chelewa

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

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Verb

-chelewa (infinitive kuchelewa)

1. (stative) to be late

   umechelewa ― you are late

Conjugation

Conjugation of -chelewa
Positive present -nachelewa Subjunctive -chelewe Negative -chelewi Imperative singular chelewa
Infinitives
Positive kuchelewa Negative kutochelewa
Imperatives
Singular chelewa Plural cheleweni
Tensed forms
Habitual huchelewa Positive past positive subject concord + -lichelewa Negative past negative subject concord + -kuchelewa
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nachelewa) Singular Plural 1st person ninachelewa/nachelewa tunachelewa 2nd person unachelewa mnachelewa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anachelewa wanachelewa other classes positive subject concord + -nachelewa
Negative present (negative subject concord + -chelewi) Singular Plural 1st person sichelewi hatuchelewi 2nd person huchelewi hamchelewi 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hachelewi hawachelewi other classes negative subject concord + -chelewi
Positive future positive subject concord + -tachelewa Negative future negative subject concord + -tachelewa
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -chelewe) Singular Plural 1st person nichelewe tuchelewe 2nd person uchelewe mchelewe 3rd person m-wa(I/II) achelewe wachelewe other classes positive subject concord + -chelewe
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sichelewe Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngechelewa Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singechelewa Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalichelewa Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalichelewa
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -achelewa) Singular Plural 1st person nachelewa twachelewa 2nd person wachelewa mwachelewa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) achelewa wachelewa m-mi(III/IV) wachelewa yachelewa ji-ma(V/VI) lachelewa yachelewa ki-vi(VII/VIII) chachelewa vyachelewa n(IX/X) yachelewa zachelewa u(XI) wachelewa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwachelewa pa(XVI) pachelewa mu(XVIII) mwachelewa
Perfect positive subject concord + -mechelewa "Already" positive subject concord + -meshachelewa "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jachelewa "If/When" positive subject concord + -kichelewa "If not" positive subject concord + -sipochelewa Consecutive kachelewa / positive subject concord + -kachelewa Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kachelewe
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nichelewa -tuchelewa 2nd person -kuchelewa -wachelewa/-kucheleweni/-wacheleweni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mchelewa -wachelewa m-mi(III/IV) -uchelewa -ichelewa ji-ma(V/VI) -lichelewa -yachelewa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kichelewa -vichelewa n(IX/X) -ichelewa -zichelewa u(XI) -uchelewa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kuchelewa pa(XVI) -pachelewa mu(XVIII) -muchelewa Reflexive -jichelewa
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -chelewa- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -chelewaye -chelewao m-mi(III/IV) -chelewao -chelewayo ji-ma(V/VI) -chelewalo -chelewayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chelewacho -chelewavyo n(IX/X) -chelewayo -chelewazo u(XI) -chelewao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -chelewako pa(XVI) -chelewapo mu(XVIII) -chelewamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -chelewa) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yechelewa -ochelewa m-mi(III/IV) -ochelewa -yochelewa ji-ma(V/VI) -lochelewa -yochelewa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chochelewa -vyochelewa n(IX/X) -yochelewa -zochelewa u(XI) -ochelewa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kochelewa pa(XVI) -pochelewa mu(XVIII) -mochelewa
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Causative: -chelewesha (“to delay”)

Noun

chelewa (needs class)

1. hangover