← Isambilisho lya Chisungu ku Bashimika ChiBemba
"That" is one of the most frequent words in English. It does three jobs, and Bemba uses a different tool for each:
- It points: "that man", "that book". This is the demonstrative. Bemba points with a word that agrees with the noun's class: umuntu ulya, ibuku lilya, ing'anda ilya. - It joins a noun to a clause that describes it: "the book that I want". This is the relative. Bemba uses a relative form: ilyo ndefwaya, uo natemwa, uwaishile. - It joins two sentences after verbs like know, say and think: "I know that she is a teacher". This is the conjunction. Bemba uses ukuti: Nalishiba ukuti ni kafundisha.
Bemba has three kinds of pointing words: near (uyu, ici, ili — "this"), the one already spoken of or near the listener (uyo, ico, ilyo), and the one far away (ulya, cilya, lilya — "that over there"). English has only two: "this" (near) and "that" (everything else). So English "that" covers both uyo and ulya.
English "that" never changes its form: that man, that book, that house, that dog. There is no class agreement in English.
What does "that" mean in Bemba? Pointing, ulya or uyo (and the other forms of the noun's class); in a relative clause, uo, ilyo, ico, iyo or uwa-; after "know" or "say", ukuti.
Key Takeaways:
- "That" + noun points: that man = umuntu ulya; that book = ibuku lilya. The English word is the same for every noun. - "That" alone can stand for a thing: "That is good" = Ico cisuma. - "The man that came" — "that" joins a describing clause to the noun, like Bemba uwaishile. - "I know that…", "She said that…" = Nalishiba ukuti…, Alandile ukuti… - "So that" shows purpose, like Bemba pakuti.
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that — strong form /ðæt/ (pointing: that man /ðæt ˈmæn/); weak form /ðət/ (relative and conjunction: I know that she… /aɪ ˈnəʊ ðət ʃiː/)
The first sound, /ð/, is not a Bemba sound. Put the tip of the tongue lightly between the teeth and let the voice buzz: /ð/ is the voiced partner of the /θ/ in "thing". Do not say "dat" or "zat".
The vowel /æ/ of the strong form is the vowel of "have" (Lesson 11): the mouth open as for Bemba a, the tongue pushed forward towards e.
Close the word on the /t/. Bemba words end in a vowel, so learners often say "thati": the English word ends with the tongue stopped, /ðæt/.
When "that" points, it is stressed and strong: "I want THAT book." When it joins clauses, it is unstressed and weak: "I know that /ðət/ she is a teacher."
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13.1 That ico is good cisuma
13.2 Take bula that cilya
13.3 Who nani is ni that uyo
13.4 Look at lolesha that ulya man umuntu
13.5 I (n-) want ndefwaya that lilya book ibuku
13.6 That ilya house ing'anda is ni my father's ya batata
13.7 I (n-) know nalishiba that ukuti she is ni a teacher kafundisha
13.8 She (a-) said alandile that ukuti she (a-) wants alefwaya to eat ukulya
13.9 The man umuntu that came uwaishile yesterday mailo is ni my friend cibusa wandi
13.10 This ili is e the book buku that ilyo I (n-) want ndefwaya
13.11 We ifwe know natwishiba that ukuti this uyu man muntu is a sinner mubifi
13.12 I (n-) do not know nshishibe that ulya man umuntu
13.13 Do bushe you (u-) see ulemona that ilya house ing'anda over there (-lya)
13.14 The child umwana that uo you (wa-) saw wamwene is ni my child mwana wandi
13.15 He (a-) worked abombele hard sana so that pakuti his bakwe children abana could go baye to ku school sukulu
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13.1 That is good. Ico cisuma.
