alifu

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

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Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic أَلَّفَ (ʔallafa).

Verb

-alifu (infinitive kualifu)

1. to write a text

Conjugation

Conjugation of -alifu
Positive present -naalifu Subjunctive -alifu Negative -alifu Imperative singular alifu
Infinitives
Positive kualifu Negative kutoalifu
Imperatives
Singular alifu Plural alifuni
Tensed forms
Habitual hualifu Positive past positive subject concord + -lialifu Negative past negative subject concord + -kualifu
Positive present (positive subject concord + -naalifu) Singular Plural 1st person ninaalifu/naalifu tunaalifu 2nd person unaalifu mnaalifu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anaalifu wanaalifu other classes positive subject concord + -naalifu
Negative present (negative subject concord + -alifu) Singular Plural 1st person sialifu hatualifu 2nd person hualifu hamwalifu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) haalifu hawaalifu other classes negative subject concord + -alifu
Positive future positive subject concord + -taalifu Negative future negative subject concord + -taalifu
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -alifu) Singular Plural 1st person nialifu tualifu 2nd person ualifu mwalifu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) aalifu waalifu other classes positive subject concord + -alifu
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sialifu Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngealifu Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singealifu Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalialifu Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalialifu
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -aalifu) Singular Plural 1st person naalifu twaalifu 2nd person waalifu mwaalifu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) aalifu waalifu m-mi(III/IV) waalifu yaalifu ji-ma(V/VI) laalifu yaalifu ki-vi(VII/VIII) chaalifu vyaalifu n(IX/X) yaalifu zaalifu u(XI) waalifu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwaalifu pa(XVI) paalifu mu(XVIII) mwaalifu
Perfect positive subject concord + -mealifu "Already" positive subject concord + -meshaalifu "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jaalifu "If/When" positive subject concord + -kialifu "If not" positive subject concord + -sipoalifu Consecutive kaalifu / positive subject concord + -kaalifu Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kaalifu
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nialifu -tualifu 2nd person -kualifu -waalifu/-kualifuni/-waalifuni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mwalifu -waalifu m-mi(III/IV) -ualifu -ialifu ji-ma(V/VI) -lialifu -yaalifu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kialifu -vialifu n(IX/X) -ialifu -zialifu u(XI) -ualifu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kualifu pa(XVI) -paalifu mu(XVIII) -mualifu Reflexive -jialifu
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -alifu- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -alifuye -alifuo m-mi(III/IV) -alifuo -alifuyo ji-ma(V/VI) -alifulo -alifuyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -alifucho -alifuvyo n(IX/X) -alifuyo -alifuzo u(XI) -alifuo see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -alifuko pa(XVI) -alifupo mu(XVIII) -alifumo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -alifu) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yealifu -oalifu m-mi(III/IV) -oalifu -yoalifu ji-ma(V/VI) -loalifu -yoalifu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -choalifu -vyoalifu n(IX/X) -yoalifu -zoalifu u(XI) -oalifu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -koalifu pa(XVI) -poalifu mu(XVIII) -moalifu
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic أَلِف (ʔalif).

Noun

alifu class IX (plural alifu class X)

1. alif (the first letter of the Arabic alphabet)