-vyo- (namna)

The Way That with -vyo-

Level 3

The infix -vyo- turns a verb into a description of how something happens. It translates to "how," "as," or "the way that."

How It Works

The -vyo- manner relative attaches to verbs in three distinct ways depending on the tense:

  • Infixed (Tensed): Placed immediately after the tense marker and before the object prefix or verb root. This is strictly limited to three tenses (-na-, -li-, and the future -ta- which changes to -taka-) and the negative marker (-si-). Example: u-na-vyo-sema (as you say). Note that monosyllabic verbs keep their infinitive ku- here (e.g., unavyokula).
  • Attached to amba-: While it is required for tenses that cannot take an infix (such as the perfect tense), it can optionally be used with any tense. Example: kama ambavyo nimesema (as I have said) or kama ambavyo ninasema (as I am saying).
  • Suffixed (Tenseless): Attached directly to the end of the verb root (though an object prefix can still sit before the root), replacing the tense marker entirely. This leans slightly formal or proverbial. Example: upendavyo (as you like) or anipendavyo (how he/she loves me). Monosyllabic verbs drop their ku- in this form (e.g., ulavyo).

Common Patterns with -vyo-:
The manner relative is central to several common expressions:

  • ndivyo and sivyo: These emphatic copulas mean "that is how / that is so" and "that is not how / that is not so". Example: Ndivyo ilivyo (That is how it is).
  • Kadiri... ndivyo...: Used to express "the more... the more...". Example: Kadiri unavyosoma, ndivyo unavyojua zaidi (The more you read, the more you know).

Important Distinctions:
Learners often confuse kama + normal verb with kama + -vyo- verb.
• Kama unataka = If you want.
• Kama unavyotaka = As you want.

Class 8 Overlap: Be careful not to confuse the manner relative with the Class 8 relative. The manner relative is an adverbial use of the exact same marker. For example, vitabu nilivyosoma means 'the books which I read', not 'the books how I read'.

Note: While textbooks often teach "how" as the fixed phrase jinsi ambavyo or jinsi + -vyo-, the -vyo- affix alone is perfectly sufficient to express "how" or "the way that" in natural Swahili.

Examples (5)

  1. Fanya kama unavyotaka.

    Do as you want. / Do how you like.

    Word by Word: Do like you-present-how-want.

    Using -vyo- with kama changes the meaning from 'if' to 'as'.

  2. Alituonyesha jinsi inavyofanya kazi.

    He showed us how it works.

    Word by Word: He-past-us-show manner it-present-how-do work.

    Here, -vyo- is paired with jinsi (manner/way) to explicitly mean 'the way that'.

  3. Ninapenda anavyopika.

    I like the way he/she cooks.

    Word by Word: I-present-like he-present-how-cook.

    Notice that -vyo- alone is enough to mean 'how' or 'the way that' without needing jinsi.

  4. Sijui alivyofanya.

    I don't know how he did it.

    Word by Word: I-don't-know he-past-how-do.

    The -vyo- marker is infixed after the past tense marker -li-.

  5. Kama ambavyo nimesema, tutaondoka kesho.

    As I have said, we will leave tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Like which I-have-said, we-will-leave tomorrow.

    Because the perfect tense -me- cannot take an infix, -vyo- attaches to amba- instead.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the question word 'vipi' instead of '-vyo-' for statements.

    Ninajua vipi anapika.
    Ninajua anavyopika.

    English uses 'how' for both questions and statements. In Swahili, 'vipi' is strictly for asking direct questions. To describe 'how' something is done in a statement, you must use the relative marker -vyo-.

  • Using kama with a plain verb when you mean 'as'.

    Different MeaningFanya kama unataka.
    Fanya kama unavyotaka.

    'Fanya kama unataka' is a good sentence, but kama followed by a plain verb means 'if': 'do it if you want'. To mean 'as you want', put the relative marker -vyo- in the verb: unavyotaka.

How It Connects

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-vyo- (namna)Level 3The Way That with -vyo-

Learn This First

To understand the manner relative '-vyo-', a learner must first be familiar with the standard Swahili verb template and how relative markers (specifically the Class 8 marker '-vyo-') are infixed into verbs to create relative clauses.

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Words in This Pattern

-vyo