-acho

The general or 'tenseless' relative is a formal, literary structure used to express a general truth, a habitual action, or a continuous state. For Class 7 nouns (like kitabu or kisu), the relative concord is -cho.

1. Structure and Rules
Unlike standard verbs, this form cannot contain a tense marker. The structure is strictly:
Subject Prefix + (Object Prefix) + Verb Root + Final Vowel + -cho
The Subject Prefix agrees with the doer of the action, while the relative suffix (-cho) agrees with the Class 7 head noun being described.

• ni-som-a-cho (which I usually read)
• ki-kat-a-cho (which generally cuts)

2. Monosyllabic Verbs
For short verbs that usually keep their infinitive ku- prefix (like kula or kuja), the ku- is dropped in this form because the added suffix provides enough syllables to carry the stress (e.g., kilacho 'which eats', not *kikulacho).

3. The Final Vowel Myth
Many learners memorize the suffix as '-acho'. However, the '-a-' is simply the standard Bantu final vowel. For Arabic loan verbs ending in -i, -e, or -u, the suffix attaches directly to that vowel (e.g., kibakicho 'that which remains', not *kibakiacho).

4. Pronunciation and Negation
Because Swahili stress is always on the second-to-last (penultimate) syllable, adding this suffix shifts the stress one syllable to the right (ku-SO-ma → ki-so-MA-cho). In the negative, the suffix strategy is abandoned, and the relative marker becomes an infix after the negative marker -si- (e.g., kisichosoma).

5. Usage vs. Alternatives
While highly frequent in proverbs, poetry, and formal writing, modern spoken Swahili overwhelmingly prefers amba- relatives (e.g., ambacho) or the tensed relative infix (e.g., kinachosoma). Note that the tenseless suffix is not perfectly interchangeable with amba-, as it specifically restricts the meaning to a timeless or habitual state.