The Months of the Year – Emyezi omu mwaka

Myezi Months
Kasi-kiru karhanzi January
Kasi-kiru kazinda Febtuary
Lukânga March
Cigogo April
Kahya-karhanzi May
Kahya-kazinda June
Cugarhi July
Kamera August
Cambase September
Muhaho October
Nyaceze November
Nyaruzigwe December

The Months of the Year – Emyezi omu mwaka

Myezi Months
Kasi-kiru karhanzi January
Kasi-kiru kazinda Febtuary
Lukânga March
Cigogo April
Kahya-karhanzi May
Kahya-kazinda June
Cugarhi July
Kamera August
Cambase September
Muhaho October
Nyaceze November
Nyaruzigwe December

Farewell, Asking Questions,Thanking people in Mashi

Farewell: Okusezera

 Larha, nkola naja oku masomo : Dad, I a, I am going to school
 Nyama nkola naja oku lwishi : Mom ; I am going to fetch water
 Larha,nkola naj’emwabo Buhendwa : Father, I am going to Buhendwa’s
 Muyorhage bwinja(amango aja kuli hitya) : Good bye
 Osigalage bwinja, woliha: Good bye, please!
 Musigalage n’omurhula !: good bye !
 Ogendage bwinja,larha : go well, Father.
 Neci, Nyama, ogendage bwinja ! Yes, Madam/Mom, go well.
 Ogendage bwinja ,woliha !Go well, please.
 Ogendage bwinja,ciza: Go well, Ciza.
 Ogendage kwinja,mwira mwira waniGo well, my friend.

Asking Questions

 Ngahi: Where?
 Bici? : What?
 Bici ebi? : What is this?
 Ngahi waja: Where are you going?
 Ngahi warhenga?: where are you coming from?
 Ngahi aja: where does he go?
 Ngahi aliaja: where is he/she going?
 Bici ebi?: what is this?
 Bici?: what?
 We ndi: who are you?
etc.

Thanking people

i. Kwokwo waliha or waliha kwokwo: Thank you Sir/Madam
j. Kwokwo larha: Thank you, Father
k. Namasima, larha, kulikwinja, woliha: Father, I am happy, it's okay, please.

VERB TO BE-PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE.

Verb to Be(Tendo Kuwa)

Present Simple Tense ( Temps présent/Wakati wa sasa)

1. Affirmative form (Forme affirmative)

I am a pupil a boy ( Niko garçon).
I am a musician ( Niko musicien).
I am a football player ( Niko joueur/mucheza kabumbu).
I am a bachelor ( Niko célibataire).


You are a girl (Uko fille).
You are a good pupil ( Uko mwanafunzi mzuri).
You are a teacher ( Uko mwalimu).
You are a lawyer ( Uko avocat).

He is a parent (Iko muzazi).
He is a judge ( Iko juge).
Robert is a carpenter ( Robert iko/ni menuisier/musermala).
John is a gardener(John iko jardinier).

She is a nurse (Iko muganga).
Fatuma is a hairdresser ( Fatuma iko musuka nywele).
Bahati is a cook ( Bahati ni pishi).
Jeannet is a good basketball player( Jeanette ni/iko basketeuse wa muzuri).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a big country ( Jamuhuri ya Kidemokrasi ya Kongo/Kongo/RDC ni nchi kubwa). It is in the centre of Africa (Iko katikati ya Afrika/Afrique).
This pork is very testful ( Hiyi nyama ya nguruwe iko butamu sana.
Soda is a drink. It is in Kalume's fridge( Soda ni kinywaji. Iko mu frigo ya Kalume.

We are children ( tuko batoto).
We are drivers ( Tuko batembeza gari/bachauffeurs).
We are musicians ( Tuko bamusiciens).
We are pupils( Tuko banafunzi).
Germain and I are relatives ( Miye na Germain tuko bandugu).

You are girls ( Muko bafilles).
You are good pupils ( Muko banafunzi bazuri).
You are lawyers( Muko ba avocats).
You are preachers( Muko bahubiri).

You are farmers ( Muko balimaji)
You are nurses ( muko banganga/bainfirmiers).
Bulonza and you are Maths teachers ( Weye na Bulonza muko ba profs ba Math).
This child and you are human being ( Huyu mtoto na weye muko batu/ba etres humains).

STRUCTURES: I+AM
(S(+))YOU/WE/THEY+ ARE
S/ HE/SHE/IT+ IS

POLYFIANCAILLES, QUID?

Introduction

Le terme "polyfiançailles" (de polu(grec)= beaucoup et confiare(latin)= se confier à) vient d'etre forgé suite à un constat fait dans le chef de bon nombre des contemporains pour ce qui est de la dépravation des moeurs, déceptions dont certaines personnes(jeunes, époux, etc)sont victimes dans leurs promesses de mariages ou dans leurs foyers, etc.

Les polyfiançailles, pour certaines personnes(parmi lesquels: jeunes filles et garçons, certains pères et mères de familles, etc.) la déclaration d'intention de mariage à plusieurs personnes simultanément.

Tombent dans cette catégorie de polyfiançailles:

1. Un(e) marié qui promet le mariage à un(e) célibataire et vice versa.

2. Un célibataire qui est fiancé ailleurs, mais s'adonnant à aimer une autre personne lui promettant une vie de mariage.

3. Un célibataire fiancé qui accepte de contracter des relations intimes avec un marié séparé(soit momentanement, soit pour de bon) avec comme objectif le mariage.

