-uka / -oka

Intransitive Reversive

Level 3

The -uka and -oka suffixes attach to verbs to show that an action has been reversed or undone by itself, without anyone actively doing it.

How It Works

The -uka/-oka extension is a frequent suffix in Swahili that attaches to verb roots to indicate that an action has been reversed, undone, or separated, without an expressed agent. It is the direct intransitive pair to the transitive Reversive Extension (e.g., fungua "to open" vs. funguka "to become open").

Vowel Harmony Rules:

  • Use -oka if the verb root contains o (e.g., choma "pierce" → chomoka "slip out / come out").
  • Use -uka if the verb root contains a, e, i, or u (e.g., funga "close" → funguka "become open", tega "set a trap" → teguka "be sprung/sprained").

The Compound Concept:
Linguistically, this suffix is formed by stacking the Reversive extension (-u-/-o-) and the Stative extension (-k-). This literally translates to an action being 'reversed' + 'without an agent'. If a verb already has a transitive reversive extension (like fungua "open" or chomoa "pull out"), you can simply drop the final -a and add -ka to get the intransitive form (funguka "become open", chomoka "slip out").

Key Features & Constraints:
1. Potentiality: Because it contains the stative -k- marker, -uka also expresses the potentiality of a reversed action, just like the Stative -ika. For example, kamba haifunguki means "the rope cannot be untied."
2. Restricted Usage: Unlike some extensions, this suffix is largely lexicalized and not highly productive. The list of accepted -uka/-oka verbs is relatively fixed, so learners should learn them as vocabulary rather than inventing new ones on the fly.
3. Strictly Intransitive: Because these verbs describe a state or spontaneous action without an agent, they cannot take a direct object. For example, saying nimefunguka mlango is ungrammatical; you must use the transitive form nimefungua mlango ("I have opened the door") or say mlango umefunguka ("the door has opened").
4. Fossilized Verbs: Some common -uka verbs (like anguka "to fall") no longer have a clear connection to a surviving base root in modern usage (e.g., anga "to hang") and must be learned as standalone vocabulary.

Intensive Meaning:
This extension doesn't always mean "to undo." It frequently carries an intensive or separative nuance, implying a spontaneous change of state. For example, pasuka (to burst/split) is an intensive separation, not an "un-splitting."

Examples (5)

  1. Mlango ulifunguka wenyewe.

    The door opened by itself.

    Word by Word: Door it-past-open itself.

    From 'funga' (to close). The -uka extension makes it 'become un-closed' (open) without an agent.

  2. Msumari umechomoka.

    The nail has slipped out.

    Word by Word: Nail it-perfect-slip-out.

    From 'choma' (to pierce/stick in). Because the root has an 'o', it takes the -oka extension.

  3. Kamba hii haifunguki.

    This rope cannot be untied.

    Word by Word: Rope this it-negative-untie.

    Because -uka contains the stative -k- marker, it can also express potentiality. Here, it shows that the action of untying cannot be done.

  4. Kioo kilipasuka.

    The glass shattered.

    Word by Word: Glass it-past-shatter.

    An example of the intensive/separative nuance. It doesn't mean 'un-split', but rather a spontaneous bursting or splitting.

  5. Mtoto alianguka chini.

    The child fell down.

    Word by Word: Child he-past-fall down.

    The verb 'anguka' (to fall) is the intransitive pair to 'angua' (to drop or take down). It shows the spontaneous, agentless action of dropping.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the transitive reversive for an intransitive action.

    Mlango ulifungua.
    Mlango ulifunguka.

    English uses 'open' for both 'I opened the door' and 'The door opened.' In Swahili, if the door opens by itself (no agent), you must use the intransitive -uka, not the transitive -ua.

  • Double-stacking stative suffixes by adding -ika to -ua.

    Mlango ulifunguika.
    Mlango ulifunguka.

    Learners often try to make the transitive reversive (-ua) stative by adding -ika. However, -uka is already the correct stative/intransitive form. You do not stack them.

How It Connects

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

-uka / -okaLevel 3Intransitive Reversive

Learn This First

To understand the intransitive reversive (-uka/-oka), you first need to be familiar with the general system of Swahili verb extensions. Specifically, you should understand the transitive reversive (-ua/-oa) which provides the base meaning of 'undoing' an action, and the stative extension (-ika/-eka) which shares the intransitive, agentless quality of this pattern.