pumbaa

Swahili

Etymology

Probably connected with pumba (“lump; clod of earth”), following a sense of “be lumpish, heavy”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /puˈᵐbɑː/

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Verb

-pumbaa (infinitive kupumbaa)

1. to be foolish, silly, weak-minded, careless, negligent.

   pumbaa kazi

   take no pains about a job, do it carelessly, be idle

Conjugation

Conjugation of -pumbaa
Positive present -napumbaa Subjunctive -pumbae Negative -pumbai Imperative singular pumbaa
Infinitives
Positive kupumbaa Negative kutopumbaa
Imperatives
Singular pumbaa Plural pumbaeni
Tensed forms
Habitual hupumbaa Positive past positive subject concord + -lipumbaa Negative past negative subject concord + -kupumbaa
Positive present (positive subject concord + -napumbaa) Singular Plural 1st person ninapumbaa/napumbaa tunapumbaa 2nd person unapumbaa mnapumbaa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anapumbaa wanapumbaa other classes positive subject concord + -napumbaa
Negative present (negative subject concord + -pumbai) Singular Plural 1st person sipumbai hatupumbai 2nd person hupumbai hampumbai 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hapumbai hawapumbai other classes negative subject concord + -pumbai
Positive future positive subject concord + -tapumbaa Negative future negative subject concord + -tapumbaa
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -pumbae) Singular Plural 1st person nipumbae tupumbae 2nd person upumbae mpumbae 3rd person m-wa(I/II) apumbae wapumbae other classes positive subject concord + -pumbae
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sipumbae Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngepumbaa Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singepumbaa Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalipumbaa Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalipumbaa
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -apumbaa) Singular Plural 1st person napumbaa twapumbaa 2nd person wapumbaa mwapumbaa 3rd person m-wa(I/II) apumbaa wapumbaa m-mi(III/IV) wapumbaa yapumbaa ji-ma(V/VI) lapumbaa yapumbaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) chapumbaa vyapumbaa n(IX/X) yapumbaa zapumbaa u(XI) wapumbaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwapumbaa pa(XVI) papumbaa mu(XVIII) mwapumbaa
Perfect positive subject concord + -mepumbaa "Already" positive subject concord + -meshapumbaa "Not yet" negative subject concord + -japumbaa "If/When" positive subject concord + -kipumbaa "If not" positive subject concord + -sipopumbaa Consecutive kapumbaa / positive subject concord + -kapumbaa Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kapumbae
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nipumbaa -tupumbaa 2nd person -kupumbaa -wapumbaa/-kupumbaeni/-wapumbaeni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mpumbaa -wapumbaa m-mi(III/IV) -upumbaa -ipumbaa ji-ma(V/VI) -lipumbaa -yapumbaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kipumbaa -vipumbaa n(IX/X) -ipumbaa -zipumbaa u(XI) -upumbaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kupumbaa pa(XVI) -papumbaa mu(XVIII) -mupumbaa Reflexive -jipumbaa
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -pumbaa- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -pumbaaye -pumbaao m-mi(III/IV) -pumbaao -pumbaayo ji-ma(V/VI) -pumbaalo -pumbaayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -pumbaacho -pumbaavyo n(IX/X) -pumbaayo -pumbaazo u(XI) -pumbaao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -pumbaako pa(XVI) -pumbaapo mu(XVIII) -pumbaamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -pumbaa) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yepumbaa -opumbaa m-mi(III/IV) -opumbaa -yopumbaa ji-ma(V/VI) -lopumbaa -yopumbaa ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chopumbaa -vyopumbaa n(IX/X) -yopumbaa -zopumbaa u(XI) -opumbaa see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kopumbaa pa(XVI) -popumbaa mu(XVIII) -mopumbaa
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: -pumbaza (“make a fool of, deceive”)

• Other derivations:
  • pumbavu (“stupid, foolish”)

References

• "Pumbaa" in Swahili-English Dictionary