jichubua

Swahili

Etymology

From ji- +‎ -chubua.

Verb

-jichubua (infinitive kujichubua)

1. reflexive form of -chubua: to scrub oneself
2. to bleach (of skin)

Conjugation

Conjugation of -jichubua
Positive present -najichubua Subjunctive -jichubue Negative -jichubui Imperative singular jichubua
Infinitives
Positive kujichubua Negative kutojichubua
Imperatives
Singular jichubua Plural jichubueni
Tensed forms
Habitual hujichubua Positive past positive subject concord + -lijichubua Negative past negative subject concord + -kujichubua
Positive present (positive subject concord + -najichubua) Singular Plural 1st person ninajichubua/najichubua tunajichubua 2nd person unajichubua mnajichubua 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anajichubua wanajichubua other classes positive subject concord + -najichubua
Negative present (negative subject concord + -jichubui) Singular Plural 1st person sijichubui hatujichubui 2nd person hujichubui hamjichubui 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hajichubui hawajichubui other classes negative subject concord + -jichubui
Positive future positive subject concord + -tajichubua Negative future negative subject concord + -tajichubua
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -jichubue) Singular Plural 1st person nijichubue tujichubue 2nd person ujichubue mjichubue 3rd person m-wa(I/II) ajichubue wajichubue other classes positive subject concord + -jichubue
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sijichubue Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngejichubua Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singejichubua Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalijichubua Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalijichubua
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -ajichubua) Singular Plural 1st person najichubua twajichubua 2nd person wajichubua mwajichubua 3rd person m-wa(I/II) ajichubua wajichubua m-mi(III/IV) wajichubua yajichubua ji-ma(V/VI) lajichubua yajichubua ki-vi(VII/VIII) chajichubua vyajichubua n(IX/X) yajichubua zajichubua u(XI) wajichubua see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwajichubua pa(XVI) pajichubua mu(XVIII) mwajichubua
Perfect positive subject concord + -mejichubua "Already" positive subject concord + -meshajichubua "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jajichubua "If/When" positive subject concord + -kijichubua "If not" positive subject concord + -sipojichubua Consecutive kajichubua / positive subject concord + -kajichubua Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kajichubue
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nijichubua -tujichubua 2nd person -kujichubua -wajichubua/-kujichubueni/-wajichubueni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mjichubua -wajichubua m-mi(III/IV) -ujichubua -ijichubua ji-ma(V/VI) -lijichubua -yajichubua ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kijichubua -vijichubua n(IX/X) -ijichubua -zijichubua u(XI) -ujichubua see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kujichubua pa(XVI) -pajichubua mu(XVIII) -mujichubua Reflexive -jijichubua
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -jichubua- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -jichubuaye -jichubuao m-mi(III/IV) -jichubuao -jichubuayo ji-ma(V/VI) -jichubualo -jichubuayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -jichubuacho -jichubuavyo n(IX/X) -jichubuayo -jichubuazo u(XI) -jichubuao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -jichubuako pa(XVI) -jichubuapo mu(XVIII) -jichubuamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -jichubua) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yejichubua -ojichubua m-mi(III/IV) -ojichubua -yojichubua ji-ma(V/VI) -lojichubua -yojichubua ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chojichubua -vyojichubua n(IX/X) -yojichubua -zojichubua u(XI) -ojichubua see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kojichubua pa(XVI) -pojichubua mu(XVIII) -mojichubua
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

References

• Fritsch, Katharina (2017) “‘Trans-skin’: Analyzing the practice of skin bleaching among middle-class women in Dar es Salaam”, in Ethnicities‎^[1], volume 17, number 6, →DOI, page page of 749-770:

  However, responding to the question whether products like Fair&White in fact bleach, a doctor working at the above mentioned cosmetic supermarket points to the apparent difference between bleaching and lightening as commonly referred to by women using skin-bleaching products as well as by sellers. This distinction is reflected in two different Swahili terms, the doctor explains to me, both commonly referred to in day-to-day language: ‘Kujichubua’ literally meaning to ‘scrub oneself’, refers to ‘bleaching’, while ‘kung‘arisha’ describes the practice of ‘lightening’ as well as ‘softening’.