Most, if not all Shona verbs end with an a. To make a verb from the verb root, "to" is added at the front of the verb root. In Shona "To" is "Ku" and is also put in from of the verb root but makes a single word (see examples below). If a verb root starts with an "i", the "i" is usually dropped, eg, idya becomes kudya instead of kuidya - imba (sing) is an exception because it becomes "kuimba" instead of "kumba" (home).
Verb Root
walk talk sing do sit bath drink give sleep cry buy greet write hear listen ask thank sleep cry laugh |
Shona Translation
famba taura imba ita gara geza inwa ipa rara chema tenga mhoresa nyora inzwa teerera bvunza tenda rara chema seka |
Verb
to walk/walking to talk/talking to sing/singing to do/doing to sit/sitting to bath/bathing to drink/drinking to give/giving to sleep/sleeping to cry/crying to buy/buying to greet/greeting to write/writing to hear/hearing to listen/listening to ask/asking to thank/thanking to sleep/sleeping to cry/crying to laugh/laughing |
Shona Translation
kufamba kutaura kuimba kuita kugara kugeza kunwa Kupa kurara kuchema kutenga kumhoresa kunyora kunzwa kuteerera kubvunza kutenda kurara kuchema kuseka |