This lesson introduces the Chewa preposition and verbal construction kuchokera, meaning “from” - used to express source, origin, and movement away from a location or person. Understanding this word is essential for expressing where things come from, origins, and directional movement in Chewa.
In Chewa, unlike English which uses a simple preposition “from,” the concept is expressed through a verbal infinitive construction. The word kuchokera literally means “to come from” and is built from the verb root -choka (to leave, to come from) with the applicative suffix -era. This reflects how Bantu languages often express prepositional ideas through verbal extensions.
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FAQ: What does “from” mean in Chewa? The English preposition “from” is expressed in Chewa primarily through the verbal construction kuchokera (koo-CHO-keh-rah), which literally means “to come from.” When indicating origin from a person, the form kuchokera kwa is used, where kwa is the locative marker that appears before personal nouns. The related form kuyambira means “from” in temporal contexts, expressing “since” or “beginning from.”
Key Takeaways: -
Kuchokera is the primary way to express “from” indicating source, origin, or movement away -
The construction uses the verb root -choka (to leave/come from) plus applicative -era -
Before people or persons, use kuchokera kwa (from + person) -
For temporal “from/since,” use kuyambira -
The locative marker ku- becomes kwa before personal nouns
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Kuchokera [ku.tʃo.ˈke.ɾa] -
ku- (koo): infinitive prefix, short “oo” sound -
-cho- (cho): as in English “choice” -
-ke- (keh): like “ke” in “Kenya” -
-ra (rah): rolled or tapped “r,” open “ah”
Kwa [kwa]: single syllable, like “qua” in “quality”
Kuyambira [ku.jam.ˈbi.ɾa] -
ku- (koo): infinitive prefix -
-yam- (yahm): “y” as consonant, open “ah,” closed “m” -
-bi- (bee): like English “bee” -
-ra (rah): rolled/tapped “r,” open “ah”
Stress in Chewa falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable. In kuchokera, the stress falls on -ke-.
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29.1a Ine ndimachokera ku Malawi. 29.1b Ine (ee.neh) I ndimachokera (ndi.ma.cho.ˈke.ɾa) I-HAB-come-from ku (ku) LOC Malawi (ma.ˈla.wi) Malawi
29.2a Mwana wachokera kusukulu. 29.2b Mwana (ˈmwa.na) child wachokera (wa.cho.ˈke.ɾa) he/she-has-come-from kusukulu (ku.su.ˈku.lu) LOC-school
29.3a Madzi akuchokera kufumbi. 29.3b Madzi (ˈma.dzi) water akuchokera (a.ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-PRES-come-from kufumbi (ku.ˈfum.bi) LOC-well
29.4a Tidaphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu. 29.4b Tidaphunzira (ti.da.pun.ˈdzi.ɾa) we-PAST-learned kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) from kwa (kwa) to/from akuluakulu (a.ku.lu.a.ˈku.lu) elders
29.5a Kalata yachokera kwa abambo anga. 29.5b Kalata (ka.ˈla.ta) letter yachokera (ja.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-has-come-from kwa (kwa) from abambo (a.ˈbam.bo) father anga (ˈa.ŋa) my
29.6a Ndinachoka kumudzi dzulo. 29.6b Ndinachoka (ndi.na.ˈtʃo.ka) I-PAST-left kumudzi (ku.ˈmu.dzi) LOC-village dzulo (ˈdzu.lo) yesterday
29.7a Chokani pano tsopano! 29.7b Chokani (tʃo.ˈka.ni) leave-PL pano (ˈpa.no) here tsopano (tso.ˈpa.no) now
29.8a Galimoto ichokera ku Lilongwe. 29.8b Galimoto (ga.li.ˈmo.to) car ichokera (i.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-comes-from ku (ku) LOC Lilongwe (li.ˈloŋ.we) Lilongwe
29.9a Kuyambira lero, tidzagwira ntchito. 29.9b Kuyambira (ku.jam.ˈbi.ɾa) starting-from lero (ˈle.ɾo) today tidzagwira (ti.dza.ˈgwi.ɾa) we-FUT-do ntchito (ˈn.tʃi.to) work
