Classes 11 and 10

Foundations

Classes 11 and 10 (often called the U- class) group together abstract concepts (like freedom) and concrete objects that are often long, thin, or spread out (like walls or hair).

How It Works

The U- class is actually a combination of two historical noun classes that merged because their prefixes both reduced to u- over time, which led to them sharing the exact same agreement markers.

1. Concrete Nouns (Class 11/10)
These are physical objects, often long, thin, or spread out in space or time (like a wall, a song, or a single hair). They start with u- (or w- before vowels) in the singular. To make them plural, they move to Class 10, which uses the N- prefix. When this N- prefix attaches to the noun stem, it causes standard phonetic changes. For example, it drops entirely before voiceless consonants, becomes n- before voiced consonants like d, g, j, and z, becomes ny- before vowels, and becomes m- before b (e.g., ubao becomes mbao). When the N- prefix attaches to stems starting with w, l, or r, it mutates the initial consonant: N + w becomes mb (e.g., uwingu becomes mbingu), and N + l/r becomes nd (e.g., ulimi becomes ndimi). Be careful with words starting with w-: if the singular starts with w- (like wimbo, song), it is almost always a vowel stem, meaning the plural takes ny- (nyimbo). However, watch out for words like uwanja (field) and uwayo (footprint). These are actually vowel stems (-anja, -ayo) with an inserted w glide, so they take ny- in the plural (nyanja, nyayo). Additionally, for monosyllabic stems (short roots), the u- prefix is retained in the plural for stress reasons, and ny- is added in front of it (e.g., uso becomes nyuso, uzi becomes nyuzi). Note that some concrete Class 11 nouns take a Class 6 (ma-) plural instead, usually to indicate a collective mass (e.g., unyoya, a single feather, becomes manyoya, feathers).

2. Abstract & Mass Nouns (Class 14)
These represent intangible qualities, states of being, or uncountable substances (like beauty, freedom, or porridge). Because they are abstract or uncountable, they usually do not have a plural form. However, there are a few exceptions that also take a Class 6 (ma-) plural, such as ugonjwa (disease) becoming magonjwa.

Important Note:
Because the singular agreement markers for this class are identical to Class 3 (e.g., they both use the subject prefix u-, the adjective prefix m-, and the possessive wa-), learners often confuse them. You can tell them apart by their plurals: Class 3 nouns take mi-, while Class 11 nouns take Class 10 plurals. Crucially, their plural agreement markers also differ: Class 10 uses the subject prefix zi-, plural possessives start with z- (e.g., zangu, zako), and plural adjectives follow standard Class 10 N- rules. Class 4, on the other hand, uses i-. To learn more about how these nouns affect the rest of the sentence, check out Class 11 and 14 Subject Agreement and Class 11 Adjective Agreement.

Examples (5)

  1. Ukuta huu mrefu umeanguka.

    This tall wall has fallen.

    Word by Word: Wall this tall has fallen.

    A concrete Class 11 singular noun. Notice the u- prefix on the noun and the agreement markers.

  2. Kuta hizi ndefu zimeanguka.

    These tall walls have fallen.

    Word by Word: Walls these tall have fallen.

    The plural of 'ukuta'. It moves to Class 10, where the underlying N- prefix drops entirely before the voiceless consonant 'k'.

  3. Wimbo wake mpya ni mzuri sana.

    His new song is very good.

    Word by Word: Song his new is good very.

    Before a vowel, the singular prefix becomes w- (w-imbo).

  4. Nyimbo zake mpya ni nzuri sana.

    His new songs are very good.

    Word by Word: Songs his new are good very.

    The plural of 'wimbo'. In Class 10, the N- prefix becomes ny- before a vowel.

  5. Uhuru ni haki ya kila mtu.

    Freedom is everyone's right.

    Word by Word: Freedom is right of every person.

    An abstract Class 14 noun. It represents a concept and usually has no plural form.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying regular prefixes to form plurals instead of the complex Class 10 rules.

    Makuta haya ni marefu.
    Kuta hizi ni ndefu.

    Most Class 11 nouns do not take 'ma-' or keep 'u-' in the plural. They use Class 10 plurals, which often means dropping the prefix entirely before certain consonants (like u-kuta becoming kuta).

  • Confusing Class 11 singulars with Class 3 singulars and using the wrong plural.

    Mikuta hii ni mirefu.
    Kuta hizi ni ndefu.

    Because Class 11 and Class 3 share the same singular agreement, learners sometimes try to pluralize Class 11 nouns with the Class 4 'mi-' prefix. Most Class 11 nouns take Class 10 plurals. A few, like unyoya (manyoya) and ugonjwa (magonjwa), take ma- instead, but none take mi-.

How It Connects

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Classes 11 and 10Foundations

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