4. Un(e) marié qui se fait malignement passer pour un célibataire dans le but de contracter un mariage avec un jeune garçon ou une jeune fille célibataire.

Socialement parlant, cet acte ne se laisse pas sans préjudice(surtout dans le cas de mariés car portant un caractère injurieux), dérapage, intimité physique,viol, violence, traumatisme divorces, séparations, (auto)culpabilisation, regret, et meme, dans certains cas, transmission des maladies etc.

TELLING TIME IN SHI LANGUAGE

Okuganja omu mashi (Counting in Mashi)

0=Bushà(nka ntahyo rhugwerhe) :Zero, Nought/Nil
0=popwe(nka ntahyo hisigire) :Nothing
1=ciguma :One
2=bibirhi(bibiri) :Two
3=bisharu : three
4=bini : four
5=birhanu : five
6=ndarhu :six
7=nda : seven
8=munani : eight
9=mwenda : nine
10=ikumi :ten
11=ikumi na ciguma : eleven
12=ikumi na bibiri(bibiri) :twelve
13=ikumi na bisharu :thirteen
14=ikumi na bini : fourteen
15=ikumi na birhanu : fifteen
16=ikumùi na ndarhu : sixteen
17=ikumi na nda : seventeen
18=ikumi na munani : eighteen
19=içkumi na mwenda :nineteen
20=makumi abirhi(abiri) : twenty
21=makumi abirhi na ciguma : twenty one
22=makumi abirhi na bibirhi(bibiri) : twenty two
23=makumi abirhi na bisharhu : twenty three
24=makumi abirhi na bini : twenty four
25=makumi abirhi na birhanu : twenty five
26=makumi abirhi na ndarhu : twenty six
27=makumi abirhi na nda : twenty seven
28=makumi abirhi na munane :twenty eight
29=makumi abirhi na mwenda:twenty nine
30=makumi asharhu: thirty
40=makumi ani: forty
50=makumi arhanu: fifty
60=makumi gali ndarhu:sixty
70=makumi gali nda : seventy
80=makumi gali munani : eighty
90=makumi gali mwenda : ninety
100=igana : a or one hundred
1.000=Cihumbi: One thousand
2.000= Bihumbi bibirhi: Two thousand
3.1420=Bihumbi bisharhu n'igana magana ani na makumi abirhi.

Note that the you separate figures with a mark ".", not a comma as it is the case in English. Also, when pronouncing the figures, after thousand/hundred/tens "and" is used to separate numbers.


Telling Time

Learners of Mashi should know that there are various words people use in order to demarcate periods of the day. These words correspond to the -time when “the bell is rung at the Parish/Mission”.

Some important words:

 sezi = Morning
 Bijingo = Evening
 Mushi = Day
 Budufu = Night

In fact, Mashi time runs from down to dusk, which is the case for Swahili, for example, which runs from midday to midnight. Learners of Mashi should know that, the day begins with daylight rather than midnight.
When by the English time is less than 6, six is added to it.
Example:
 5: 00 = 5 + 6 = 6: 00’
Nsaa Kumi na nguma
(Eleven o’clock)
 3: 00 = 3+6 = 9: 00’
Ns’isharhu
(= There o’clock)
However, if the hour is 6 or more, six is subtracted from it. Thus,

 7: 00 = 7 – 6 = 1: 00’
Nsa nguma (One o’clock)
 8: 00: 8 – 6 = 2: 00’
Ns’ibirhi = Two o’clock.

 Early in the morning: mucherachera (this is used when the sky is red, it comes before sezi sezi, the time when you can see the sun rising eg: 6: 00’)
 From dawn to dusk: Kurengera sezi Kuhika bijingo
 Until dawn: Kuhika sezi
 Nsinga ezo okola ogogwerhe aho?
 What time is it?
 Can you tell the time?

Possible answers

 Zikola midi: It is noon
 Zikola midi yobudufu: It is midnight
 Zikola ns’isharhu n’eminiti isharu : It is three minutes past nine
 Zikola nsa munani n’enusu : It is half pats two
 Zikola ns’ibirhi z’obudufu : It is 8: 00 p.m
 Zikola nguma : It is one o’clock
 Zikola ns’irhanu zibuzire miniti ikumi : It is ten (minutes) to eleven
 Zikola nsa mwenda zibuzire miniti mwenda : It is nine minutes to three.

HOW TO GREET PEOPLE IN MASHI

Greetings: Okulamusa
1. In the morning:
b. Namalamusa: Good morning
c. Ndamusize: Good morning
d. Rulamusize, woliha: Good morning, please
e. Rhwamalamusa
f. Ka wazusire, Jérôme: (Lit. have you woken up Jerome?) :
Hello , Good morning Mr. Jerome
g. Mpanyire omusingo: Good morning
h. Namahana omusingo: Good morning

i. 2. In the afternoon:Mushi
• Mwalegerire, woliha: Good afternoon
• Ka mwalegerire: Good afternoon

3. In the evening: Bijingo
Good evening can be said as follows:
• Mwalegerire, woliha!
• Ka mwalegerire!
• Mpanyire omusing, woliha!
• Namahana omusingo, woliha!
Beware:
 Good evening: asinge, mwalegerire
 Good night: Obuce bufumu