fahamu

Swahili

Etymology

From Arabic فَهْم (fahm).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

fahamu (n class, plural fahamu)

1. knowledge, understanding, comprehension
2. consciousness

Verb

-fahamu (infinitive kufahamu)

1. to know, understand

   Synonym: -jua

Conjugation

Conjugation of -fahamu
Positive present -nafahamu Subjunctive -fahamu Negative -fahamu Imperative singular fahamu
Infinitives
Positive kufahamu Negative kutofahamu
Imperatives
Singular fahamu Plural fahamuni
Tensed forms
Habitual hufahamu Positive past positive subject concord + -lifahamu Negative past negative subject concord + -kufahamu
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nafahamu) Singular Plural 1st person ninafahamu/nafahamu tunafahamu 2nd person unafahamu mnafahamu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anafahamu wanafahamu other classes positive subject concord + -nafahamu
Negative present (negative subject concord + -fahamu) Singular Plural 1st person sifahamu hatufahamu 2nd person hufahamu hamfahamu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hafahamu hawafahamu other classes negative subject concord + -fahamu
Positive future positive subject concord + -tafahamu Negative future negative subject concord + -tafahamu
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -fahamu) Singular Plural 1st person nifahamu tufahamu 2nd person ufahamu mfahamu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) afahamu wafahamu other classes positive subject concord + -fahamu
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sifahamu Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngefahamu Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singefahamu Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalifahamu Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalifahamu
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -afahamu) Singular Plural 1st person nafahamu twafahamu 2nd person wafahamu mwafahamu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) afahamu wafahamu m-mi(III/IV) wafahamu yafahamu ji-ma(V/VI) lafahamu yafahamu ki-vi(VII/VIII) chafahamu vyafahamu n(IX/X) yafahamu zafahamu u(XI) wafahamu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwafahamu pa(XVI) pafahamu mu(XVIII) mwafahamu
Perfect positive subject concord + -mefahamu "Already" positive subject concord + -meshafahamu "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jafahamu "If/When" positive subject concord + -kifahamu "If not" positive subject concord + -sipofahamu Consecutive kafahamu / positive subject concord + -kafahamu Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kafahamu
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nifahamu -tufahamu 2nd person -kufahamu -wafahamu/-kufahamuni/-wafahamuni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mfahamu -wafahamu m-mi(III/IV) -ufahamu -ifahamu ji-ma(V/VI) -lifahamu -yafahamu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kifahamu -vifahamu n(IX/X) -ifahamu -zifahamu u(XI) -ufahamu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kufahamu pa(XVI) -pafahamu mu(XVIII) -mufahamu Reflexive -jifahamu
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -fahamu- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -fahamuye -fahamuo m-mi(III/IV) -fahamuo -fahamuyo ji-ma(V/VI) -fahamulo -fahamuyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -fahamucho -fahamuvyo n(IX/X) -fahamuyo -fahamuzo u(XI) -fahamuo see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -fahamuko pa(XVI) -fahamupo mu(XVIII) -fahamumo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -fahamu) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yefahamu -ofahamu m-mi(III/IV) -ofahamu -yofahamu ji-ma(V/VI) -lofahamu -yofahamu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chofahamu -vyofahamu n(IX/X) -yofahamu -zofahamu u(XI) -ofahamu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kofahamu pa(XVI) -pofahamu mu(XVIII) -mofahamu
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Causative: -fahamisha
  • Passive: -fahamiwa
  • Reciprocal: -fahamiana
  • Stative: -fahamika