Bemba

Conjugate Verbs

Facts

  • Language: Bemba
  • Alternate names: Chibemba, Ichibemba, Wemba, Chiwemba
  • Language code: bem
  • Language family: Niger-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern Bantoid, Bantu, East Bantu, Sabi, Malungu-Central Sabi, Central Sabi, Bemba (M.40)
  • Number of speakers: 3600000
  • Script: Latin script

More information:

    Introduction

    The Bemba language, Chibemba, is a Bantu language that is spoken primarily in Zambia by the Bemba people and about 18 related ethnic groups. The noun class prefix 'chi-' indicates languages and the prefix 'ba-' indicates people, so 'Babemba' also means the Bemba people.

    Bemba and its dialects are spoken and understood by a sizable percentage of the population of Zambia. Over three million people are estimated to be native Bemba speakers in Zambia alone, with others using Bemba as a second language. Bemba is used as a lingua franca in Zambian cities.

    Bemba is also spoken, to a lesser extent, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Botswana.

    It is an SVO language, and is also a tonal language.

    The verb

    Sample verb: fwáy

    Today past Today future Remote past
    Sg.1 n-ací-fwáy-a n-léé-fwáy-a n-aalíí-fwáy-ile
    Sg.2 u-ací-fwáy-a ? ?
    Sg.3 ? ? ?
    Pl.1 ? ? ?
    Pl.2 ? ? ?
    Pl.3 ? ? ?

    Verblist