In English, “have” expresses possession and is one of the most fundamental verbs. Chichewa (Chinyanja) handles possession differently from English. Rather than using a single verb like “have,” Chichewa uses a grammatical construction that combines the verb “-li” (to be) with the preposition “ndi” (with/and).
The basic pattern is: Subject Marker + -li + ndi + [thing possessed]
For example: -
Ndili ndi buku = “I have a book” (literally: “I am with a book”) -
Ali ndi galimoto = “He/she has a car” (literally: “He/she is with a car”)
This construction is essential for everyday communication in Chichewa, spoken by over 15 million people in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
Key Takeaways: -
Chichewa expresses possession using “-li ndi” (to be + with) -
The construction pattern is: subject-li + ndi + object -
Different subject markers indicate different persons (ndi-, u-, a-, ti-, mu-, a-) -
“Ndi” serves dual purposes: as “with” and as the copula “is/am/are” -
Negative possession uses “palibe” or “sindili ndi”
Link to course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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Chichewa uses a 5-vowel system similar to Spanish: a, e, i, o, u
Key pronunciation notes: -
ndi [n̩di] - can be a syllabic nasal, pronounced “n-dee” -
-li [li] - simple “lee” -
buku [buku] - “boo-koo” -
galimoto [ɡalimoto] - “gah-lee-moh-toh”
Chichewa is a tonal language, but tone is not marked in standard orthography.
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11.1a Ndili ndi buku 11.1b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with buku (buku) book
11.2a Ali ndi galimoto 11.2b A (a) he/she -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with galimoto (ɡalimoto) car
11.3a Uli ndi ndalama 11.3b U (u) you -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with ndalama (ndalama) money
11.4a Tili ndi nyumba 11.4b Ti (ti) we -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with nyumba (ɲumba) house
11.5a Muli ndi mafuta 11.5b Mu (mu) you-PL -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with mafuta (mafuta) oil
11.6a Ali ndi ana atatu 11.6b A (a) they -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with ana (ana) children atatu (atatu) three
11.7a Ndili ndi njala 11.7b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with njala (ɲdʒala) hunger
11.8a Mwana ali ndi bola 11.8b Mwana (mwana) child a (a) he -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with bola (bola) ball
11.9a Uli ndi peni 11.9b U (u) you -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with peni (peni) pen
11.10a Sindili ndi vuto 11.10b Si (si) not -ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with vuto (vuto) problem
11.11a Tili ndi chikondi 11.11b Ti (ti) we -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with chikondi (tʃikondi) love
11.12a Alibe ndalama 11.12b A (a) he/she -li (li) is -be (be) not ndalama (ndalama) money
11.13a Ndili ndi mayi wabwino 11.13b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with mayi (mai) mother wa (wa) of -bwino (bwiːno) good
11.14a Muli ndi ntchito yovuta 11.14b Mu (mu) you-PL -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with ntchito (ntʃito) work ya (ja) of -ovuta (ovuta) difficult
11.15a Ali ndi dongosolo 11.15b A (a) they -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with dongosolo (doŋɡosolo) plan
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11.1 Ndili ndi buku “I have a book”
11.2 Ali ndi galimoto “He/she has a car”
11.3 Uli ndi ndalama “You have money”
11.4 Tili ndi nyumba “We have a house”
11.5 Muli ndi mafuta “You (plural) have oil”
11.6 Ali ndi ana atatu “They have three children”
11.7 Ndili ndi njala “I am hungry” (literally: “I have hunger”)
11.8 Mwana ali ndi bola “The child has a ball”
11.9 Uli ndi peni “You have a pen”
11.10 Sindili ndi vuto “I don’t have a problem”
11.11 Tili ndi chikondi “We have love”
11.12 Alibe ndalama “He/she doesn’t have money”
11.13 Ndili ndi mayi wabwino “I have a good mother”
11.14 Muli ndi ntchito yovuta “You have difficult work”
11.15 Ali ndi dongosolo “They have a plan”
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11.1 Ndili ndi buku
11.2 Ali ndi galimoto
11.3 Uli ndi ndalama
11.4 Tili ndi nyumba
11.5 Muli ndi mafuta
11.6 Ali ndi ana atatu
11.7 Ndili ndi njala
11.8 Mwana ali ndi bola
11.9 Uli ndi peni
11.10 Sindili ndi vuto
11.11 Tili ndi chikondi
11.12 Alibe ndalama
11.13 Ndili ndi mayi wabwino
11.14 Muli ndi ntchito yovuta
11.15 Ali ndi dongosolo
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These are the grammar rules for possession in Chichewa:
Chichewa does not have a direct equivalent to the English verb “to have.” Instead, possession is expressed through the construction:
Subject Marker + -li + ndi + [possessed item]
The verb “-li” means “to be” or “to be located,” and “ndi” means “with.” So the literal meaning is “I am with [something],” which conveys possession.
