saili

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic سَائِل (sāʔil).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb

-saili (infinitive kusaili)

1. to question, interview, interrogate, examine

Conjugation

Conjugation of -saili
Positive present -nasaili Subjunctive -saili Negative -saili Imperative singular saili
Infinitives
Positive kusaili Negative kutosaili
Imperatives
Singular saili Plural sailini
Tensed forms
Habitual husaili Positive past positive subject concord + -lisaili Negative past negative subject concord + -kusaili
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nasaili) Singular Plural 1st person ninasaili/nasaili tunasaili 2nd person unasaili mnasaili 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anasaili wanasaili other classes positive subject concord + -nasaili
Negative present (negative subject concord + -saili) Singular Plural 1st person sisaili hatusaili 2nd person husaili hamsaili 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hasaili hawasaili other classes negative subject concord + -saili
Positive future positive subject concord + -tasaili Negative future negative subject concord + -tasaili
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -saili) Singular Plural 1st person nisaili tusaili 2nd person usaili msaili 3rd person m-wa(I/II) asaili wasaili other classes positive subject concord + -saili
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sisaili Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngesaili Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singesaili Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalisaili Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalisaili
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -asaili) Singular Plural 1st person nasaili twasaili 2nd person wasaili mwasaili 3rd person m-wa(I/II) asaili wasaili m-mi(III/IV) wasaili yasaili ji-ma(V/VI) lasaili yasaili ki-vi(VII/VIII) chasaili vyasaili n(IX/X) yasaili zasaili u(XI) wasaili see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwasaili pa(XVI) pasaili mu(XVIII) mwasaili
Perfect positive subject concord + -mesaili "Already" positive subject concord + -meshasaili "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jasaili "If/When" positive subject concord + -kisaili "If not" positive subject concord + -siposaili Consecutive kasaili / positive subject concord + -kasaili Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kasaili
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nisaili -tusaili 2nd person -kusaili -wasaili/-kusailini/-wasailini 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -msaili -wasaili m-mi(III/IV) -usaili -isaili ji-ma(V/VI) -lisaili -yasaili ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kisaili -visaili n(IX/X) -isaili -zisaili u(XI) -usaili see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kusaili pa(XVI) -pasaili mu(XVIII) -musaili Reflexive -jisaili
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -saili- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -sailiye -sailio m-mi(III/IV) -sailio -sailiyo ji-ma(V/VI) -saililo -sailiyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -sailicho -sailivyo n(IX/X) -sailiyo -sailizo u(XI) -sailio see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -sailiko pa(XVI) -sailipo mu(XVIII) -sailimo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -saili) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yesaili -osaili m-mi(III/IV) -osaili -yosaili ji-ma(V/VI) -losaili -yosaili ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chosaili -vyosaili n(IX/X) -yosaili -zosaili u(XI) -osaili see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kosaili pa(XVI) -posaili mu(XVIII) -mosaili
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:
  • usaili (“interview”)