun class (Classes 7 and 8) and the specific relative markers (-cho- and -vyo-) that correspond to these classes.

Words in This Pattern

ambachoambavyoamba