Grammar: Types of negation in Kinyarwanda and Idioms based on the verb 'kugira'

Grammar Points

Use of 'nta, ntabwo, si, and nti'

Negative form of basic verbs.

Grammar

Negation in Kinyarwanda:

The negation in Kinyarwanda takes four forms: “si”, “nta”, “nti”, “ntabwo”

uyu + ni + umwarimu	uyu ni umwarimu	uyu + si + umwarimu	uyu si umwarimu
aba + ni + abanyeshuri	aba ni abanyeshuri	aba + si + abanyeshuri	aba si abanyeshuri
data + ni + umuhinzi	data ni umuhinzi	data + si + umuhinzi	data si umuhinzi
izi + ni + inka	izi ni inka	izi + si + inka	izi si inka
Gasore + ni + umuhungu	Gasore ni umuhungu	Anita + si + umuhungu	Anita si umuhungu
iki + ni + igitabo	Iki ni igitabo	iki + si + igitabo	iki si igitabo

Affirmative form	Negative form
igitabo ni cyiza	igitabo si cyiza
umukozi ni mubi	umukozi si mubi
imbwa ni nini	imbwa si nini
Gahunga ni mutoya	Gahunga si mutoya
imitwe ni munini	Imitwe si minini

The verb “kuba” with the negation “si” and “nti”

Note:

The negation “si” is also used with the 1^st person singular when you conjugate verbs. See illustration below.
The negation “nti” is used with the 1^st person singular, 1^st and 2^nd person plural. “Nti” elides “i” before prefixe (a,i,u). i.e: nt’ ari hano = ntari hano. See illustration 2 below.
In Kinyarwanda “nta” and “ntabwo” are used interchangeably. See illustration 3.
Another word in Kinyarwanda which is frequently used to express negation is “nta”.

It is frequently used with nouns and pronouns. See illustration 4.

Illustration 2: 1^st person singular, 1^st and 2^nd person plural

wowe uri munini	wowe nti – uri – munini	wowe nturi munini
twe (bwe) turi bato (ya)	twebwe nti – turi- batoya	twebwe ntituri batoya
mwebwe muri beza	mwebwe nti – muri - beza	mwebwe ntimuri beza

Affirmative	Negative 1^st person	Negative 2^nd person	Negative 3^rd person
ndi munini	sindi munini	nturi munini	si munini
ndi mu nzu	sindi mu nzu	nturi mu nzu	ntari mu nzu
ndi ku ishuri	sindi ku ishuri	nturi ku ishuri	ntari ku ishuri
ndi umwarimu	sindi umwarimu	nturi umwarimu	si umwarimu
ndi umugabo	sindi umugabo	nturi umugabo	si umugabo
ndi ku kazi	sindi ku kazi	nturi ku kazi	ntari ku kazi

Have a look at the whole picture:

ndi munini	sindi munini	Ntabwo ndi minini	Ntabwo ndi muto	Ntabwo ndi mugufi
uri munini	nturi munini	Ntabwo uri munini	Ntabwo uri muto	Ntabwo uri mugufi
ni munini	si munini	Ntabwo ari munini	Ntabwo ari muto	Ntabwo ari mugufi

turi banini	ntituri banini	Ntabwo turi banini	Ntabwo turi bato	Ntabwo turi bagufi
muri banini	ntimuri banini	Ntabwo muri banini	Ntabwo muri bato	Ntabwo muri bagufi
ni banini	si banini	Ntabwo ari banini	Ntabwo ari bato	Ntabwo ari bagufi

Illustration 3: Negation with “ntabwo”

ntabwo niga	ndiga	ntabwo nshaka kujya imuhira	ndashaka kujya imuhira
ntabwo wiga	uriga	ntabwo ushaka kujya imuhira	urashaka kujya imuhira
ntabwo yiga	ariga	ntabwo ashaka kujya imuhira	arashaka kujya imuhira

ntabwo twiga	turiga	ntabwo dushaka kujya imuhira	turashaka kujya imuhira
ntabwo mwiga	muriga	ntabwo mushaka kujya imuhira	murashaka kujya imuhira
ntabwo biga	bariga	ntabwo bashaka kujya imuhira	barashaka kujya imuhira

