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• introduction

conjugations of verbs

Zarma verbs are not conjugated like in English. In Zarma there are no conjugation endings, the verb itself never changes, either for person or number. Our ideas of time (verb tense) and Zarma ways of looking at time don't really coincide. Actual time elements will quite often be gotten from the context rather than from the verb, though if a verb has auxiliaries, they can give some clues. In the indicative mood, a Zarma verb really can show just one of two things: whether the action is completed (perfect) or not (imperfect).

To express incomplete action or state in progress at a specific time, Zarma uses – like in English – a continuous or progressive aspect.

Two irrealis moods are of importance in Zarma subjunctive and imparative.

Conjugation of verbs are given for perfect, imperfect, continuous, subjunctive and imparative. For each of them, there are four tables:

• possitive, sentence without direct object
• possitive, sentence with direct object
• negative, sentence without direct object
• negative, sentence with direct object

In each table an example of a regular and an irregular verb is included.

Notes:

• the verb "to be" and "to have" are discussed separately.
• irregular verbs with respect to sentence order are discussed here.

Perfect

A Zarma verb without any auxiliaries is in the past positive tense or, more correctly, in the completed positive tense (or state of being), see Lesson 1.D.5. When the direct object precedes the verb, the direct object is pointed out and distinguished from the subject by the particle 'na' in the past positive. This 'na' precedes the direct object, see Lesson 2.C.2.

The past negative is formed by placing the negative 'mana' after the subject where the auxiliary regular goes whether the direct object is present or not, see Lesson 8.D.1.

Positive

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Negative

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Imperfect

The present tense of the verb uses the same auxiliary as the future tense does, see Lesson 3.D.2. This is the auxiliary 'ga'. Like in English the repeated or habitual action are distinguished from the progressive or continuous present, see Lesson 5.D.3. The auxiliary 'ga' is only used in case of a habitual action.

The negative of the present and future tenses is formed with the negative 'si' that replaces 'ga'. Note that for present it must be actual present action, not a present state dependent on past action, see Lesson 8.D.2.

Positive

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Negative

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Continous aspect

The progressive or continuous present and past positive use the auxiliary 'go no ga' plus verb. It expresses the idea of being in the act or process of doing the action. The auxiliary 'go ga' also shows the progressive or continuous aspect of the verb. It may also sometimes contains the idea of having just begun the action. This and the previous are generally interchangeable for showing action in progress, see Lesson 5.D.3. and 15.C.1.

The progressive present and past negative use the auxiliary 'si no ga' or 'si ga' plus verb, see Lesson 10.C.3.

Special auxiliaries (see Lesson 5.D.3.)

An action about to take place or the idea of 'to be about to' do something is shown be using 'ga ba ga' as auxiliaries before the verb.

The verbs 'kaa' (to come) and 'koy' (to go) use as auxiliaries 'go' or 'go no', before the verb to show the immediate present. Or the 'go no' may be separated with the first half before the verb and the rest after it; this is more emphatic.

Positive

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Negative

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Subjunctive

The subjunctive in Zarma is formed with the particle 'ma' in the regular place for an auxiliary. It shows not an actual action but a possible action, see Lesson 10.D.1.

The subjunctive mode is not used in conditional sentences, but rather the indicative, see Lesson 10.D.2.

Positive

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Negative

Sentence without direct object

Sentence with direct object

Imparative

positive

negative