ambayo / ambazo

Class 9 and 10 Amba- Forms

Level 3

ambayo (singular) and ambazo (plural) are standalone words meaning 'which' or 'that'. They connect Class 9 and 10 nouns to the clauses that describe them.

How It Works

The relative pronouns ambayo (singular) and ambazo (plural) are used to say 'which' or 'that' for inanimate nouns in Classes 9 and 10.

They are formed by attaching the relative suffixes -yo and -zo to the root amba-. Syntactically, they stand alone immediately after the noun they modify (the antecedent).

While Swahili also has an Infixal Relative -o- strategy, the amba- forms are explicitly required when using tenses that cannot take an infix, such as the Perfect -me-, the conditional -nge-, or the habitual hu-. They are also highly preferred for long, complex clauses or when using the Present Copula ni or the Negative Copula si.

Important Nuances:

  • Pluralization: Because Class 9 and 10 nouns usually look identical (e.g., nyumba means both 'house' and 'houses'), you must pay close attention to the context to know whether to use ambayo or ambazo.
  • Animacy: If a Class 9/10 noun is a living creature (like rafiki 'friend' or ndege 'bird'), you must use the human agreement forms Class 1 ambaye or Class 2 ambao instead.
  • Object Infix Rule: When the relative pronoun refers to the object of the sentence, the verb must include the corresponding object concord (-i- for Class 9, -zi- for Class 10). Omitting this is ungrammatical.
  • Other Classes: Note that ambayo is also the correct relative pronoun for Class 4 (mi-) and Class 6 (ma-) nouns, whereas ambazo is exclusively used for Class 10!

An Ordinary Finite Verb Follows:
Nyumba ambayo itajengwa means “the house that will be built.” The separate verb uses ordinary future -ta-, unlike bound future relatives with -taka-. Ambayo itself has the same form in nyumba ambayo imeanguka (the house that has fallen) and nyumba ambayo nimeinunua (the house that I have bought); what changes is the house’s subject or object role in the following clause.

Examples (5)

  1. Kalamu ambayo ni mpya.

    The pen that is new.

    Word by Word: Pen which is new.

    Used with the copula 'ni' to describe a singular Class 9 noun.

  2. Shule yetu ina kompyuta ambazo wanafunzi wanaweza kuzikopa.

    Our school has computers which students can borrow.

    Word by Word: School our has computers which students they-can to-them-borrow.

    Used for a plural Class 10 noun (kompyuta). Note the mandatory object infix '-zi-' in 'kuzikopa'.

  3. Barua ambazo zimefika leo ni muhimu.

    The letters which have arrived today are important.

    Word by Word: Letters which they-have-arrived today are important.

    The amba- form is strictly required here because the perfect tense marker -me- cannot take an infixed relative.

  4. Mbwa ambaye alipotea jana amepatikana.

    The dog which was lost yesterday has been found.

    Word by Word: Dog who he-was-lost yesterday he-has-been-found.

    Even though 'mbwa' (dog) belongs to Class 9, it takes the animate relative pronoun 'ambaye' instead of 'ambayo' because it is a living creature.

  5. Miti ambayo ilipandwa mwaka jana inakua vizuri.

    The trees which were planted last year are growing well.

    Word by Word: Trees which they-were-planted year yesterday they-are-growing well.

    Notice that 'ambayo' is used here for 'miti', which is a plural Class 4 noun, demonstrating that 'ambayo' is shared across multiple noun classes.

Common Mistakes

  • Failing to pluralize to ambazo

    Ninasoma barua ambayo zimefika.
    Ninasoma barua ambazo zimefika.

    Because Class 9 and 10 nouns often look exactly the same in singular and plural, learners forget to switch to the plural relative pronoun. If the verb has a plural subject marker (like zi-), you must use the plural ambazo.

  • The 'Double Relative'

    Kalamu ambayo iliyonunuliwa.
    Kalamu ambayo ilinunuliwa.

    You only need one relative marker per clause. Use either the independent amba- word OR the infixed relative (-yo-), but never both together.

  • Using ambayo/ambazo for animate nouns

    Rafiki ambayo anakuja.
    Rafiki ambaye anakuja.

    Even if a noun belongs to Class 9 or 10 (like rafiki or ndege), if it refers to a living person or animal, it must take the human/animate relative pronouns ambaye (singular) or ambao (plural).

How It Connects

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

ambayo / ambazoLevel 3Class 9 and 10 Amba- Forms

Learn This First

To use ambayo and ambazo, you must first understand how the amba- relative construction works in Swahili. Additionally, you need to be familiar with the N-class (Classes 9 and 10) and its specific agreement markers, as these determine the correct relative suffix to attach to the amba- stem.

Words in This Pattern

ambayoambazoamba