29.10a Anachoka kunyumba usiku. 29.10b Anachoka (a.na.ˈtʃo.ka) he/she-PAST-left kunyumba (ku.ˈɲum.ba) LOC-house usiku (u.ˈsi.ku) night
29.11a Mpheso ikuchokera kumpoto. 29.11b Mpheso (ˈm.pe.so) wind ikuchokera (i.ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-PRES-comes-from kumpoto (kum.ˈpo.to) LOC-north
29.12a Nkhani yachokera ku wailesi. 29.12b Nkhani (ˈŋ.ka.ni) news yachokera (ja.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-has-come-from ku (ku) LOC wailesi (wa.i.ˈle.si) radio
29.13a Takhala tikugwira ntchito kuyambira Lolemba. 29.13b Takhala (ta.ˈka.la) we-have-been tikugwira (ti.ku.ˈgwi.ɾa) we-PRES-do ntchito (ˈn.tʃi.to) work kuyambira (ku.jam.ˈbi.ɾa) since Lolemba (lo.ˈlem.ba) Monday
29.14a Kuchokera pomwepo, ndinalumbira kuti sindidzagwanso. 29.14b Kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) from pomwepo (pom.ˈwe.po) that-time ndinalumbira (ndi.na.lum.ˈbi.ɾa) I-PAST-swore kuti (ˈku.ti) that sindidzagwanso (sin.di.dza.ˈgwa.nso) I-will-not-fall-again
29.15a Mwana wachokera kuthengo ndi nkhuni. 29.15b Mwana (ˈmwa.na) child wachokera (wa.cho.ˈke.ɾa) he/she-has-come-from kuthengo (ku.ˈteŋ.go) LOC-forest ndi (ndi) with nkhuni (ˈŋ.ku.ni) firewood
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29.1 Ine ndimachokera ku Malawi. “I am from Malawi.”
29.2 Mwana wachokera kusukulu. “The child has come from school.”
29.3 Madzi akuchokera kufumbi. “The water is coming from the well.”
29.4 Tidaphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu. “We learned from the elders.”
29.5 Kalata yachokera kwa abambo anga. “The letter has come from my father.”
29.6 Ndinachoka kumudzi dzulo. “I left the village yesterday.”
29.7 Chokani pano tsopano! “Leave here now!”
29.8 Galimoto ichokera ku Lilongwe. “The car comes from Lilongwe.”
29.9 Kuyambira lero, tidzagwira ntchito. “Starting from today, we will work.”
29.10 Anachoka kunyumba usiku. “He/She left the house at night.”
29.11 Mpheso ikuchokera kumpoto. “The wind is coming from the north.”
29.12 Nkhani yachokera ku wailesi. “The news has come from the radio.”
29.13 Takhala tikugwira ntchito kuyambira Lolemba. “We have been working since Monday.”
29.14 Kuchokera pomwepo, ndinalumbira kuti sindidzagwanso. “From that time on, I swore that I would never fall again.”
29.15 Mwana wachokera kuthengo ndi nkhuni. “The child has come from the forest with firewood.”
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29.1 Ine ndimachokera ku Malawi.
29.2 Mwana wachokera kusukulu.
29.3 Madzi akuchokera kufumbi.
29.4 Tidaphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu.
29.5 Kalata yachokera kwa abambo anga.
29.6 Ndinachoka kumudzi dzulo.
29.7 Chokani pano tsopano!
29.8 Galimoto ichokera ku Lilongwe.
29.9 Kuyambira lero, tidzagwira ntchito.
29.10 Anachoka kunyumba usiku.
29.11 Mpheso ikuchokera kumpoto.
29.12 Nkhani yachokera ku wailesi.
29.13 Takhala tikugwira ntchito kuyambira Lolemba.
29.14 Kuchokera pomwepo, ndinalumbira kuti sindidzagwanso.
29.15 Mwana wachokera kuthengo ndi nkhuni.
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These are the grammar rules for kuchokera (from) in Chewa:
1. The Root Verb -choka
The base verb -choka means “to leave” or “to come from.” It is a Class 1 verb that conjugates with standard Chewa subject prefixes: -
Ndi- (I): Ndinachoka (I left) -
U- (you, singular): Unachoka (you left) -
A- (he/she/they): Anachoka (he/she left) -
Ti- (we): Tinachoka (we left) -
Mu- (you, plural): Munachoka (you left)
2. The Applicative Extension -era
When -choka takes the applicative suffix -era, it becomes -chokera, which means “to come from (somewhere/someone).” This applicative extension indicates that the action is directed toward or benefits someone or something. The infinitive form kuchokera functions similarly to English “from.”
