-azo

The tenseless relative (often called the general relative) is a formal and literary construction frequently found in proverbs, journalism, and literature. It is formed by attaching a relative suffix that agrees with the noun class to the absolute end of a verb that contains no tense marker. For Class 10 nouns, this suffix is -zo, and the subject prefix is zi-.

Structure:
Subject Prefix (e.g., zi- for Class 10) + (Object Prefix) + Verb Stem + Final Vowel + Relative Suffix (e.g., -zo for Class 10)

Key Rules:

• No Tense Marker: The verb cannot contain -na-, -li-, -ta-, etc.
• Final Vowel: The suffix (like -zo) attaches to whatever the verb's final vowel is. For native verbs, this is -a (making -azo). For Arabic loans, it attaches to -e, -i, or -u (e.g., faulu becomes fauluzo).
• Monosyllabic Verbs: Short verbs drop their infinitive ku- marker because the relative suffix adds a new syllable to the end of the word, naturally shifting the penultimate stress to the verb stem itself. For example, kula (to eat) becomes -lazo (e.g., zilazo), not -kulazo.

Negative General Relative:
To negate this construction, the structure changes entirely. The relative marker becomes an infix placed immediately after the negative marker -si-. Crucially, this -si- relative is the universal negative relative marker for all tenses in Swahili. If you need to specify a negative tense (like past or future), you must use the amba- construction.
Structure: Subject Prefix + -si- + Relative Infix (e.g., -zo-) + (Object Prefix) + Verb Stem + Final Vowel
For example, zisomazo (which read) becomes zisizosoma (which do not read). Warning: Unlike standard present-tense negation, the final vowel of native verbs remains -a and does not change to -i. Additionally, monosyllabic verbs retain their ku- in the negative form to maintain penultimate stress (e.g., zisizokula, not zisizola).

While common in formal writing, spoken Swahili usually prefers the independent amba- relative (ambazo) or the tensed relative infix (-zo-).

Use the Affirmative Subject Form:
In nyumba zisizofaa (houses that are unsuitable), the sequence is zi-si-zo-fa-a: affirmative Class 10 subject zi-, relative negation -si- and relative -zo-. Do not combine hazi- with another -si-. This is the tenseless negative-relative pattern; an amba clause can express an explicit ordinary negative tense.