Illustration 4: Negation with "nta"

nta muntu uhari	there is no man here
nta giti gihari	there is no tree here
nta mugati dufite	we don’t have bread
nta we ndeba	I don’t see him/her
nta cyo mfite	I don’t have it
nta mwarimu bafite	they don’t have a teacher

Negation “nta” used with nouns:

Classes of Noun	Nta + noun	Translation
Inteko ya 1	Nta mwana mfite	I don’t have a child
	Nta bana mfite	J don’t have children
Inteko ya 2	Nta mugozi mfite	I don’t have a rope
	Nta migozi mfite	I don’t have ropes
Inteko ya 3	Nta mbwa mfite	I don’t have a dog
	Nta mbwa mfite	I don’t have dogs
Inteko ya 4	Nta kirahure mfite	I don’t have a glass
	Nta birahure mfite	I don’t have glasses
Inteko ya 5	Nta cupa mfite	I don’t have a bottle
	Nta macupa mfite	I don’t have bottles
	Nta saha mfite	I don’t have a watch
	Nta masaha mfite	I don’t have watches
Inteko ya 6	Nta ruugi mfite	I don’t have a door
	Nta nzuugi mfite	J don’t have doors
Inteko ya 7	Nta kabwa mfite	I don’t have a small dog
	Nta tubwa mfite	I don’t have small dogs
Inteko ya 8	Nta bwaato mfite	I don’t have a boat
	Nta maato mfite	I don’t have boats
Inteko ya 9	Nta kuguru mfite	I don’t have a leg
	Nta maguru mfite	I don’t have legs
Inteko ya 10	Nta hantu mfite	I don’t have a place

Negation form of the verb ‘kugira’ (to have) and verb ‘kujya’:

Verb kugira		Verb kujya
Affirmative	Negative	Affirmative	Negative
Mfite umurimo	Simfite umurimo	Ndajya imuhira	Sinjya imuhira
Ufite umurimo	Ntufite umurimo	Urajya imuhira	Ntujya imuhira
Afite umurimo	Ntafite umurimo	arajya imuhira	Ntajya imuhira
Dufite umurimo	Ntidufite umurimo	Turajya imuhira	Ntitujya imuhira
Mufite umurimo	Ntimufite umurimo	Murajya imuhira	Ntimujya imuhira
Bafite umurimo	Ntibafite umurimo	Barajya imuhira	Ntibajya imuhira

Negative form of the verb ‘kwiga’ (to study) and verb ‘kuvuga’ (to talk):

Verb kwiga		Verb kuvuga
Affirmative	Negative	Affirmative	Negative
Ndiga ikinyarwanda	Siniga ikunyarwanda	Ndavuga	Simvuga
Uriga ikinyarwanda	Ntiwiga ikinyarwanda	Uravuga	Ntuvuga
Ariga ikinyarwanda	Ntiyiiga ikunyarwanda	Aravuga	Ntavuga
Turiga ikinyarwanda	Ntitwiga ikinyarwanda	Turavuga	Ntituvuga
Muriga ikinyarwanda	Ntimwiga ikunyarwanda	Muravuga	Ntimuvuga
Bariga ikinyarwanda	Ntibiga ikinyarwanda	Baravuga	Ntibavuga

Idioms based on the verb “kugira”:

Inshoberamahanga	idioms
kugira inyota	to be thirsty
kugira inzara (gusonza)	to be hungry
kugira isoni	to be shy, to be ashamed
kugira umujinya	to be angry
kugira neza	to be good , to be kind
kugira ubuntu	to be generous
kugira ishyari	to be jealous
kugira imbabazi	to be compassionate
kugira inenge	to be reproachable
kugira agahinda	to have sorrow
kugira umwaku	to have bad luck
kugira ibibazo	to have problems, to be in trouble

Grammar Introduction

In Kinyarwanda there are four words that are used in negation with nouns and verbs.

Nta is used before a noun (nta mwana mfite); Ntabwo is used before a verb (ntabwo mfite umwana); Si, and Nti are used with a verb (simfite umwana, ntidufite umwana). This will be illustrated in the grammar part below.