3. Locative Prefixes
Chewa uses three locative prefixes to indicate location:
ku- (Class 17) - general location, “at/to”: Used before place names and general locations. -
ku Malawi (at/to/from Malawi) -
kusukulu (at/to/from school) -
kumudzi (at/to/from the village)
pa- (Class 16) - specific location, “on/at”: Used for definite, specific spots. -
pano (here, at this spot) -
pamenepo (at that place)
mu- (Class 18) - interior location, “in/inside”: Used when referring to inside spaces. -
munyumba (in the house) -
mumzinda (in the city)
4. Kwa Before Personal Nouns
When expressing “from” a person, the locative ku transforms to kwa: -
kuchokera kwa abambo = from father -
kuchokera kwa akuluakulu = from the elders -
kuchokera kwa mzanga = from my friend
5. Temporal “From” with Kuyambira
For temporal expressions meaning “from” or “since,” Chewa uses kuyambira (literally “to begin from”): -
kuyambira lero = from/starting today -
kuyambira Lolemba = since Monday -
kuyambira chaka chatha = since last year
6. Tense Markers with -choka/-chokera
Common tense patterns:
Present Habitual (-ma-): Ndimachokera (I am from / I habitually come from)
Present Progressive (-ku-): Akuchokera (He/she is coming from)
Recent Past (-na-): Anachoka (He/she left recently)
Perfect (-a-): Wachokera (He/she has come from)
Future (-dza-): Adzachoka (He/she will leave)
Common Mistakes to Avoid: -
Don’t forget to use kwa before people: Say “kuchokera kwa abambo” not “kuchokera abambo” -
Don’t confuse -choka (simple “leave”) with -chokera (directional “come from”) -
Remember that kuyambira is used for temporal “from/since,” while kuchokera is for spatial origin -
The locative ku attaches directly to nouns: kusukulu (to/from school), not “ku sukulu” as separate words
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The Importance of Origin in Chewa Culture
In Chewa-speaking communities across Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, knowing where someone comes from (kuchokera kuti) is fundamental to social interaction. When meeting someone new, it is customary to ask about their home village (mudzi), their clan, and their family connections. This is not mere curiosity but reflects the communal nature of Bantu societies where individual identity is inseparable from community belonging.
Regional Variations
The word kuchokera is used throughout the Chewa-speaking world, though pronunciation and usage may vary slightly: -
Central Region Malawi (around Lilongwe): Standard pronunciation as described -
Southern Region Malawi: May show slight tonal differences -
Zambian Nyanja: Often called “Town Nyanja” in urban areas like Lusaka, where the language has absorbed English loanwords; “kuchokera” remains standard -
Mozambique: Known as Nyanja rather than Chewa, but the word is recognized
Idiomatic Expressions
Kwathu - “our home, where we come from” - This word encapsulates the deep connection Chewa speakers have to their place of origin. It’s more than a physical location; it represents ancestral connections and community ties.
Kwau - “your home, where you come from”
Kwao - “their home, where they come from”
Formal vs. Informal Usage
When speaking formally or to elders, one would use the full construction with appropriate honorifics: -
Kuchokera kwa a bambo (from father) - note the honorific a before bambo -
Kuchokera kwa a mai (from mother)
In casual speech among peers, these may be shortened, but maintaining the kwa before personal nouns remains important for grammatical correctness.
Proverbs Using Origin Concepts
Chewa proverbs (miyambo) often reference the concept of origin:
“Mwana wa nkhuku sadzadya kudzala kwake” - A chicken’s child will not eat its own birthplace (one should respect one’s origins).
This lesson is for English speakers learning Chewa (Chichewa/Nyanja), the national language of Malawi.
