The following verbs will be used as examples throughout this lesson:
ri - eat
ga - go
rụ - work
nye - give
bido - start
si - cook
A. Future tense
The auxiliary verb ga is used to indicate future tense. ga-a or ga-e is prefixed to the verb to form the future tense. The choice of which of the two prefixes to use is dictated by the vowel harmony rule.Examples
1. Ha ga-eri nri - They will eat
2. Anyị ga-aga Lagos echi - We will go to Lagos tomorrow
3. John ga-aga akwụkwọ echi - John will go to school tomorrow
4. M ga-eri nri - I will eat
5. Aga m eri nri - I will eat
6. Nwanne m ga-ebido ọrụ echi - My brother will start work tomorrow
B. Present/Continuous tense
The auxiliary verb na is used to indicate present continuous tense. na-a or na-e is prefixed to the verb to form the continuous tense. The choice of which of the two prefixes to use is dictated by the vowel harmony rule. Simple present tense and present continuous tense are the same in Igbo.Examples
1. Ha na-eri nri - They are eating
2. Anyị na-aga Lagos - We are going to Lagos
3. John na-aga akwụkwọ - John is going to school
4. M na-eri nri - I am eating
5. Ana m eri nri - I am eating
6. Nwanne m na-arụ ọrụ - My brother is working
C. Simple present tense
The auxiliary verb na is used to indicate present continuous tense. na-a or na-e is prefixed to the verb to form the simple present tense. The choice of which of the two prefixes to use is dictated by the vowel harmony rule. Simple present tense and present continuous tense are the same in Igbo.Examples
1. Ha na-eri nri - They eat
2. Anyị na-aga Lagos - We go to Lagos
3. John na-aga akwụkwọ - John goes to school
4. M na-eri nri - I eat
5. Ana m eri nri - I eat
6. Nwanne m na-arụ ọrụ - My brother works
C. Imperative mood
Use the open vowel suffixes a e o ọ to put a verb to the imperative form. If the verb ends with a e o ọ, simply repeat the vowel. If the verb ends with i, add e If the verb ends with ị, add a. If the verb ends with u, add o. If the verb ends with ụ, add ọ.Therefore, the last letters in an imperative verb should be one of the following:
aa
ee
oo
ọọ
ie
ịa
uo
ụọ
(Note: there are few verbs that do not take the open vowel suffix in the imperative mood, e.g. nye, kwe)
Examples
1. Biko rie nri - Please eat
2. Gaa Lagos - Go to Lagos
3. Gaa akwụkwọ echi - Go to school tomorrow
4. Rụọ ọrụ echi - Work tomorrow
D. Past perfect present tense
The format for the past perfect tense is either of the two below:- Single letter object pronoun: [verb in imperative mood][la]
- Multiple letter object pronoun or noun: [a/e][verb in imperative mood][la]
For the multiple letter object pronoun or noun, the choice of which of the two prefixes [a/e] to use is dictated by the vowel harmony rule
Examples
1. Ha eriela nri - They have eaten
2. Anyị agaala Lagos - We have gone to Lagos
3. John agaala akwụkwọ - John has gone to school
4. M riela nri - I have eaten
5. Eriela m nri - I have eaten
6. Nwanne m ebidola ọrụ - My brother has started work
7. O nyela m ọrụ - He has given me work
8. M siela nri - I have cooked
E. Past tense
The past tense is achieved by suffixing [r][last vowel in the verb] to the verb.ri - eat
riri - ate
ga - go
gara - went
rụ - work
rụrụ - worked
nye - give
nyere - gave
bido - start
bidoro - started
si - cook
siri - cooked
Examples
1. Ha riri nri - They ate food
2. Anyị gara Lagos - We went to Lagos
3. John gara akwụkwọ - John went to school
4. M riri nri - I ate food
5. Eriri m nri - I ate food
6. Nwanne m gara ọrụ - My brother went to work