13.2 Take that. Bula cilya.
13.3 Who is that? Ni nani uyo?
13.4 Look at that man. Lolesha umuntu ulya.
13.5 I want that book. Ndefwaya ibuku lilya.
13.6 That house is my father's. Ing'anda ilya ni ya batata.
13.7 I know that she is a teacher. Nalishiba ukuti ni kafundisha.
13.8 She said that she wants to eat. Alandile ukuti alefwaya ukulya.
13.9 The man that came yesterday is my friend. Umuntu uwaishile mailo ni cibusa wandi.
13.10 This is the book that I want. Ili e buku ilyo ndefwaya.
13.11 We know that this man is a sinner. Ifwe natwishiba ukuti uyu muntu mubifi. (Yoani 9:24, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
13.12 I do not know that man. Nshishibe umuntu ulya.
13.13 Do you see that house over there? Bushe ulemona ing'anda ilya?
13.14 The child that you saw is my child. Umwana uo wamwene ni mwana wandi.
13.15 He worked hard so that his children could go to school. Abombele sana pakuti abana bakwe baye ku sukulu.
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13.1 That is good.
13.2 Take that.
13.3 Who is that?
13.4 Look at that man.
13.5 I want that book.
13.6 That house is my father's.
13.7 I know that she is a teacher.
13.8 She said that she wants to eat.
13.9 The man that came yesterday is my friend.
13.10 This is the book that I want.
13.11 We know that this man is a sinner.
13.12 I do not know that man.
13.13 Do you see that house over there?
13.14 The child that you saw is my child.
13.15 He worked hard so that his children could go to school.
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These are the grammar rules for "that" in English:
1. "That" points (the demonstrative). "That" goes before the noun, and it is the same for every noun. Bemba changes the pointing word for every class and usually puts it after the noun:
- that man — umuntu ulya (13.4) - that book — ibuku lilya (13.5) - that house — ing'anda ilya (13.6, 13.13) - that thing — cilya (13.2)
The plural of "that" is "those": that man, those men. "This" (plural "these") is for what is near, like Bemba uyu, ili, ici (13.10, 13.11).
2. "That" alone (the pronoun). "That" can stand without a noun: "That is good" (13.1), "Who is that?" (13.3), "Take that" (13.2). Bemba does the same: Ico cisuma, Ni nani uyo?, Bula cilya.
3. "That" joins a describing clause (the relative). "The man that came yesterday" (13.9), "the book that I want" (13.10), "the child that you saw" (13.14). Bemba uses a relative form that agrees with the noun: uwaishile, ilyo ndefwaya, uo wamwene. English "that" never changes:
- the man that came — umuntu uwaishile - the book that I want — ibuku ilyo ndefwaya - the child that you saw — umwana uo wamwene
For people English may also use "who", and for things "which": "the man who came", "the book which I want". When "that" is the object of the clause, English often leaves it out: "the book I want", "the child you saw".
4. "That" after know, say, think (the conjunction). "I know that she is a teacher" (13.7), "She said that she wants to eat" (13.8). Here "that" = ukuti. In speech English often drops it: "I know she is a teacher."
5. "So that" (purpose). "He worked hard so that his children could go to school" (13.15) = pakuti. After "so that" English usually uses can, could or will.
6. How to tell the jobs apart. Look at what comes after "that": a noun (that man) — pointing; a verb or a clause with a missing person or thing (that came, that I want) — relative; a full sentence (that she is a teacher) — conjunction.
Common Mistakes:
- "That books are mine." Correct: Those books are mine. The plural of "that" is "those". - "This man over there." Correct: That man over there. "This" is only for what is near. - "The man that he came yesterday." Correct: The man that came yesterday. Do not add "he": "that" already stands for the man. - "The book that I want it." Correct: The book that I want. Do not add "it". - "The man which came." Correct: The man that came, or the man who came. "Which" is only for things. - "Dat" or "zat" for "that". Say /ðæt/, with the tongue between the teeth.
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"That" is among the twenty most frequent words of English, because it does three common jobs: pointing, joining a describing clause and joining two sentences.
