bado

Placement in the Sentence
Bado is an independent word that doesn't attach to the verb. It is highly flexible and is usually placed immediately before the verb as the standard word order, or at the very end of the clause. It can also be used by itself as a one-word answer to a question, meaning "Not yet" (e.g., Q: Umekula? A: Bado.). Note that bado is often used in place of the defective verb -ngali- still.

Crucial Tense Pairings
To say "not yet," you must use the negative perfect tense marker -ja-. A very common mistake is trying to use the past negative -ku- (e.g., saying bado sikula instead of the correct bado sijala).

Bado vs. Tayari
Because English speakers often associate "bado" strictly with "not yet," they sometimes mistakenly use it with affirmative perfect active verbs hoping it means "already." However, bado nimekula means "I have still eaten" (which sounds unnatural). To say that you are still actively doing something, you typically pair bado with the -na- present tense (e.g., bado ninakula = I am still eating). It can also be used with the hu- habitual tense to mean someone still routinely does something (e.g., bado yeye huvuta sigara = he still smokes). To say "already," you must use the word tayari or the -sha- already marker. Note, however, that it is perfectly natural to use bado with stative verbs in the perfect tense to mean "still [in a state]" (e.g., bado amelala = he is still asleep).

Bado with Non-Verbs and Locatives
Bado works seamlessly with "to be" constructs and locative markers to mean "still [a noun/adjective/location]". For example, you can use it with simple copulas (e.g., bado ni asubuhi = it is still morning) or with locatives (e.g., bado yuko kazini = he is still at work).

Bado Kidogo
A highly common and essential phrase is bado kidogo, which translates to "soon," "not quite yet," "almost," or "in a little bit." It is frequently used in everyday conversation to indicate that something is about to happen or finish (e.g., Utamaliza lini? Bado kidogo. = When will you finish? Soon / In a little bit.).

Still-ngali takes a subject form, as in angali anasoma (he/she is still reading); it does not occupy a tense infix inside anasoma. The ordinary careful not-yet form of eat is bado sijala, without an extra ku- after -ja-.