Week 1

Monday

In English, the infinitive is shown by the word TO placed before the verb.
In Swahili, the infinitive is marked by the prefix KU- attached to the verb radical.
The radical carries the meaning, and Swahili verbs of Bantu origin end in -A in the infinitive.

Kutokufika	not to arrive	Kutokupata	not to have; not to find; not to get
Kutokufanya	not to do	Kutopiga	not to strike; not to hit
Kutokujua	not to know	Kutokamata	not to catch
Kutokusikia	not to hear	Kutosoma	not to read

The negative infinitive is made by inserting the infix -TO- between the infinitive prefix KU- and the radical of the verb.
An extra KU-, which is mandatory in the case of one syllable verbs, is often added before regular negative infinitives as well. For our purposes we will mix it up a bit and show both styles more or less randomly.