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The following excerpt is from a traditional Chewa folktale about self-discovery, as recorded in oral tradition and transcribed by the Oral Traditions Association of Malawi (from “Nthano za ku Malawi” - Folktales of Malawi, collected 2011):
Part F-A: Interleaved Text
Ine (ee.neh) I ndiri (ˈndi.ɾi) I-am mwana (ˈmwa.na) child wamng’ono (wam.ˈŋo.no) small koma (ˈko.ma) but ndili (ˈndi.li) I-am ndi (ndi) with nzeru (ˈnze.ɾu) wisdom zambiri (zam.ˈbi.ɾi) much.
Makolo (ma.ˈko.lo) parents anga (ˈa.ŋa) my amandiuza (a.man.di.ˈu.za) they-HAB-tell-me kuti (ˈku.ti) that ndiyenera (ndi.je.ˈne.ɾa) I-should kuphunzira (ku.pun.ˈdzi.ɾa) to-learn kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) from kwa (kwa) from akuluakulu (a.ku.lu.a.ˈku.lu) elders.
Koma (ˈko.ma) but ine (ee.neh) I ndimaganiza (ndi.ma.ga.ˈni.za) I-HAB-think kuti (ˈku.ti) that nditha (ˈndi.ta) I-can kuphunzira (ku.pun.ˈdzi.ɾa) to-learn nokha (ˈno.ka) alone.
Tsiku (ˈtsi.ku) day lina (ˈli.na) one ndinapita (ndi.na.ˈpi.ta) I-PAST-went kuthengo (ku.ˈteŋ.go) LOC-forest ndekha (ˈnde.ka) alone.
Nditaona (ndi.ta.ˈo.na) when-I-saw njoka (ˈnjo.ka) snake ndinathawa (ndi.na.ˈta.wa) I-PAST-ran.
Kenako (ke.ˈna.ko) afterwards ndinazindikira (ndi.na.zin.di.ˈki.ɾa) I-PAST-realized kuti (ˈku.ti) that ine (ee.neh) I sindingapambane (sin.di.ŋa.pam.ˈba.ne) I-cannot-succeed nokha (ˈno.ka) alone — ndikufunika (ndi.ku.ˈfu.ni.ka) I-need thandizo (tan.ˈdi.zo) help la (la) of anzanga (a.ˈnza.ŋa) my-friends.
Part F-B: The Text from F-A
“Ine ndiri mwana wamng’ono koma ndili ndi nzeru zambiri. Makolo anga amandiuza kuti ndiyenera kuphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu. Koma ine ndimaganiza kuti nditha kuphunzira nokha. Tsiku lina, ndinapita kuthengo ndekha. Nditaona njoka, ndinathawa. Kenako ndinazindikira kuti ine sindingapambane nokha — ndikufunika thandizo la anzanga.”
“I am a small child but I have much wisdom. My parents tell me that I should learn from the elders. But I think that I can learn alone. One day, I went to the forest alone. When I saw a snake, I ran away. Afterwards I realized that I cannot succeed alone — I need the help of my friends.”
Part F-C: Original Chewa Text of F-A Only
Ine ndiri mwana wamng’ono koma ndili ndi nzeru zambiri. Makolo anga amandiuza kuti ndiyenera kuphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu. Koma ine ndimaganiza kuti nditha kuphunzira nokha. Tsiku lina, ndinapita kuthengo ndekha. Nditaona njoka, ndinathawa. Kenako ndinazindikira kuti ine sindingapambane nokha — ndikufunika thandizo la anzanga.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This folktale passage beautifully illustrates the use of kuchokera kwa to express learning “from” people. The phrase kuphunzira kuchokera kwa akuluakulu (”to learn from the elders”) demonstrates the standard construction when the source of something (in this case, knowledge) is a person.
Notice how the text uses: -
kuchokera kwa + personal noun (akuluakulu = elders) -
The habitual tense marker -ma- in amandiuza (they habitually tell me) -
The sequential past tense nditaona (when I saw / having seen)
The moral of the story—that wisdom comes from community rather than isolation—reflects the Chewa cultural value embedded in expressions of origin and source. The phrase kuchokera kwa akuluakulu is not merely grammatical but carries the weight of traditional knowledge transmission.