The subject markers change based on the person: -
ndi- = I (1st person singular) -
u- = you (2nd person singular) -
a- = he/she/they (3rd person singular and plural) -
ti- = we (1st person plural) -
mu- = you (2nd person plural)
Examples: -
Ndili ndi = I have -
Uli ndi = You have -
Ali ndi = He/she has / They have -
Tili ndi = We have -
Muli ndi = You (plural) have
There are two main ways to express negative possession:
a) Using si- (negative marker) + subject marker + -li ndi: -
Sindili ndi = I don’t have
b) Using the negative form -libe (without the “ndi”): -
Alibe = He/she doesn’t have -
Ndilibe = I don’t have
The second form is more common in everyday speech.
The basic word order is fixed: Subject-li + ndi + Object
When using a noun as the subject (instead of a pronoun), it comes first: -
Mwana ali ndi bola = The child has a ball
The word “ndi” serves several grammatical functions in Chichewa: -
As a preposition meaning “with”: ndi = with -
As part of the possession construction: -li ndi = have -
As a copula meaning “is/am/are”: Ndi munthu = I am a person
Many emotional and physical states are expressed using this construction: -
Ndili ndi njala = I am hungry (literally: “I have hunger”) -
Ali ndi ludzu = He/she is thirsty (literally: “has thirst”) -
Tili ndi chikondi = We have love / We are loving
Common Mistakes: -
Using “ndi” alone without “-li” for possession -
Incorrect: ❌ Ndi buku -
Correct: ✓ Ndili ndi buku -
Forgetting the subject marker before “-li” -
Incorrect: ❌ Li ndi galimoto -
Correct: ✓ Ali ndi galimoto -
Using “-li” without “ndi” for possession -
Incorrect: ❌ Ndili buku -
Correct: ✓ Ndili ndi buku -
Confusing the two uses of “ndi” (with vs. possession construction) -
Ndi mwana = I am a child (copula) -
Ndili ndi mwana = I have a child (possession)
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The possession construction with “-li ndi” is extremely common in everyday Chichewa conversation. It’s used to express: -
Physical possession (having objects) -
Relationships (having family members, friends) -
States and conditions (being hungry, thirsty, etc.) -
Attributes and qualities
Chichewa (also called Chinyanja in Zambia and Mozambique) is spoken across several countries: -
Malawi: Primary language, called Chichewa -
Zambia: Common in Eastern Province, called Chinyanja or Town Nyanja in Lusaka -
Mozambique: Spoken in Tete Province, called Chinyanja -
Zimbabwe: Spoken in some border regions
The possession construction is consistent across all these regions, though pronunciation and some vocabulary differ.
The “-li ndi” construction is used in both formal and informal contexts. There’s no special “polite” form for possession in Chichewa, unlike some other languages.
