ingali

Still Being Ingali

Level 5

The stem -ngali is a formal, defective verb meaning "is still" or "are still." It attaches directly to subject prefixes to show that a state, condition, or action continues to hold.

How It Works

Because -ngali is a defective verb (or persistive copula), it is followed by a noun, an adjective, a locative, or a fully conjugated main verb.

1. Basic Usage:
Attach a subject prefix directly to the stem. It can be followed by a noun (e.g., wangali watoto = they are still children) or an adjective (e.g., angali mgonjwa = he is still sick). Examples of prefixes: a-ngali (he/she is still), i-ngali (it is still - Class 9), tu-ngali (we are still).

2. With Verbs:
When followed by a verb, -ngali is most frequently paired with the situational/participial -ki- tense for ongoing actions (e.g., angali akisoma = he is still reading), the present continuous -na- tense (e.g., angali anasoma = he is still reading), or the perfective -me- tense for states (e.g., angali amelala = he is still asleep).

3. With Locatives:
You can attach locative suffixes (-po, -ko, -mo) to the end of the word to mean "still at a location" (e.g., ingaliko = it is still there). It can also be followed by a standard locative noun (e.g., angali shuleni = he is still at school).

4. Negation:
Because -ngali is a defective verb, it has no direct negative form. To express "is no longer," use the standard negative verb form combined with tena (e.g., hasomi tena = he is no longer reading).

5. The Big Distinction:
Do not confuse this independent word with the past counterfactual infix -ngali- ("would have"). The conditional marker is sandwiched inside a verb (e.g., a-ngali-jua = he would have known). The persistive copula stands alone as its own word (e.g., angali akisoma = he is still reading).

Time and the Following Verb:
Ngali is a defective predicate and does not freely accept ordinary tense infixes. An auxiliary can supply time: Alikuwa angali akisoma (He/she was still reading). The participial -ki- construction is the traditional model; present -na- is also heard in modern usage. A frequent alternative is Alikuwa bado akisoma. In a future context, Atakuwa bado akisoma (He/she will still be reading) makes the time and continuation explicit without inventing a form such as atangali.

Examples (4)

  1. Wangali watoto.

    They are still children.

    Word by Word: They-are-still children.

    Here, -ngali takes the Class 2 subject prefix wa- and is followed by a noun.

  2. Ningali shuleni.

    I am still at school.

    Word by Word: I-am-still school-at.

    The prefix ni- (I) attaches to -ngali, followed by a locative noun.

  3. Samaki mkunje angali mbichi.

    Fold the fish while it is still fresh.

    Word by Word: Fish fold-it it-is-still fresh.

    A famous Swahili proverb meaning 'teach a child while they are young.' It uses the Class 1 prefix a- for the animate noun samaki.

  4. Mvua ingali inanyesha.

    The rain is still falling.

    Word by Word: Rain it-is-still it-is-raining.

    The Class 9 prefix i- attaches to -ngali, which acts as an auxiliary to the fully conjugated main verb inanyesha.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding tense markers to -ngali.

    Ninangali mwanafunzi.
    Ningali mwanafunzi.

    Because -ngali translates to 'is still,' learners often try to add a present tense marker like -na-. However, -ngali is a defective verb and only takes subject prefixes.

  • Using -ngali in casual conversation (it is correct, but formal).

    Different MeaningChakula kingali jikoni.
    Chakula bado kiko jikoni.

    While grammatically correct, -ngali sounds highly formal, poetic, or archaic. In everyday spoken Swahili, native speakers almost exclusively use the adverb bado to express 'still'.

How It Connects

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ingaliLevel 5Still Being Ingali

Learn This First

The 'ingali' pattern is a formal or literary way to express that a state is still ongoing. To use it, a learner must understand how to attach subject markers to verb roots and be familiar with the 'li' root of the verb 'to be' (kuwa), which functions as the base for this construction.

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ngali