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The following narrative describes a journey from a village to the city, demonstrating various uses of kuchokera and related directional expressions.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
29.16a Dzulo ndinachoka kumudzi wanga kuti ndipite ku Lilongwe. 29.16b Dzulo (ˈdzu.lo) yesterday ndinachoka (ndi.na.ˈtʃo.ka) I-PAST-left kumudzi (ku.ˈmu.dzi) LOC-village wanga (ˈwa.ŋa) my kuti (ˈku.ti) so-that ndipite (ndi.ˈpi.te) I-go ku (ku) LOC Lilongwe (li.ˈloŋ.we) Lilongwe
29.17a Galimoto inachokera ku Mchinji m’mawa. 29.17b Galimoto (ga.li.ˈmo.to) car/bus inachokera (i.na.cho.ˈke.ɾa) it-PAST-came-from ku (ku) LOC Mchinji (m.ˈtʃin.dʒi) Mchinji m’mawa (m.ˈma.wa) in-morning
29.18a Anthu ambiri anali kuchokera kumidzi yosiyanasiyana. 29.18b Anthu (ˈan.tu) people ambiri (am.ˈbi.ɾi) many anali (a.ˈna.li) they-were kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) coming-from kumidzi (ku.ˈmi.dzi) LOC-villages yosiyanasiyana (jo.si.ja.na.si.ˈja.na) various
29.19a Mayi wina anachokera ku Kasungu ndi katundu wake. 29.19b Mayi (ˈma.ji) woman wina (ˈwi.na) one anachokera (a.na.cho.ˈke.ɾa) she-PAST-came-from ku (ku) LOC Kasungu (ka.ˈsu.ŋu) Kasungu ndi (ndi) with katundu (ka.ˈtun.du) luggage wake (ˈwa.ke) her
29.20a Bambo wina anandifunsa, “Ukuchokera kuti?” 29.20b Bambo (ˈbam.bo) man wina (ˈwi.na) one anandifunsa (a.nan.di.ˈfun.sa) he-PAST-asked-me ukuchokera (u.ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) you-PRES-come-from kuti (ˈku.ti) where
29.21a Ndinamuyankha, “Ndimachokera ku Dedza.” 29.21b Ndinamuyankha (ndi.na.mu.ˈja.ŋ.ka) I-PAST-answered-him ndimachokera (ndi.ma.cho.ˈke.ɾa) I-HAB-come-from ku (ku) LOC Dedza (ˈde.dza) Dedza
29.22a Tinapita kudzera ku msewu wochokera ku Salima. 29.22b Tinapita (ti.na.ˈpi.ta) we-PAST-went kudzera (ku.ˈdze.ɾa) passing-through ku (ku) LOC msewu (ˈmse.wu) road wochokera (wo.cho.ˈke.ɾa) REL-comes-from ku (ku) LOC Salima (sa.ˈli.ma) Salima
29.23a Mpheso yozizira inali kuchokera kum’mwera. 29.23b Mpheso (ˈm.pe.so) wind yozizira (jo.zi.ˈzi.ɾa) cold inali (i.ˈna.li) it-was kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) coming-from kum’mwera (ku.m.ˈmwe.ɾa) LOC-south
29.24a Kuyambira Mchinji mpaka Lilongwe ndi makilomita makumi asanu. 29.24b Kuyambira (ku.jam.ˈbi.ɾa) from Mchinji (m.ˈtʃin.dʒi) Mchinji mpaka (ˈmpa.ka) until Lilongwe (li.ˈloŋ.we) Lilongwe ndi (ndi) is makilomita (ma.ki.lo.ˈmi.ta) kilometers makumi (ma.ˈku.mi) tens asanu (a.ˈsa.nu) five
29.25a Tinafika ku mzinda nthawi ya masana. 29.25b Tinafika (ti.na.ˈfi.ka) we-PAST-arrived ku (ku) LOC mzinda (ˈmzin.da) city nthawi (ˈn.ta.wi) time ya (ja) of masana (ma.ˈsa.na) afternoon
29.26a Mlongo wanga wandilandira kuchokera ku siteshoni. 29.26b Mlongo (ˈmlo.ŋo) sibling wanga (ˈwa.ŋa) my wandilandira (wan.di.lan.ˈdi.ɾa) she-PERF-received-me kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) from ku (ku) LOC siteshoni (si.te.ˈʃo.ni) station
29.27a Iye anachokera kunyumba kwake kuti adzanditenge. 29.27b Iye (ˈi.je) she anachokera (a.na.cho.ˈke.ɾa) she-PAST-came-from kunyumba (ku.ˈɲum.ba) LOC-house kwake (ˈkwa.ke) her kuti (ˈku.ti) so-that adzanditenge (a.dza.ndi.ˈte.ŋe) she-FUT-take-me
29.28a Ndinabweretsa mphatso zochokera kumudzi. 29.28b Ndinabweretsa (ndi.na.bwe.ˈɾe.tsa) I-PAST-brought mphatso (ˈm.pa.tso) gifts zochokera (zo.cho.ˈke.ɾa) REL-come-from kumudzi (ku.ˈmu.dzi) LOC-village
29.29a Chakudya chochokera kunyumba chimakoma kwambiri. 29.29b Chakudya (tʃa.ˈku.dja) food chochokera (tʃo.cho.ˈke.ɾa) REL-comes-from kunyumba (ku.ˈɲum.ba) LOC-home chimakoma (tʃi.ma.ˈko.ma) it-HAB-tastes kwambiri (ˈkwam.bi.ɾi) very
29.30a Kuchokera pa ulendo uwu, ndinaphunzira zambiri. 29.30b Kuchokera (ku.cho.ˈke.ɾa) from pa (pa) LOC ulendo (u.ˈlen.do) journey uwu (ˈu.wu) this ndinaphunzira (ndi.na.pun.ˈdzi.ɾa) I-PAST-learned zambiri (zam.ˈbi.ɾi) much
