hu- (ukanushi)

You Do Not Hu-

Level 1

To say 'you do not' or 'you are not' doing an action in Swahili, use the prefix hu- and change the final -a of the verb to -i.

How It Works

To form the present negative for 'you' (singular), follow these three rules:

  • Replace the subject prefix: Replace the affirmative subject prefix u- with the negative prefix hu-.
  • Drop the tense marker: Remove the present tense marker (like -na-).
  • Change the final vowel: For verbs ending in -a, change the final vowel to -i (e.g., soma becomes husomi, saidia becomes husaidii).

Exceptions:
Verbs of Arabic origin ending in -e, -i, or -u keep their final vowel (e.g., jibu → hujibu). Also, short verbs drop their infinitive ku- (e.g., kula → huli, kunywa → hunywi, kuja → huji), and the verb kwenda (to go) drops its kw- to become huendi. For the two most common verbs, kuwa na (to have) becomes huna (keeping the final -a), and kuwa (to be) becomes si (not using hu- at all), though when it means 'to become' or expresses a habitual state, it conjugates regularly as huwi.

Important Note: Do not confuse this with the habitual hu- tense! Husoma means 'usually reads' (for anyone), but husomi specifically means 'you do not read'. However, because Arabic verbs don't change their final vowel to -i, the 2nd person singular negative is identical to the habitual tense (e.g., hujibu can mean 'you usually answer' OR 'you do not answer'). Context is the only way to tell them apart for these verbs. Also, remember that hu- is only for 'you' (singular). If you are talking to a group ('you all'), use the ham- present negative prefix instead (e.g., hamsomi).

Examples (4)

  1. Husomi kitabu kila siku.

    You do not read a book every day.

    Word by Word: You-do-not-read book every day.

    The verb 'soma' takes the prefix 'hu-' and changes its final '-a' to '-i'.

  2. Huli nyama.

    You do not eat meat.

    Word by Word: You-do-not-eat meat.

    For the monosyllabic verb 'kula' (to eat), the 'ku-' is dropped, leaving 'huli'.

  3. Hujibu maswali.

    You do not answer questions.

    Word by Word: You-do-not-answer questions.

    Because 'jibu' is of Arabic origin and ends in '-u', the final vowel does not change to '-i'.

  4. Hutaki kula pweza?

    Don't you want to eat octopus?

    Word by Word: You-do-not-want to-eat octopus?

    A common question format using the negative 'hu-' with the verb 'taka' (want).

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the present tense marker (-na-).

    Hunasomi kitabu.
    Husomi kitabu.

    In Swahili, present negative verbs drop the tense marker entirely. Never use -na- with the negative prefix hu-.

  • Writing the habitual form when you mean the present negative.

    Different MeaningHusoma kitabu.
    Husomi kitabu.

    Husoma kitabu is a good sentence, but with -a it is the habitual: "you usually read a book". For "you do not read", change the final -a to -i: husomi.

How It Connects

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hu- (ukanushi)Level 1You Do Not Hu-

Learn This First

To understand 'hu-', you need to know the standard second-person subject marker 'u-', how the present negative conjugation removes the tense marker, and how the final vowel of the verb root changes to -i.

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Words in This Pattern

hu-