a-...-e

Let Him or Her

Level 3

The third-person singular subjunctive is used to say what someone should do, to give indirect commands ("tell him to..."), or to express purpose ("so that she..."). It is formed by attaching the subject prefix a- to the verb root and changing the final vowel to -e.

How It Works

The subjunctive mood is one of the most frequently used structures in Swahili. When talking about a third person (he or she), you use the Class 1 Subject a-. Note that a- is only for animate subjects (people and animals). For non-living things, you must use the subject marker matching their specific noun class (e.g., gari liende, not gari aende).

How to form it:

  • Verbs ending in -a: Drop the final -a and add -e. (soma → asome)
  • Verbs not ending in -a: Verbs that end in -i, -u, or -e (often borrowed words) keep their final vowel as is. (jaribu → ajaribu, negative: asijaribu)
  • Monosyllabic verbs: Drop the infinitive ku- prefix and change the final -a to -e. (kuja → aje, kula → ale). The ku- prefix is also dropped in the negative for all monosyllabic verbs (e.g., asije, asile). The highly common verb kuwa (to be) becomes awe (affirmative) and asiwe (negative).
  • With Object Markers: The object marker goes immediately before the verb root. The final vowel still changes to -e, but only if the verb originally ends in -a (borrowed verbs keep their final vowel). (saidia + OM -m- → amsaidie, but jibu + OM -m- → amjibu)
  • Negative Subjunctive: Use the negative subjunctive infix -si- after the subject marker. If an object marker is used, -si- comes before the object marker. (asisome → that he/she should not read; asimsaidie → that he/she should not help him/her)

When to use it:
1. Indirect Commands: Telling someone to tell someone else to do something.
Mwambie aje. (Tell him to come.)

2. Desire/Obligation: Expressing what someone should do or what you want them to do. This includes impersonal expressions of necessity like lazima (must), inabidi (it behooves/must), afadhali (it is better), and bora (it is best).
Nataka asome. (I want him/her to read.)
Lazima aende. (He/she must go.)
Inabidi asome. (He/she has to read.)

3. Purpose: Often following ili (so that).
Nampa pesa ili anunue chakula. (I give him money so that he may buy food.)

4. Permission: Often following acha (let/leave).
Acha apumzike. (Let him/her rest.)

5. Standalone Questions: Asking for instructions or expressing 'should'.
Aje? (Should he/she come?)

Examples (6)

  1. Mwambie aje kesho.

    Tell him/her to come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tell-him/her he/she-should-come tomorrow.

    An indirect command. Notice that the monosyllabic verb kuja drops its ku- prefix and changes its final -a to -e to become aje.

  2. Mwambie asije leo.

    Tell him/her not to come today.

    Word by Word: Tell-him/her he/she-should-not-come today.

    The negative subjunctive is formed by inserting -si- after the subject marker.

  3. Aje sasa hivi?

    Should he/she come right now?

    Word by Word: He/she-should-come now this?

    The subjunctive can be used on its own to ask for instructions or permission, translating to 'should'.

  4. Nataka amsaidie.

    I want him/her to help him/her.

    Word by Word: I-want he/she-should-him/her-help.

    When using an object marker (like -m-), it is placed right before the verb root, and the final vowel still changes to -e.

  5. Nataka ajaribu tena.

    I want him/her to try again.

    Word by Word: I-want he/she-should-try again.

    Expressing desire. Because jaribu does not end in -a, its final vowel does not change.

  6. Nampa pesa ili anunue chakula.

    I am giving him/her money so that he/she may buy food.

    Word by Word: I-give-him/her money so-that he/she-should-buy food.

    Expressing purpose using ili followed by the subjunctive.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive instead of the subjunctive for indirect commands or desires.

    Nataka yeye kuja.
    Nataka aje.

    English uses the infinitive ('I want him to come'), but Swahili strictly requires the subjunctive ('I want that he should come').

  • Retaining the 'ku-' prefix on monosyllabic verbs.

    Mwambie akuje.
    Mwambie aje.

    In Standard Swahili, monosyllabic verbs must drop the ku- prefix in the subjunctive. (Note: akuje is common in Kenyan slang, but incorrect in standard grammar).

  • Changing the final vowel of Arabic loanwords to -e.

    Acha ajaribe.
    Acha ajaribu.

    Verbs of Arabic origin that end in -i, -e, or -u do not change their final vowel in the subjunctive.

How It Connects

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

a-...-eLevel 3Let Him or Her

Learn This First

To understand the third-person subjunctive 'a-', you must first be familiar with the Class 1 subject marker 'a-' and the general rules for forming the subjunctive mood, specifically the change of the verb's final vowel to '-e'.

Words in This Pattern

a--e