Part B: Natural Sentences
29.16 Dzulo ndinachoka kumudzi wanga kuti ndipite ku Lilongwe. “Yesterday I left my village to go to Lilongwe.”
29.17 Galimoto inachokera ku Mchinji m’mawa. “The bus came from Mchinji in the morning.”
29.18 Anthu ambiri anali kuchokera kumidzi yosiyanasiyana. “Many people were coming from various villages.”
29.19 Mayi wina anachokera ku Kasungu ndi katundu wake. “A certain woman came from Kasungu with her luggage.”
29.20 Bambo wina anandifunsa, “Ukuchokera kuti?” “A certain man asked me, ‘Where are you coming from?’”
29.21 Ndinamuyankha, “Ndimachokera ku Dedza.” “I answered him, ‘I am from Dedza.’”
29.22 Tinapita kudzera ku msewu wochokera ku Salima. “We went via the road that comes from Salima.”
29.23 Mpheso yozizira inali kuchokera kum’mwera. “A cold wind was coming from the south.”
29.24 Kuyambira Mchinji mpaka Lilongwe ndi makilomita makumi asanu. “From Mchinji to Lilongwe is fifty kilometers.”
29.25 Tinafika ku mzinda nthawi ya masana. “We arrived in the city in the afternoon.”
29.26 Mlongo wanga wandilandira kuchokera ku siteshoni. “My sibling received me from the station.”
29.27 Iye anachokera kunyumba kwake kuti adzanditenge. “She came from her house to pick me up.”
29.28 Ndinabweretsa mphatso zochokera kumudzi. “I brought gifts from the village.”
29.29 Chakudya chochokera kunyumba chimakoma kwambiri. “Food from home tastes very good.”
29.30 Kuchokera pa ulendo uwu, ndinaphunzira zambiri. “From this journey, I learned a lot.”
Part C: Chewa Text Only
29.16 Dzulo ndinachoka kumudzi wanga kuti ndipite ku Lilongwe.
29.17 Galimoto inachokera ku Mchinji m’mawa.
29.18 Anthu ambiri anali kuchokera kumidzi yosiyanasiyana.
29.19 Mayi wina anachokera ku Kasungu ndi katundu wake.
29.20 Bambo wina anandifunsa, “Ukuchokera kuti?”
29.21 Ndinamuyankha, “Ndimachokera ku Dedza.”
29.22 Tinapita kudzera ku msewu wochokera ku Salima.
29.23 Mpheso yozizira inali kuchokera kum’mwera.
29.24 Kuyambira Mchinji mpaka Lilongwe ndi makilomita makumi asanu.
29.25 Tinafika ku mzinda nthawi ya masana.
29.26 Mlongo wanga wandilandira kuchokera ku siteshoni.
29.27 Iye anachokera kunyumba kwake kuti adzanditenge.
29.28 Ndinabweretsa mphatso zochokera kumudzi.
29.29 Chakudya chochokera kunyumba chimakoma kwambiri.
29.30 Kuchokera pa ulendo uwu, ndinaphunzira zambiri.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This travel narrative demonstrates several advanced uses of kuchokera and related forms:
1. Relative Clause Forms When -chokera appears in a relative clause modifying a noun, it takes the appropriate relative prefix: -
msewu wochokera = road that comes from (wo- = Class 3 relative) -
mphatso zochokera = gifts that come from (zo- = Class 10 relative) -
chakudya chochokera = food that comes from (cho- = Class 7 relative)
2. The Question Form “Ukuchokera kuti?” This is the standard way to ask “Where are you from?” or “Where are you coming from?” The interrogative kuti (where) appears at the end of the clause in Chewa.
3. Distance Expression with Kuyambira...mpaka The construction kuyambira X mpaka Y means “from X to/until Y” and is used for expressing distances or ranges.
