Wa lala po?
Onda sa ondjala!
Owa za peni?
Oshimbombo oshitoye
Aanegumbo yandje
Kondingosho
Owu uka peni?
Uundjolowele
Omasiku nomathimbo
Ohema ombwanawa
mEgumbo
mOshiwambo!

Chapter 3

Owa za peni?

Zach: Wu uhala po Meme? Saima: Ee-ee. Wu uhala po Tate?
Zach: Ee-ee. Oshi li ngiini? Saima: Oshi li nawa. Edhina lyoye olye?
Zach: Edhina lyandje oZach.Edhina lyoye olye? Saima: Edhina lyandje oSaima. Zach, owa za peni?
Zach: Onda za koAmerica. Saima: O.K… Oto ningi shike moNamibia?
Zach: Ngame omulongi omwiiyambi. Saima: Oto ka longa shike mpaka?
Zach: Otandi ka longa omwaalu, oshiingilisa, nuunongononi. Saima: Oto ka kala mo ethimbo li thike peni?
Zach: Otandi ka kala mo oomvula mbali. Saima: Eewa. Oshi iwete nale, kuume
Zach: Eewa. Kala po nawa. Saima: Eewa.

Grammar Corner: Verb
In English, verbs change to agree with the subject of the sentence. For example, I run, but he runs. In Oshindonga, verbs are made to agree with their subjects by the use of a linking word. These linking words are called subject concords. For example, between ngame (I) and li (eat), we must put the first-person subject concord, otandi: Ngame otandi li.
There are two sets of subject concords, one for the so-called “active verbs” and one for the “stative verbs”. In addition, there are different subject concords for positive and negative statements: ngame otandi nu (I am drinking) versus ngame itandi nu (I am not drinking).
The negative subject concords are listed below their positive counterparts in the following tables.

Subject Concords for Active Verbs

Person   Past Present Future
Ngame + Onda Otandi Otandi ka
  – Inandi Itandi Itandi ka
Ngoye + Owa Oto Oto ka
  – Ino Ito Ito ka
Ye + Okwa Ota Ota ka
  – Ina Ita Ita ka
Tse + Otwa Otatu Otatu ka
  – Inatu Itatu Itatu ka
Ne + Omwa Otamu Otamu ka
  – Inamu Itamu Itamu ka
Yo + Oya Otaa / Otaya Otaa ka / Otaya ka
  – Inaa / Inaya Itaa / Itaya Itaa ka / Itaya ka
         
Subject Concords for Stative Verbs
Person   Past Present Future
Ngame + Onda li ndi Ondi Otandi ka kala ndi
  – Kanda li ndi Kandi Itandi ka kala ndi
Ngoye + Owa li wu Owu Oto ka kala wu/u
  – Kwa li wu Ku Ito ka kala wu/u
Ye + Okwa li e Oku Ota ka kala e
  – Ka li e Ke Ita ka kala e
Tse + Otwa li tu

Otu

 Otatu ka kala tu
  – Katwa li tu Katu Itatu ka kala tu
Ne + Omwa li mu Omu Otamu ka kala mu
  – Kamwa li mu Kamu Itamu ka kala mu
Yo + Oya li ye Oye Ota(y)a ka kala ye
  – Kaya li ye Kaye Ita(y)a ka kala ye

Common Active Verbs

English Past Present Future
See * wete *
Be li li li
Love / Like hole hole hole
Have na na na
Know ** shi **
Feel / Hear *** uvite ***
Understand *** uvite ko ****

The past and future tenses of “see” are expressed with the active verb mona.
** The past and future tenses of “know” are expressed with the active verb tseya.
*** The past and future tenses of “feel / understand” are expressed with the active verb, uva / uva ko.

To form a sentence with an active verb, put the proper subject concord in front of the verb you want. Since the subject concords are different for each person, it is not necessary to state the subject (ngame, ngoye, etc.). For example:

I am eating =>(I, present tense, active verbs) + (eating, present tense)Otandi + liOtandi liI ate =>Onda lyaI ate meat =>Onda lya onyamaI am not working =>Itandi longoHe is speaking Oshindonga =>Ota popi OshindongaWe will go tomorrow?Otatu ka ya ongulaIt is the same with the stative verbs:

I like traditional porridge! => Ondi hole oshimbombo!Do you have a pen? => Owu na opena => I do not know Afrikaans.=> Kandi shi shi Oshimbulu.You might have noticed a few patterns in the subject concords:

I am eating (I, present tense, active verbs) + (eating, present tense)
  Otandi + li
  Otandi li
I ate Onda lya
I ate meat Onda lya onyama
I am not working Itandi longo
He is speaking Oshindonga Ota popi Oshindonga
We will go tomorrow Otatu ka ya ongula
   
It is the same with the stative verbs:
I like traditional porridge! Ondi hole oshimbombo!
Do you have a pen? Owu na opena?
I do not know Afrikaans. Kandi shi shi Oshimbulu.

You might have noticed a few patterns in the subject concords:

- For active verbs, the future is just the present concord + ka.
- For active verbs, the negative present concords are the same as the positive concords, but with the first O changed to an I.

There are a number of other patterns to the charts. Naming them all is left as an exercise for the reader. Don’t worry about stative verbs in past or future; they are infrequently used and you will be in a better position to learn them later.

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