Two English words, three Bemba distances. Bemba distinguishes the near (uyu), the one already spoken of or near the listener (uyo), and the far (ulya). English has only "this" and "that". To show great distance, English adds words: "that house over there" (13.13) = ing'anda ilya.
Yesterday and tomorrow. In 13.9, mailo means "yesterday", because the verb uwaishile is past; with a future verb, mailo means "tomorrow" (Lesson 12, 12.15). English always uses two different words: yesterday, tomorrow.
Pointing politely. In Zambia, as in Britain and America, pointing at a person with the finger can seem rude; "that man" with a small nod is more polite. In a shop, "Can I have that one, please?" is the usual way to ask for a thing you can see.
Common expressions with "that":
- that's right — yes, it is correct - that's all — there is nothing more - like that — in that way: "Do it like that." - that one — the thing over there: "Not this one, that one."
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John 9:25, the answer of the man born blind, after Jesus has healed him, to the Pharisees who question him. English: King James Version (1611). Bemba: Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015), Yoani 9:25.
"Whether nga he be a sinner mubifi or nangu no iyoo, I know not nshishibe that ico: one thing ico I ine know njishibe, that cakuti, whereas I was nali blind mpofu, now nomba I see ndelolesha" - John 9:25 (KJV)
"Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." "Nga mubifi nangu iyoo, ico nshishibe. Ine ico njishibe cakuti nali mpofu nomba ndelolesha." (Yoani 9:25, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
The Pharisees want the man to say that Jesus is a sinner (9:24: Ifwe natwishiba ukuti uyu muntu mubifi, "We know that this man is a sinner"). He refuses to judge what he does not know and holds to the one thing he does know. The Bemba translation builds his answer on two words of this lesson. Ico points back to the question: ico nshishibe, "that I do not know". Ico njishibe is "the thing that I know", a relative. Then cakuti, like the KJV's "that", opens the fact itself: nali mpofu nomba ndelolesha.
- "One thing I know, that…" — here "that" is the conjunction, = Bemba cakuti (ukuti). - "I know not" is old English. Today we say "I do not know" = nshishibe (as in 13.12). - "Whether he be… or no" is old English for "Whether he is… or not". - Bemba ico nshishibe puts "that" first and the verb after it; modern English can do the same for emphasis: "That I do not know." - In the KJV the commas around "that" are old punctuation; today we write: "One thing I know: that I was blind and now I see."
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13.16 Mutale Mutale who nani is ni that ulya man umuntu
13.17 That ulya is ni my teacher kafundisha wandi
13.18 Is bushe he the teacher e kafundisha that came uwaishile to ku our village mushi wesu
13.19 Yes ee I (n-) know nalishiba that ukuti he (a-) teaches alasambilisha English iciNgeleshi
13.20 Look at lolesha that ilya bicycle incinga
13.21 That ilya bicycle incinga is ni his yakwe
13.22 Do bushe you (wa-) know walishiba that ulya woman umwanakashi
13.23 Yes ee that ulya is e the woman mwanakashi that sells uuleshitisha bread umukate
13.24 I (n-) want ndefwaya to buy ukushita that ulya bread umukate
13.25 The bread umukate that uo you (u-) want ulefwaya is good usuma
13.26 I (n-) know nalishiba that ukuti my mother mayo likes alitemwa bread umukate
13.27 Then nomba let us buy natushite that ulya bread umukate
13.28 Yes ee so that pakuti we can eat tulye at ku home ng'anda
13.29 That ico is good cisuma
13.30 Who nani is ni that uyo It is ni my mother mayo
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13.16 Chanda: "Mutale, who is that man?" Chanda: "Mutale, umuntu ulya ni nani?"
