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Welcome to Lesson 33 of the Chewa (Chichewa/Nyanja) language course. This lesson focuses on kupeza, meaning “to get, obtain, find” - one of the most versatile and essential verbs in Chichewa. This verb belongs to the fundamental vocabulary needed for everyday communication across Malawi, eastern Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, where approximately 15-20 million people speak this Bantu language.
The verb kupeza demonstrates the elegant agglutinative structure of Bantu verb morphology, where meaning is built through prefixes and suffixes attached to the verb stem -peza. Understanding this verb will unlock patterns applicable to hundreds of other Chichewa verbs.
Course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does “kupeza” mean in Chewa?
Kupeza is the infinitive form meaning “to get, find, obtain, discover.” It covers the semantic range of English “get” when meaning to acquire or obtain something, and “find” when meaning to discover or locate something. For the sense of “become,” Chichewa uses different verbs such as kukhala.
Key Takeaways -
Kupeza (ku-peza) combines the infinitive prefix ku- with the verb stem -peza -
Subject markers attach before tense markers: ndi- (I), u- (you sg.), a- (he/she/they), ti- (we), mu- (you pl.) -
Common tense patterns: ndikupeza (I am getting), ndapeza (I have gotten), ndidzapeza (I will get) -
The verb covers both “get/obtain” and “find/discover” meanings in English -
Tone patterns distinguish tenses—acute accents mark high tones in linguistic notation
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Chichewa uses the Latin alphabet with consistent phonetic spelling. Key pronunciation features include:
The consonants ch, ph, th, bw, dz, mb, mw, ng’, nj, ny, pf, and ts represent single sounds. The apostrophe in ng’ distinguishes it from ng (as in “finger” vs. “singer”).
Vowels are pronounced as in Italian or Spanish: a as in “father,” e as in “bed,” i as in “machine,” o as in “more,” u as in “flute.”
Chichewa is tonal—pitch patterns distinguish meaning and tense. In this lesson, acute accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) mark high tones where linguistically significant, though standard Chichewa orthography typically omits tone marks.
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33.1a Ndikupeza madzi. 33.1b Ndikupeza (ndi-ku-pe-za) I-PRES.CONT-get madzi (ma-dzi) water
33.2a Mwana akupeza mpira. 33.2b Mwana (mwa-na) child akupeza (a-ku-pe-za) he/she-PRES.CONT-get mpira (mpi-ra) ball
33.3a Tikupeza njira. 33.3b Tikupeza (ti-ku-pe-za) we-PRES.CONT-find njira (nji-ra) path/way
33.4a Ndapeza ndalama. 33.4b Ndapeza (nda-pe-za) I-PERF-get ndalama (nda-la-ma) money
33.5a Muli bwino? Inde, ndapeza mtendere. 33.5b Muli (mu-li) you.PL-are bwino (bwi-no) well? Inde (in-de) yes, ndapeza (nda-pe-za) I-PERF-find mtendere (mten-de-re) peace
33.6a Amayi anga amapeza ndiwo kumsika. 33.6b Amayi (a-ma-yi) mother anga (a-nga) my amapeza (a-ma-pe-za) she-HAB-get ndiwo (ndi-wo) relish/vegetables kumsika (ku-msi-ka) at-market
33.7a Aphunzitsi adapeza buku latsopano. 33.7b Aphunzitsi (a-phun-zi-tsi) teacher adapeza (a-da-pe-za) he/she-REM.PAST-find buku (bu-ku) book latsopano (la-tso-pa-no) new
33.8a Sindikupeza yankho. 33.8b Sindikupeza (si-ndi-ku-pe-za) NEG-I-PRES.CONT-find yankho (yan-kho) answer
33.9a Kodi unapeza ntchito? 33.9b Kodi (ko-di) Q-PART unapeza (u-na-pe-za) you.SG-REC.PAST-get ntchito (ntchi-to) work/job?