-
Ndili ndi njala = “I’m hungry” (literally: “I have hunger”) -
Ali ndi chisoni = “He/she is sad” (literally: “has sadness”) -
Tili ndi chikondi = “We love” or “We have love” -
Muli ndi mwayi = “You’re lucky” (literally: “You have luck”)
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Ndi by itself means “is/am/are” (copula), NOT “have” -
Only when combined with -li does it express possession -
Ku khalabe ndi = “to still have” (continuous possession)
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Part F-A: Interleaved Text
From contemporary Chichewa usage:
F.1a Ndili ndi chikhulupiriro kuti Mulungu ali ndi dongosolo labwino F.1b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with chikhulupiriro (tʃikʰulupiriro) faith kuti (kuti) that Mulungu (muluŋɡu) God a (a) he -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with dongosolo (doŋɡosolo) plan la (la) of -bwino (bwiːno) good
Part F-B: The Text from F-A
Ndili ndi chikhulupiriro kuti Mulungu ali ndi dongosolo labwino → “I have faith that God has a good plan”
Part F-C: Original Chichewa Text of F-A Only
Ndili ndi chikhulupiriro kuti Mulungu ali ndi dongosolo labwino
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This sentence demonstrates the “-li ndi” construction used twice: -
Ndili ndi chikhulupiriro = “I have faith” -
ali ndi dongosolo = “has a plan”
The word kuti introduces a subordinate clause (”that”). The possessive marker -la- in labwino (good) agrees with dongosolo (plan), showing noun class agreement. The full phrase dongosolo labwino means “good plan” with the adjective following the noun as is typical in Bantu languages.
This structure is very common in Chichewa for expressing belief, hope, and trust - using “have faith/belief” rather than simply “believe.”
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
11.16a Banja lina lili ndi ana asanu 11.16b Banja (bandʒa) family lina (lina) one li (li) it -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with ana (ana) children asanu (asanu) five
11.17a Bambo ali ndi ntchito ku mzinda 11.17b Bambo (bambo) father a (a) he -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with ntchito (ntʃito) work ku (ku) at mzinda (mzinda) city
11.18a Mayi ali ndi munda waukulu 11.18b Mayi (mai) mother a (a) she -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with munda (munda) field wa (wa) of -ukulu (ukulu) big
11.19a Ana ali ndi maphunziro abwino 11.19b Ana (ana) children a (a) they -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with maphunziro (mapʰunziro) education a (a) of -bwino (bwiːno) good
11.20a Agogo ali ndi nzeru zambiri 11.20b Agogo (aɡoɡo) grandparents a (a) they -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with nzeru (nzeru) wisdom za (za) of -mbiri (mbiri) much
11.21a Banja lili ndi moyo wabwino 11.21b Banja (bandʒa) family li (li) it -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with moyo (mojo) life wa (wa) of -bwino (bwiːno) good
11.22a Alibe mavuto akulu 11.22b A (a) they -li (li) are -be (be) not mavuto (mavuto) problems a (a) of -kulu (kulu) big
11.23a Nyumba yao ili ndi zipinda zisanu 11.23b Nyumba (ɲumba) house ya (ja) of -o (o) their i (i) it -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with zipinda (zipinda) rooms zi (zi) CL -sanu (sanu) five
11.24a Tili ndi galimoto imodzi 11.24b Ti (ti) we -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with galimoto (ɡalimoto) car i (i) CL -modzi (modʒi) one
11.25a Ndili ndi ulemu kwa banja ili 11.25b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with ulemu (ulemu) respect kwa (kwa) for banja (bandʒa) family ili (ili) this
11.26a Mwana wamng’ono ali ndi zovala zambiri 11.26b Mwana (mwana) child wa (wa) of -mng’ono (mŋʔono) small a (a) he -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with zovala (zovala) clothes za (za) of -mbiri (mbiri) many
11.27a Bamboyu ali ndi ntchito yovuta 11.27b Bambo (bambo) father -yu (ju) this a (a) he -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with ntchito (ntʃito) work ya (ja) of -ovuta (ovuta) difficult
11.28a Mayiyu ali ndi nkhawa za ana 11.28b Mayi (mai) mother -yu (ju) this a (a) she -li (li) is ndi (ndi) with nkhawa (nkʰawa) worry za (za) of ana (ana) children
11.29a Onse ali ndi chikondi 11.29b Onse (onse) all a (a) they -li (li) are ndi (ndi) with chikondi (tʃikondi) love
11.30a Ndili ndi chiyembekezo kuti banja likhale ndi mtendere 11.30b Ndi (ndi) I -li (li) am ndi (ndi) with chiyembekezo (tʃijembekezo) hope kuti (kuti) that banja (bandʒa) family li (li) it -khale (kʰale) will-be ndi (ndi) with mtendere (mtendere) peace
