← Isambilisho lya Chisungu ku Bashimika ChiBemba
"This" is one of the most frequent words in English. It is a demonstrative: a pointing word. It points to a person or a thing that is near you. "This" has two jobs.
The first job is to come before a noun and point to it:
- This book is mine. — Ibuku ili ni lyandi. - I want this chair. — Ndefwaya icipuna ici. - Do you see this house? — Bushe ulemona ing'anda iyi?
The second job is to stand alone, in the place of a noun:
- This is my sister. — Uyu ni nkashi yandi. - Who is this? — Ni nani uyu? - Take this. — Bula ici.
When there is more than one, English says "these": these books, these chairs, these children. "These are my children." — Aba ni bana bandi.
Bemba changes its pointing word for every noun class: uyu, aba, ili, aya, ici, ifi, iyi, ubu, uku. So a Bemba speaker has many words for the one English word. English has only two forms, "this" for one and "these" for more than one. It does not matter whether the thing is a person, a book, a chair or a house: this man, this book, this chair, this house.
Bemba also has three kinds of pointing word: near (uyu, ici, ili), the one by you or already spoken of (uyo, ico, ilyo), and the one far away (ulya, cilya, lilya). English has two. Only the near one is "this" (Lesson 13). Both uyo and ulya are "that" in English.
Where does "this" go? Bemba can say it after the noun (ibuku ili, icipuna ici) or before it (uyu mukate, aya mashiwi). English always puts "this" before the noun: this book, never "book this".
What does "this" mean in Bemba? For one person or thing, the near pointing word of its class: uyu, ili, ici, iyi, ubu, uku; for more than one, aba, aya, ifi, ishi. Alone, "this" is often uyu (a person) or ici (a thing).
Key Takeaways:
- "This" is for one near person or thing: this book, this chair, this man. "These" is for more than one: these books, these chairs, these men. - English has only "this" and "these". It does not change for the kind of noun, as Bemba does (uyu, ili, ici, ifi, aba). - "This" goes before the noun: this book. Not "book this". - "This" can stand alone: "This is my sister." "Who is this?" "Take this." - "This" with a time word has no small word before it: this morning, this week, this year, this Saturday. Not "in this morning", not "on this Saturday" (Lesson 18).
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this — /ðɪs/ these — /ðiːz/
this book /ðɪs ˈbʊk/; this is /ðɪs ɪz/; this one /ðɪs ˈwʌn/; these children /ðiːz ˈtʃɪldrən/
The first sound, /ð/, is not a Bemba sound. Put the tip of the tongue lightly between the teeth and let the voice buzz. It is the same sound as the last sound of "with" (Lesson 17) and the first sound of "the" (Lesson 1) and "that" (Lesson 13). Bemba speakers often say "dis" or "zis"; these are understood, but "this" /ðɪs/ is correct.
The vowel of "this" is /ɪ/, short and relaxed, the vowel of "did" (Lesson 15), "his" (Lesson 16) and "with" (Lesson 17). Do not make it a long Bemba i: /ðɪs/, not "thees".
The vowel of "these" is long, /iː/. Hold it a little longer: "this" /ðɪs/ has a short vowel, "these" /ðiːz/ a long one.
The last sound is different too. "This" ends with /s/ (hissing, no voice). "These" ends with /z/ (with voice, like the last sound of "his"). Close both words on the consonant. Bemba words end in a vowel, so learners often say "thisi" or "thesi": the English words stop at /s/ and /z/.
"This" is always stressed when it points: "I want THIS book." "This is" often runs together in speech: /ðɪsɪz/.
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19.1 This ici is good cisuma
19.2 Take bula this ici
19.3 Who nani is ni this uyu
19.4 This uyu is ni my yandi sister nkashi
19.5 These aba are ni my bandi children bana
19.6 I (n-) want ndefwaya this ici chair icipuna
19.7 Sit ikaleni on pa these ifi chairs fipuna
19.8 I (na-) know nalishiba this uyu man muntu
19.9 Put bika this ili book ibuku on pa the table tebulo
19.10 Do bushe you (u-) see ulemona this iyi house ing'anda
19.11 Is bushe this uyu not te Jesus Yesu the son mwana of Joseph Yosefu
19.12 Truly ala cine cine ("oh, truly truly") this uyu is e the prophet kasesema who was ali coming nokwisa ("about to come") into the world pano isonde ("here on the earth")
19.13 And elyo everyone onse who eats uulya this uyu bread mukate will live akabelelela ("he will go on") uwamweo ("one of life") forever pe
19.14 When cilya the disciples abasambi heard baumfwa this ifi they fell bawa down panshi
19.15 So kanshi I have told you namweba these things ifi so that pakuti you too na imwe may be mube with ne my shandi joy nsansa
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19.1 This is good. Ici cisuma.