33.10a Tidzapeza chakudya mawa. 33.10b Tidzapeza (ti-dza-pe-za) we-FUT-get chakudya (cha-ku-dya) food mawa (ma-wa) tomorrow
33.11a Anthu onse amafuna kupeza moyo wabwino. 33.11b Anthu (an-thu) people onse (on-se) all amafuna (a-ma-fu-na) they-HAB-want kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find moyo (mo-yo) life wabwino (wa-bwi-no) good
33.12a Ndikufuna kupeza nyumba yanga. 33.12b Ndikufuna (ndi-ku-fu-na) I-PRES.CONT-want kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find nyumba (nyum-ba) house yanga (ya-nga) my
33.13a Anapeza chuma chachikulu m’phanga. 33.13b Anapeza (a-na-pe-za) he/she-REC.PAST-find chuma (chu-ma) treasure/wealth chachikulu (cha-chi-ku-lu) great m’phanga (m-pha-nga) in-cave
33.14a Sindingapeze mpumulo popanda thandizo lanu. 33.14b Sindingapeze (si-ndi-nga-pe-ze) NEG-I-can-find-SUBJ mpumulo (mpu-mu-lo) rest popanda (po-pa-nda) without thandizo (than-di-zo) help lanu (la-nu) your.PL
33.15a Aliyense amafuna kupeza chimwemwe mu moyo wake. 33.15b Aliyense (a-li-ye-nse) everyone amafuna (a-ma-fu-na) HAB-want kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find chimwemwe (chi-mwem-we) happiness mu (mu) in moyo (mo-yo) life wake (wa-ke) his/her
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33.1 Ndikupeza madzi. “I am getting water.”
33.2 Mwana akupeza mpira. “The child is getting the ball.”
33.3 Tikupeza njira. “We are finding the way.”
33.4 Ndapeza ndalama. “I have found money.”
33.5 Muli bwino? Inde, ndapeza mtendere. “Are you well? Yes, I have found peace.”
33.6 Amayi anga amapeza ndiwo kumsika. “My mother gets vegetables at the market.”
33.7 Aphunzitsi adapeza buku latsopano. “The teacher found a new book.”
33.8 Sindikupeza yankho. “I am not finding the answer.”
33.9 Kodi unapeza ntchito? “Did you get a job?”
33.10 Tidzapeza chakudya mawa. “We will get food tomorrow.”
33.11 Anthu onse amafuna kupeza moyo wabwino. “All people want to find a good life.”
33.12 Ndikufuna kupeza nyumba yanga. “I want to find my house.”
33.13 Anapeza chuma chachikulu m’phanga. “He/she found great treasure in a cave.”
33.14 Sindingapeze mpumulo popanda thandizo lanu. “I cannot find rest without your help.”
33.15 Aliyense amafuna kupeza chimwemwe mu moyo wake. “Everyone wants to find happiness in their life.”
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33.1 Ndikupeza madzi.
33.2 Mwana akupeza mpira.
33.3 Tikupeza njira.
33.4 Ndapeza ndalama.
33.5 Muli bwino? Inde, ndapeza mtendere.
33.6 Amayi anga amapeza ndiwo kumsika.
33.7 Aphunzitsi adapeza buku latsopano.
33.8 Sindikupeza yankho.
33.9 Kodi unapeza ntchito?
33.10 Tidzapeza chakudya mawa.
33.11 Anthu onse amafuna kupeza moyo wabwino.
33.12 Ndikufuna kupeza nyumba yanga.
33.13 Anapeza chuma chachikulu m’phanga.
33.14 Sindingapeze mpumulo popanda thandizo lanu.
33.15 Aliyense amafuna kupeza chimwemwe mu moyo wake.
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These are the grammar rules for kupeza (to get/find) in Chichewa:
Verb Structure
Chichewa verbs follow an agglutinative pattern where grammatical information attaches to the verb stem through prefixes and suffixes. The basic formula is: SUBJECT-MARKER + TENSE-MARKER + VERB-STEM (+ extensions + final vowel)
For kupeza, the verb stem is -peza. The infinitive prefix ku- creates the citation form kupeza.
