Swahili
Etymology
From -ji- + -chubua.
Verb
-jichubua (infinitive kujichubua)
- reflexive form of -chubua: to scrub oneself
- to bleach (of skin)
Conjugation
| Conjugation of -jichubua
|
| Positive present
|
-najichubua
|
| Subjunctive
|
-jichubue
|
| Negative
|
-jichubui
|
| Imperative singular
|
jichubua
|
|
| Infinitives
|
|
|
| Imperatives
|
| Singular
|
jichubua
|
| Plural
|
jichubueni
|
|
| Tensed forms
|
| Habitual
|
hujichubua
|
| Positive past
|
positive subject concord + -lijichubua
|
| Negative past
|
negative subject concord + -kujichubua
|
|
| Positive present (positive subject concord + -najichubua)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
ninajichubua/najichubua
|
tunajichubua
|
| 2nd person
|
unajichubua
|
mnajichubua
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
anajichubua
|
wanajichubua
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -najichubua
|
|
| Negative present (negative subject concord + -jichubui)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
sijichubui
|
hatujichubui
|
| 2nd person
|
hujichubui
|
hamjichubui
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
hajichubui
|
hawajichubui
|
| other classes
|
negative subject concord + -jichubui
|
|
| Positive future
|
positive subject concord + -tajichubua
|
| Negative future
|
negative subject concord + -tajichubua
|
|
| Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -jichubue)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
nijichubue
|
tujichubue
|
| 2nd person
|
ujichubue
|
mjichubue
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
ajichubue
|
wajichubue
|
| other classes
|
positive subject concord + -jichubue
|
|
| Negative subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -sijichubue
|
| Positive present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngejichubua
|
| Negative present conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singejichubua
|
| Positive past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -ngalijichubua
|
| Negative past conditional
|
positive subject concord + -singalijichubua
|
|
| Gnomic (positive subject concord + -ajichubua)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
najichubua
|
twajichubua
|
| 2nd person
|
wajichubua
|
mwajichubua
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
ajichubua
|
wajichubua
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
wajichubua
|
yajichubua
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
lajichubua
|
yajichubua
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
chajichubua
|
vyajichubua
|
| n(IX/X)
|
yajichubua
|
zajichubua
|
| u(XI)
|
wajichubua
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
kwajichubua
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
pajichubua
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
mwajichubua
|
|
|
| Perfect
|
positive subject concord + -mejichubua
|
| "Already"
|
positive subject concord + -meshajichubua
|
| "Not yet"
|
negative subject concord + -jajichubua
|
| "If/When"
|
positive subject concord + -kijichubua
|
| "If not"
|
positive subject concord + -sipojichubua
|
| Consecutive
|
kajichubua / positive subject concord + -kajichubua
|
| Consecutive subjunctive
|
positive subject concord + -kajichubue
|
|
| Object concord (indicative positive)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1st person
|
-nijichubua
|
-tujichubua
|
| 2nd person
|
-kujichubua
|
-wajichubua/-kujichubueni/-wajichubueni
|
| 3rd person
|
m-wa(I/II)
|
-mjichubua
|
-wajichubua
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-ujichubua
|
-ijichubua
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-lijichubua
|
-yajichubua
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-kijichubua
|
-vijichubua
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-ijichubua
|
-zijichubua
|
| u(XI)
|
-ujichubua
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-kujichubua
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-pajichubua
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-mujichubua
|
|
| Reflexive
|
-jijichubua
|
|
| Relative forms
|
| General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -jichubua- + relative marker)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-jichubuaye
|
-jichubuao
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-jichubuao
|
-jichubuayo
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-jichubualo
|
-jichubuayo
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-jichubuacho
|
-jichubuavyo
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-jichubuayo
|
-jichubuazo
|
| u(XI)
|
-jichubuao
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-jichubuako
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-jichubuapo
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-jichubuamo
|
|
|
| Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -jichubua)
|
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| m-wa(I/II)
|
-yejichubua
|
-ojichubua
|
| m-mi(III/IV)
|
-ojichubua
|
-yojichubua
|
| ji-ma(V/VI)
|
-lojichubua
|
-yojichubua
|
| ki-vi(VII/VIII)
|
-chojichubua
|
-vyojichubua
|
| n(IX/X)
|
-yojichubua
|
-zojichubua
|
| u(XI)
|
-ojichubua
|
see n(X) or ma(VI) class
|
| ku(XV/XVII)
|
-kojichubua
|
|
| pa(XVI)
|
-pojichubua
|
|
| mu(XVIII)
|
-mojichubua
|
|
|
|
| Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.
|
References
- Fritsch, Katharina (2017) “‘Trans-skin’: Analyzing the practice of skin bleaching among middle-class women in Dar es Salaam”, in Ethnicities[1], volume 17, number 6, →DOI, page 756-757 of 749-770:
However, responding to the question whether products like Fair&White in fact bleach, a doctor working at the above mentioned cosmetic supermarket points to the apparent difference between bleaching and lightening as commonly referred to by women using skin-bleaching products as well as by sellers. This distinction is reflected in two different Swahili terms, the doctor explains to me, both commonly referred to in day-to-day language: ‘Kujichubua’ literally meaning to ‘scrub oneself’, refers to ‘bleaching’, while ‘kung‘arisha’ describes the practice of ‘lightening’ as well as ‘softening’.