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Part B: Natural Sentences
11.16 Banja lina lili ndi ana asanu “One family has five children”
11.17 Bambo ali ndi ntchito ku mzinda “The father has work in the city”
11.18 Mayi ali ndi munda waukulu “The mother has a big field”
11.19 Ana ali ndi maphunziro abwino “The children have good education”
11.20 Agogo ali ndi nzeru zambiri “The grandparents have much wisdom”
11.21 Banja lili ndi moyo wabwino “The family has a good life”
11.22 Alibe mavuto akulu “They don’t have big problems”
11.23 Nyumba yao ili ndi zipinda zisanu “Their house has five rooms”
11.24 Tili ndi galimoto imodzi “We have one car”
11.25 Ndili ndi ulemu kwa banja ili “I have respect for this family”
11.26 Mwana wamng’ono ali ndi zovala zambiri “The small child has many clothes”
11.27 Bamboyu ali ndi ntchito yovuta “This father has difficult work”
11.28 Mayiyu ali ndi nkhawa za ana “This mother has worries about the children”
11.29 Onse ali ndi chikondi “All have love”
11.30 Ndili ndi chiyembekezo kuti banja likhale ndi mtendere “I have hope that the family will have peace”
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Part C: Chichewa Only
11.16 Banja lina lili ndi ana asanu
11.17 Bambo ali ndi ntchito ku mzinda
11.18 Mayi ali ndi munda waukulu
11.19 Ana ali ndi maphunziro abwino
11.20 Agogo ali ndi nzeru zambiri
11.21 Banja lili ndi moyo wabwino
11.22 Alibe mavuto akulu
11.23 Nyumba yao ili ndi zipinda zisanu
11.24 Tili ndi galimoto imodzi
11.25 Ndili ndi ulemu kwa banja ili
11.26 Mwana wamng’ono ali ndi zovala zambiri
11.27 Bamboyu ali ndi ntchito yovuta
11.28 Mayiyu ali ndi nkhawa za ana
11.29 Onse ali ndi chikondi
11.30 Ndili ndi chiyembekezo kuti banja likhale ndi mtendere
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Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This news report narrative demonstrates several important grammatical features: -
Consistent use of possession: Every sentence uses the “-li ndi” construction to describe what the family members have. -
Noun class agreement: -
ana asanu (children five) - class agreement with “ana” -
munda waukulu (field big) - the possessive wa- agrees with munda -
zipinda zisanu (rooms five) - zi- prefix shows class agreement -
Demonstrative usage: -
bamboyu = “this father” (demonstrative -yu attached) -
banja ili = “this family” (demonstrative ili separate) -
Future subjunctive: -
likhale ndi mtendere = “will have peace” - the verb -khale is subjunctive mood -
Negative construction: -
Alibe mavuto = “They don’t have problems” - using -libe (negative of -li)
This genre showcases how the possession construction is central to describing families, relationships, and living situations in Chichewa.
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Chichewa has five vowels that are pronounced consistently: -
a = [a] as in “father” -
e = [e] as in “bed” -
i = [i] as in “machine” -
o = [o] as in “go” -
u = [u] as in “food”
-
ng’ = [ŋ] velar nasal (like “ng” in “sing”) -
mb, nd, ng, nj = prenasalized consonants (nasal + stop) -
ny = [ɲ] palatal nasal (like “ny” in “canyon”)
Generally, stress falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: -
galiMOto (car) -
chikonDI (love) -
nkhaWA (worry)
Chichewa follows a strict CV (consonant-vowel) structure, which makes it relatively easy to pronounce for learners once the basic sounds are mastered.
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s comprehensive language learning system, designed for English speakers learning Chichewa (Nyanja). Each lesson focuses on high-frequency vocabulary and essential grammatical structures.
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, pioneering the use of construed reading methods for rapid language acquisition. Our courses are built on authentic language usage and proven pedagogical principles.
For more lessons and resources: -
Course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
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Our frequency-based approach ensures you learn the most useful vocabulary first, building practical communication skills from day one. Chichewa Lesson 11 introduces possession, one of the most fundamental concepts for daily interaction in any language.
Why this construction matters: The “-li ndi” possession structure appears in almost every conversation. Mastering it early gives you the foundation to discuss ownership, relationships, states, and conditions - essential for navigating life in Chichewa-speaking regions.
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