Subject Markers
The subject markers indicate who performs the action. They attach at the beginning of the verb:
ndi- means “I” (first person singular). Ndikupeza means “I am getting.”
u- means “you” (second person singular, informal). Ukupeza means “you are getting.”
a- means “he/she/they” (third person). Akupeza means “he/she/they is/are getting.” Note that singular and plural third person share the same marker in most tenses.
ti- means “we” (first person plural). Tikupeza means “we are getting.”
mu- means “you” (second person plural or formal singular). Mukupeza means “you are getting.”
Tense Markers
Chichewa has a rich tense system. The main patterns with -peza include:
Present Continuous (-ku-): Action happening now. Ndikupeza means “I am getting/finding.”
Present Habitual (-ma-): Regular or habitual action. Ndimapeza means “I usually get” or “I get (habitually).”
Perfect (-a- with no tense marker): Completed action with present relevance. Ndapeza means “I have gotten/found.” The subject marker merges directly with the verb stem.
Recent Past (-na-): Action completed today. Ndinapeza means “I got” (earlier today).
Remote Past (-da- or -na- with different tone): Action before today. Ndidapeza or ndinápeza means “I got” (yesterday or earlier).
Future (-dza-): Action that will happen. Ndidzapeza means “I will get.”
Subjunctive (-e final vowel): For wishes, purposes, or after certain conjunctions. Ndipeze means “I should get” or “let me get.”
Negation
Negative forms use si- before the subject marker or -sa- replacing the tense marker:
Sindikupeza means “I am not getting” (si- + ndi- + ku- + peza).
Sindimapeza means “I don’t get” (habitual negative).
Sindinapeze means “I haven’t gotten yet” (perfect negative, note subjunctive -e ending).
Sindingapeze means “I cannot get” (potential negative).
The Infinitive as a Noun
The infinitive kupeza can function as a noun meaning “getting” or “finding.” It belongs to noun class 15 (ku- class). When used with the associative á “of,” the ku- often merges: ópeza from á + kupeza means “of getting” or “one who gets.”
Object Markers
Object markers can be inserted between the tense marker and verb stem:
Ndikumupeza means “I am finding him/her” (ndi-ku-mu-peza).
Ndikuzipeza means “I am finding them” (referring to things in the zi- noun class).
Common Mistakes
English speakers often confuse the perfect (ndapeza) with the recent past (ndinapeza). The perfect implies the result is still relevant now, while the recent past simply reports a completed action.
Another common error is forgetting that “he/she” and “they” share the marker a- in most tenses—context determines number.
Learners also struggle with tone patterns that distinguish tenses. While standard orthography omits tones, listening practice is essential for distinguishing ndinapéza (recent past) from ndinápeza (remote past).
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Regional Variations
Chichewa (called Chinyanja in Zambia) serves as a major lingua franca across central-southern Africa. Spelling and pronunciation vary slightly by region:
In Malawi, Chichewa is the national language alongside English. The standard is based on the central dialect around Lilongwe and Kasungu.
In Zambia, the language is called Nyanja or Town Nyanja in urban areas like Lusaka. Some dialects preserve older forms, such as using ba- for third person plural where standard Chichewa uses a-.
In Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Nyanja-speaking communities maintain their own regional characteristics.
Semantic Range of Kupeza
Kupeza covers a broader range than any single English translation. It encompasses:
“To get” in the sense of obtaining: Ndapeza ntchito means “I got a job.”
“To find” in the sense of discovering: Ndapeza ndalama means “I found money.”
“To find” in the sense of locating: Sindikupeza nyumba means “I can’t find the house.”
For “to receive” (being given something), Chichewa often uses kulandira instead.
For “to become,” Chichewa uses kukhala (literally “to sit/stay/be”).
Idiomatic Expressions
Kupeza vuto means “to encounter a problem” (literally “to find trouble”).
Kupeza mpumulo means “to find rest/peace.”
Kupeza njira means “to find a way” (often used figuratively for solving problems).
Kupeza mtendere means “to find peace,” a common expression in greetings and blessings.
Frequency and Register
Kupeza ranks among the most common verbs in everyday Chichewa. It appears in all registers from casual conversation to formal writing, religious texts, and news media. The verb carries no particular connotation of formality or informality—it is simply the standard word for acquiring or discovering something.