13.17 Mutale: "That is my teacher." Mutale: "Ulya ni kafundisha wandi."
13.18 Chanda: "Is he the teacher that came to our village?" Chanda: "Bushe e kafundisha uwaishile ku mushi wesu?"
13.19 Mutale: "Yes. I know that he teaches English." Mutale: "Ee. Nalishiba ukuti alasambilisha iciNgeleshi."
13.20 Chanda: "Look at that bicycle." Chanda: "Lolesha incinga ilya."
13.21 Mutale: "That bicycle is his." Mutale: "Incinga ilya ni yakwe."
13.22 Chanda: "Do you know that woman?" Chanda: "Bushe walishiba umwanakashi ulya?"
13.23 Mutale: "Yes. That is the woman that sells bread." Mutale: "Ee. Ulya e mwanakashi uuleshitisha umukate."
13.24 Chanda: "I want to buy that bread." Chanda: "Ndefwaya ukushita umukate ulya."
13.25 Mutale: "The bread that you want is good." Mutale: "Umukate uo ulefwaya usuma."
13.26 Chanda: "I know that my mother likes bread." Chanda: "Nalishiba ukuti mayo alitemwa umukate."
13.27 Mutale: "Then let us buy that bread." Mutale: "Nomba natushite umukate ulya."
13.28 Chanda: "Yes, so that we can eat at home." Chanda: "Ee, pakuti tulye ku ng'anda."
13.29 Mutale: "That is good." Mutale: "Ico cisuma."
13.30 Chanda: "Who is that? It is my mother!" Chanda: "Ni nani uyo? Ni mayo!"
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13.16 Chanda: "Mutale, who is that man?"
13.17 Mutale: "That is my teacher."
13.18 Chanda: "Is he the teacher that came to our village?"
13.19 Mutale: "Yes. I know that he teaches English."
13.20 Chanda: "Look at that bicycle."
13.21 Mutale: "That bicycle is his."
13.22 Chanda: "Do you know that woman?"
13.23 Mutale: "Yes. That is the woman that sells bread."
13.24 Chanda: "I want to buy that bread."
13.25 Mutale: "The bread that you want is good."
13.26 Chanda: "I know that my mother likes bread."
13.27 Mutale: "Then let us buy that bread."
13.28 Chanda: "Yes, so that we can eat at home."
13.29 Mutale: "That is good."
13.30 Chanda: "Who is that? It is my mother!"
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The dialogue uses all the jobs of "that":
- Pointing, before a noun: "that man" (13.16), "that bicycle" (13.20, 13.21), "that woman" (13.22), "that bread" (13.24, 13.27). Notice how Bemba changes the word with the class: umuntu ulya, incinga ilya, umukate ulya. English always says "that". - Pointing, alone: "That is my teacher" (13.17), "That is good" (13.29), "Who is that?" (13.30). - Relative: "the teacher that came" (13.18), "the woman that sells bread" (13.23), "the bread that you want" (13.25). - Conjunction: "I know that he teaches English" (13.19), "I know that my mother likes bread" (13.26). - Purpose: "so that we can eat at home" (13.28).
Two kinds of "that" in one line. In 13.23, "That is the woman that sells bread", the first "that" points (ulya), the second joins the describing clause (uuleshitisha). The first is strong /ðæt/, the second weak /ðət/.
"That" for people. Pointing at a person, English says "that man" or "that woman", and "Who is that?" (13.16, 13.30) is natural. But "That is my teacher" (13.17) is used only when you are pointing or answering such a question; otherwise say "He is my teacher."
Writing a dialogue. Each speaker's words go inside quotation marks, after the speaker's name and a colon.
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- Strong and weak: "Look at that bicycle" /ˈlʊk ət ðæt ˈbaɪsɪkl/; "I know that he teaches" /aɪ ˈnəʊ ðət hiː ˈtiːtʃɪz/. - "That is" is often shortened to "that's" /ðæts/ in speech and informal writing: "That's good", "That's my teacher". - The /ð/ of "that" is the same sound as in this, these, those, the, they, there. Practise them together: this and that, these and those. - Spelling: that is always written with th- and one t at the end; never "dat" or "thatt". - No comma before a joining "that": "I know that he teaches English", "the bread that you want".
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