staafu

Swahili

Etymology

From Arabic اِسْتَعْفَى (istaʕfā, “to ask for remission, to ask for resignation”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

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Verb

-staafu (infinitive kustaafu)

1. to retire (stop working on a permanent basis)

Conjugation

Conjugation of -staafu
Positive present -nastaafu Subjunctive -staafu Negative -staafu Imperative singular staafu
Infinitives
Positive kustaafu Negative kutostaafu
Imperatives
Singular staafu Plural staafuni
Tensed forms
Habitual hustaafu Positive past positive subject concord + -listaafu Negative past negative subject concord + -kustaafu
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nastaafu) Singular Plural 1st person ninastaafu/nastaafu tunastaafu 2nd person unastaafu mnastaafu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anastaafu wanastaafu other classes positive subject concord + -nastaafu
Negative present (negative subject concord + -staafu) Singular Plural 1st person sistaafu hatustaafu 2nd person hustaafu hamstaafu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hastaafu hawastaafu other classes negative subject concord + -staafu
Positive future positive subject concord + -tastaafu Negative future negative subject concord + -tastaafu
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -staafu) Singular Plural 1st person nistaafu tustaafu 2nd person ustaafu mstaafu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) astaafu wastaafu other classes positive subject concord + -staafu
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sistaafu Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngestaafu Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singestaafu Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalistaafu Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalistaafu
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -astaafu) Singular Plural 1st person nastaafu twastaafu 2nd person wastaafu mwastaafu 3rd person m-wa(I/II) astaafu wastaafu m-mi(III/IV) wastaafu yastaafu ji-ma(V/VI) lastaafu yastaafu ki-vi(VII/VIII) chastaafu vyastaafu n(IX/X) yastaafu zastaafu u(XI) wastaafu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwastaafu pa(XVI) pastaafu mu(XVIII) mwastaafu
Perfect positive subject concord + -mestaafu "Already" positive subject concord + -meshastaafu "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jastaafu "If/When" positive subject concord + -kistaafu "If not" positive subject concord + -sipostaafu Consecutive kastaafu / positive subject concord + -kastaafu Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kastaafu
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nistaafu -tustaafu 2nd person -kustaafu -wastaafu/-kustaafuni/-wastaafuni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mstaafu -wastaafu m-mi(III/IV) -ustaafu -istaafu ji-ma(V/VI) -listaafu -yastaafu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kistaafu -vistaafu n(IX/X) -istaafu -zistaafu u(XI) -ustaafu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kustaafu pa(XVI) -pastaafu mu(XVIII) -mustaafu Reflexive -jistaafu
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -staafu- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -staafuye -staafuo m-mi(III/IV) -staafuo -staafuyo ji-ma(V/VI) -staafulo -staafuyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -staafucho -staafuvyo n(IX/X) -staafuyo -staafuzo u(XI) -staafuo see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -staafuko pa(XVI) -staafupo mu(XVIII) -staafumo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -staafu) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yestaafu -ostaafu m-mi(III/IV) -ostaafu -yostaafu ji-ma(V/VI) -lostaafu -yostaafu ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chostaafu -vyostaafu n(IX/X) -yostaafu -zostaafu u(XI) -ostaafu see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kostaafu pa(XVI) -postaafu mu(XVIII) -mostaafu
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Nominal derivations:
  • mstaafu (“pensioner, retired person”)