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The following excerpt demonstrates kupeza in contemporary Chichewa usage, adapted from religious and educational materials commonly used in Malawi:
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Aliyense (a-li-ye-nse) everyone amene (a-me-ne) who afuna (a-fu-na) wants adzapeza (a-dza-pe-za) will-find. Amene (a-me-ne) who agogoda (a-go-go-da) knocks adzatsegulidwa (a-dza-tse-gu-li-dwa) will-be-opened. Funani (fu-na-ni) seek-IMP.PL ndipo (ndi-po) and mudzapeza (mu-dza-pe-za) you.PL-will-find.
F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Aliyense amene afuna adzapeza. Amene agogoda adzatsegulidwa. Funani ndipo mudzapeza.
“Everyone who seeks will find. To the one who knocks, it will be opened. Seek and you will find.”
— Adapted from Buku Lopatulika (Chichewa Bible), Mateyu 7:8
F-C: Chichewa Text Only
Aliyense amene afuna adzapeza. Amene agogoda adzatsegulidwa. Funani ndipo mudzapeza.
F-D: Vocabulary and Grammar Notes
Aliyense (everyone): Compound of ali (who is) + yense (every/any), functioning as an indefinite pronoun.
Amene (who): Relative pronoun agreeing with human/animate noun classes.
Afuna (seeks/wants): Present simple of kufuna “to want/seek,” here with a gnomic or timeless quality.
Adzapeza (will find): Future tense of kupeza—a- (subject) + -dza- (future) + -peza (stem).
Agogoda (knocks): Present simple of kugogoda “to knock,” a verb derived from the sound of knocking.
Adzatsegulidwa (will be opened): Passive future of kutsegula “to open.” The -idwa suffix creates the passive voice.
Funani (seek!): Imperative plural of kufuna. The -ni suffix marks plural addressees.
Ndipo (and): Conjunction introducing a result or consequence.
Mudzapeza (you will find): Second person plural future—mu- (you.PL) + -dza- (future) + -peza (find).
F-E: Commentary
This passage exemplifies the use of kupeza in proverbial or instructional contexts. The parallel structure (seek → find, knock → opened) demonstrates how Chichewa handles conditional relationships through verb sequencing rather than explicit conditional markers.
The shift from third person (aliyense adzapeza “everyone will find”) to second person imperative (funani “seek!”) to second person future (mudzapeza “you will find”) creates a rhetorical progression from general truth to direct address—a pattern common in Chichewa oratory and religious instruction.
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The following dialogue demonstrates kupeza in everyday conversational contexts, set at a typical Malawian market.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
33.16a Moni, bambo! Kodi mwapeza tomato? 33.16b Moni (mo-ni) greetings, bambo (bam-bo) sir! Kodi (ko-di) Q-PART mwapeza (mwa-pe-za) you.PL-PERF-find tomato (to-ma-to) tomatoes?
33.17a Inde, ndapeza tomato zabwino kwambiri. 33.17b Inde (in-de) yes, ndapeza (nda-pe-za) I-PERF-find tomato (to-ma-to) tomatoes zabwino (za-bwi-no) good kwambiri (kwam-bi-ri) very
33.18a Mtengo wake ndi bwanji? Ndikufuna kupeza mtengo wabwino. 33.18b Mtengo (mten-go) price wake (wa-ke) its ndi (ndi) is bwanji (bwa-nji) how? Ndikufuna (ndi-ku-fu-na) I-PRES.CONT-want kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find mtengo (mten-go) price wabwino (wa-bwi-no) good
33.19a Simungathe kupeza mtengo wabwino kwina! 33.19b Simungathe (si-mu-nga-the) NEG-you.PL-can-able kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find mtengo (mten-go) price wabwino (wa-bwi-no) good kwina (kwi-na) elsewhere!
