No Object Marker in Some Relatives

Level 4

When saying things like "the book that I read" (kitabu nilichosoma), you don't always need an object marker (-ki-) inside the verb. For inanimate objects, dropping the object marker is completely standard.

How It Works

In Swahili object relative clauses, the verb complex requires a Relative Marker (RM) to link back to the noun being described. However, the pre-stem Object Marker (OM) slot is often left empty.

Structure and Nuance

  • Omitted OM: Kitabu ni-li-cho-soma (The book that I read) (Subject + Tense + RM + Root). This is highly frequent and standard for general, non-specific, or highly accessible inanimate objects.
  • Included OM: Kitabu ni-li-cho-ki-soma (The book that I read [it]). Including the resumptive OM adds a nuance of definiteness, specificity, or topicality. It is also often preferred in formal, literary, or prescriptive contexts to maximize clarity.

The One OM Limit
Swahili strictly allows only one object marker per verb. If an indirect object takes the OM slot, the inanimate OM must be omitted (e.g., Kitabu nilichompa - The book that I gave him/her). Notice that the Relative Marker -cho- still agrees with the relativized inanimate object (kitabu), while the Object Marker -m- agrees with the animate indirect object.

The Animacy Restriction
This omission is generally restricted to inanimate noun classes. For human or animate objects, the resumptive OM is prescriptively obligatory in standard Swahili. While native speakers occasionally omit it in colloquial speech, in formal contexts you should say mtu niliyemwona (the person whom I saw [him/her]) rather than mtu niliyeona.

Common Points of Confusion
Learners often confuse the Relative Marker with the Object Marker because they refer to the same noun class but often have different shapes. The most frequent mismatch is Class 1 (human singular), where the RM is -ye- but the OM is -m- or -mw-. Another major mismatch is Class 2 (human plural), where the RM is -o- but the OM is -wa- (e.g., Watu nili-o-wa-ona - The people whom I saw [them]). Other examples include Class 7 (RM is -cho-, OM is -ki-) and Class 9 (RM is -yo-, OM is -i-, as in Simu nili-yo-i-nunua). When you see an OM-less relative clause, remember that the marker you see (like -cho- or -yo-) is the RM, not a transformed OM.

This pattern applies across all relative strategies: the tensed (or infix) relative strategy, Relative Clauses with amba-, and tenseless suffix relatives. Regardless of the relative strategy used, if the Object Marker is included, it always remains locked in the slot immediately preceding the verb root. For example, with amba-: Kitabu amba-cho nili-ki-soma (The book which I read [it]), and with the tenseless suffix: Kitabu ni-ki-soma-cho (The book that I read [it]). Note that learners sometimes confuse the -ki- Object Marker with the -ki- conditional or continuous Tense Marker. Because Swahili does not allow the -ki- tense marker inside bound relative verbs, a -ki- in a word like ni-ki-soma-cho must be the Object Marker.

Examples (4)

  1. Kitabu nilichosoma ni kizuri.

    The book that I read is good.

    Word by Word: Book I-past-which(cl7)-read is good.

    Class 7 relative clause using the infix RM '-cho-'. The object marker '-ki-' is naturally omitted.

  2. Barua aliyoandika imefika.

    The letter which she wrote has arrived.

    Word by Word: Letter she-past-which(cl9)-write has-arrived.

    Class 9 relative clause using the infix RM '-yo-'. The object marker '-i-' is omitted.

  3. Nyumba ambazo walijenga ni kubwa.

    The houses which they built are big.

    Word by Word: Houses which(cl10) they-past-build are big.

    Class 10 relative clause using 'amba-'. The verb 'walijenga' does not take the object marker '-zi-'.

  4. Chakula tupikacho ni kitamu.

    The food which we cook is delicious.

    Word by Word: Food we-cook-which(cl7) is delicious.

    A tenseless relative clause where the RM '-cho-' is suffixed to the verb. The OM '-ki-' is omitted.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the object marker for animate or human objects.

    Mtu niliyeona jana amesafiri.
    Mtu niliyemwona jana amesafiri.

    While you can drop the object marker for inanimate objects, it is strictly required in standard/formal Swahili for human and animate objects (Classes 1 and 2). Although occasionally omitted in colloquial speech, you should include the object marker (like -mw-) right before the verb root in standard usage.

  • Confusing object relatives without an OM with subject relatives.

    Kitabu kilichosoma ni kizuri.
    Kitabu nilichosoma ni kizuri.

    In an object relative, the subject prefix (e.g., ni- for 'I') must be different from the relative marker (e.g., -cho- for the book). If you use ki- as the subject prefix, it means 'the book which read' (a subject relative), which doesn't make sense.

How It Connects

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

No Object Marker in Some RelativesLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand why an object marker is omitted in certain relative clauses, you must first be familiar with how object markers are normally used in Swahili verbs and how relative clauses are formed using the -o- infix. Specifically, you need to understand the 'relative as object' construction, where the relative marker itself points to the object of the verb.