4. Locative Agreement Note how the locative prefix ku- becomes kum- before words beginning with m-: kum’mwera (from the south), kumudzi (from the village).
5. Habitual vs. Specific “From” -
Ndimachokera (habitual -ma-): “I am from” (permanent origin) -
Ndinachoka (past -na-): “I left/came from” (specific instance)
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Consonant Clusters
Chewa features several consonant clusters that English speakers should practice: -
ng’ (velar nasal + glottal stop): Found in wamng’ono (small). This is different from ng without the apostrophe. -
mb, nd, nj, ng (prenasalized stops): Common in Bantu languages; pronounce the nasal lightly before the stop. -
ch (tʃ): Always pronounced as in English “church,” never as “k.”
Vowel Length
Chewa does not have phonemic vowel length, but vowels may be slightly lengthened in penultimate syllables due to stress patterns.
Tone
Chewa is a tonal language with High (H) and Low (L) tones. While this lesson uses standard orthography without tone marks, learners should be aware that: -
Tone can distinguish meanings: mwána (child) vs. mwana (different word) -
Many modern Chewa texts, including the Bible translations and newspapers, do not mark tone
The Letter ‘w’
In Chewa, w functions both as a consonant and as a vowel glide: -
As consonant: wanga (my) -
As glide after consonants: kwa (to/from person)
Nasal Syllables
Some words begin with syllabic nasals that carry their own syllable weight: -
ntchito (work) = n.tchi.to (3 syllables) -
nkhani (news/story) = n.kha.ni (3 syllables)
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s modern language course series, creating comprehensive autodidact-friendly materials since 2006. The Latinum Institute specializes in making languages accessible through the proven construed text method, which accelerates comprehension by providing word-by-word glossing alongside natural translations.
The vocabulary for this course follows a systematic frequency-based approach using a 1000-word corpus. Each lesson focuses on one high-frequency English word and its Chewa equivalent, building practical communication skills progressively.
The Duplex Method used in these lessons provides: -
Line 1: Target language text -
Line 2: Word-by-word gloss with IPA pronunciation
This approach allows learners to immediately understand sentence structure and meaning without constantly consulting dictionaries.
For more lessons and the complete course index, visit: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
See reviews of Latinum Institute courses: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Chewa (Chichewa/Nyanja) is spoken by over 16 million people across Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. As the national language of Malawi and an official language of Zambia, learning Chewa opens doors to understanding the rich cultural heritage of central-southern Africa.
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Lesson 29 Complete
NEXAL CODE: CW-L29-FROM-KUCHOKERA
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