33.20a Chabwino. Ndipeze anyezi ndi udzu komanso. 33.20b Chabwino (cha-bwi-no) alright. Ndipeze (ndi-pe-ze) I-SUBJ-find anyezi (a-nye-zi) onions ndi (ndi) and udzu (u-dzu) greens komanso (ko-ma-nso) also
33.21a Mayi, kodi mwapeza nsomba lero? 33.21b Mayi (ma-yi) madam, kodi (ko-di) Q-PART mwapeza (mwa-pe-za) you-PERF-find nsomba (nsom-ba) fish lero (le-ro) today?
33.22a Ayi, sindinapeze nsomba. Asodzi sanapeze kanthu. 33.22b Ayi (a-yi) no, sindinapeze (si-ndi-na-pe-ze) NEG-I-REC.PAST-find-NEG nsomba (nsom-ba) fish. Asodzi (a-so-dzi) fishermen sanapeze (sa-na-pe-ze) NEG-REC.PAST-find kanthu (kan-thu) anything
33.23a Pepani. Ndidzapeza nsomba kwina. 33.23b Pepani (pe-pa-ni) sorry. Ndidzapeza (ndi-dza-pe-za) I-FUT-find nsomba (nsom-ba) fish kwina (kwi-na) elsewhere
33.24a Mwina mudzapeza nsomba ku nyanja mawa. 33.24b Mwina (mwi-na) maybe mudzapeza (mu-dza-pe-za) you.PL-FUT-find nsomba (nsom-ba) fish ku (ku) at nyanja (nya-nja) lake mawa (ma-wa) tomorrow
33.25a Zikomo! Mwana wanga akupeza zipatso. Ndimupeze kaye. 33.25b Zikomo (zi-ko-mo) thank-you! Mwana (mwa-na) child wanga (wa-nga) my akupeza (a-ku-pe-za) is-PRES.CONT-finding zipatso (zi-pa-tso) fruits. Ndimupeze (ndi-mu-pe-ze) I-him/her-SUBJ-find kaye (ka-ye) first
33.26a Tapeza zonse zomwe tinafuna! 33.26b Tapeza (ta-pe-za) we-PERF-find zonse (zon-se) everything zomwe (zo-mwe) that tinafuna (ti-na-fu-na) we-REC.PAST-want!
33.27a Ndi bwino kupeza zinthu zatsopano kumsika. 33.27b Ndi (ndi) it-is bwino (bwi-no) good kupeza (ku-pe-za) to-find zinthu (zin-thu) things zatsopano (za-tso-pa-no) fresh kumsika (ku-msi-ka) at-market
33.28a Anthu ambiri amapeza chakudya pano tsiku lililonse. 33.28b Anthu (an-thu) people ambiri (am-bi-ri) many amapeza (a-ma-pe-za) HAB-find chakudya (cha-ku-dya) food pano (pa-no) here tsiku (tsi-ku) day lililonse (li-li-lon-se) every
33.29a Sindingapeze malo abwino kuposa awa. 33.29b Sindingapeze (si-ndi-nga-pe-ze) NEG-I-can-find malo (ma-lo) place abwino (a-bwi-no) good kuposa (ku-po-sa) more-than awa (a-wa) these
33.30a Tiyeni! Tapeza zonse. Tizipita kunyumba. 33.30b Tiyeni (ti-ye-ni) let’s-go! Tapeza (ta-pe-za) we-PERF-find zonse (zon-se) everything. Tizipita (ti-zi-pi-ta) we-should-go kunyumba (ku-nyum-ba) home
Part B: Natural Sentences
33.16 Moni, bambo! Kodi mwapeza tomato? “Greetings, sir! Have you found tomatoes?”
33.17 Inde, ndapeza tomato zabwino kwambiri. “Yes, I have found very good tomatoes.”
33.18 Mtengo wake ndi bwanji? Ndikufuna kupeza mtengo wabwino. “What is the price? I want to find a good price.”
33.19 Simungathe kupeza mtengo wabwino kwina! “You cannot find a better price anywhere else!”
33.20 Chabwino. Ndipeze anyezi ndi udzu komanso. “Alright. Let me find onions and greens as well.”
33.21 Mayi, kodi mwapeza nsomba lero? “Madam, have you found fish today?”
33.22 Ayi, sindinapeze nsomba. Asodzi sanapeze kanthu. “No, I haven’t found fish. The fishermen didn’t find anything.”
33.23 Pepani. Ndidzapeza nsomba kwina. “Sorry. I will find fish elsewhere.”
33.24 Mwina mudzapeza nsomba ku nyanja mawa. “Maybe you will find fish at the lake tomorrow.”
33.25 Zikomo! Mwana wanga akupeza zipatso. Ndimupeze kaye. “Thank you! My child is finding fruits. Let me find him/her first.”
33.26 Tapeza zonse zomwe tinafuna! “We have found everything we wanted!”
33.27 Ndi bwino kupeza zinthu zatsopano kumsika. “It is good to find fresh things at the market.”
33.28 Anthu ambiri amapeza chakudya pano tsiku lililonse. “Many people get food here every day.”
33.29 Sindingapeze malo abwino kuposa awa. “I cannot find a better place than this.”
33.30 Tiyeni! Tapeza zonse. Tizipita kunyumba. “Let’s go! We have found everything. Let us go home.”
Part C: Chichewa Text Only
33.16 Moni, bambo! Kodi mwapeza tomato?
33.17 Inde, ndapeza tomato zabwino kwambiri.
33.18 Mtengo wake ndi bwanji? Ndikufuna kupeza mtengo wabwino.
33.19 Simungathe kupeza mtengo wabwino kwina!
33.20 Chabwino. Ndipeze anyezi ndi udzu komanso.
33.21 Mayi, kodi mwapeza nsomba lero?
33.22 Ayi, sindinapeze nsomba. Asodzi sanapeze kanthu.
33.23 Pepani. Ndidzapeza nsomba kwina.
33.24 Mwina mudzapeza nsomba ku nyanja mawa.
33.25 Zikomo! Mwana wanga akupeza zipatso. Ndimupeze kaye.
33.26 Tapeza zonse zomwe tinafuna!
33.27 Ndi bwino kupeza zinthu zatsopano kumsika.
33.28 Anthu ambiri amapeza chakudya pano tsiku lililonse.
33.29 Sindingapeze malo abwino kuposa awa.
33.30 Tiyeni! Tapeza zonse. Tizipita kunyumba.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
The Perfect Tense in Conversation
The perfect tense (ndapeza, mwapeza, tapeza) dominates this dialogue because market interactions focus on completed actions with present relevance. “Have you found tomatoes?” (mwapeza) asks whether the successful acquisition of tomatoes has occurred and is still relevant—do you now have them?
Subjunctive for Intentions
The subjunctive (ndipeze “let me find,” ndimupeze “let me find him/her”) expresses wishes or intentions. The -e ending and any tonal shift mark this mood. This is the natural way to express “let me...” in Chichewa.
Negative Perfect
The construction sindinapeze combines the negative si- with the recent past/perfect negative pattern. The final -e (subjunctive) is required in negative perfect constructions—a distinctive Chichewa grammatical rule.
Object Incorporation
In ndimupeze (let me find him/her), the object marker -mu- (him/her) inserts between the subject marker ndi- and the verb stem -peze. This object incorporation is standard for definite objects.
Habitual for General Truths
Amapeza in example 33.28 uses the habitual tense for a general truth—people regularly get food at the market. This contrasts with the perfect (tapeza “we have found”) for specific, completed actions.
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Kupeza is pronounced /ku.ˈpe.za/ with stress on the penultimate syllable, as is standard in Chichewa.
The p is unaspirated (no puff of air), closer to the p in “spin” than in “pin.”
The z is a voiced alveolar fricative, as in English “zebra.”
Key vocabulary pronunciation:
Ndikupeza /ndi.ku.ˈpe.za/ — I am getting
Ndapeza /nda.ˈpe.za/ — I have gotten
Ndidzapeza /ndi.dza.ˈpe.za/ — I will get
Ndalama /nda.ˈla.ma/ — money
Ntchito /n̩.ˈtʃi.to/ — work (the n is syllabic before tch)
Chimwemwe /tʃi.ˈmwem.we/ — happiness
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