19.2 Take this. Bula ici.
19.3 Who is this? Ni nani uyu?
19.4 This is my sister. Uyu ni nkashi yandi.
19.5 These are my children. Aba ni bana bandi.
19.6 I want this chair. Ndefwaya icipuna ici.
19.7 Sit on these chairs. Ikaleni pa fipuna ifi.
19.8 I know this man. Nalishiba uyu muntu.
19.9 Put this book on the table. Bika ibuku ili pa tebulo.
19.10 Do you see this house? Bushe ulemona ing'anda iyi?
19.11 Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Bushe uyu te Yesu, mwana Yosefu? (Yoani 6:42, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
19.12 Truly, this is the prophet who was coming into the world! Ala cine cine uyu e kasesema ali nokwisa pano isonde! (Yoani 6:14, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
19.13 And everyone who eats this bread will live forever. Elyo onse uulya uyu mukate, akabelelela uwamweo pe. (Yoani 6:51, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
19.14 When the disciples heard this, they fell down. Cilya abasambi baumfwa ifi, bawa panshi. (Mateo 17:6, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015; the first part of the verse)
19.15 So I have told you these things so that you too may have my joy. Kanshi namweba ifi pakuti na imwe mube ne nsansa shandi. (Yoani 15:11, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015; the first part of the verse)
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19.1 This is good.
19.2 Take this.
19.3 Who is this?
19.4 This is my sister.
19.5 These are my children.
19.6 I want this chair.
19.7 Sit on these chairs.
19.8 I know this man.
19.9 Put this book on the table.
19.10 Do you see this house?
19.11 Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
19.12 Truly, this is the prophet who was coming into the world!
19.13 And everyone who eats this bread will live forever.
19.14 When the disciples heard this, they fell down.
19.15 So I have told you these things so that you too may have my joy.
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These are the grammar rules for "this" in English:
1. "This" and "these". English has two forms and chooses by number only. One person or thing: "this". More than one: "these". Bemba chooses by the class of the noun, and English does not:
- umuntu uyu — this person; abantu aba — these people (19.5) - ibuku ili — this book (19.9); amabuku aya — these books - icipuna ici — this chair (19.6); ifipuna ifi — these chairs (19.7) - ing'anda iyi — this house (19.10); ing'anda ishi — these houses - ubwato ubu — this boat - ukufunda uku — this teaching (Yoani 6:60: "Awe ukufunda uku kwakosa nganshi", "This teaching is very hard")
The forms with a verse reference are from the Bible; the others follow the same class agreement and use words of this course. Note that ing'anda is the same for one and for many: the pointing word shows the number (iyi, ishi). English shows it too: this house, these houses.
2. "This" goes before the noun. Bemba puts the pointing word after the noun (ibuku ili, icipuna ici, ing'anda iyi) or before it (uyu muntu, uyu mukate, aya mashiwi, aba bana). When it comes before, the noun usually loses its first vowel: umukate → uyu mukate (19.13), umuntu → uyu muntu (19.8), abana → aba bana. English says "this" before the noun every time, and the noun does not change: this bread, this man, these children.
3. "This" alone. "This" can stand where a noun would stand: "This is good" (19.1), "Take this" (19.2), "Who is this?" (19.3), "This is my sister" (19.4). Bemba uses uyu for a person and ici (or ifi, ili) for a thing. With a person, English "this" is used in introductions: "This is my sister Bupe." Do not say "He is my sister": English "he" is for a man or a boy, and Bemba a- is for anyone (Lesson 16).
4. "This is" and Bemba e. Bemba can say uyu ni (19.4) or uyu e (19.12). The word e means "is the one": uyu e kasesema, "this is the prophet". English has one word, "is", and shows the weight with the voice: "THIS is the prophet." In the question of 19.11, Bushe uyu te Yesu?, te is "is not": "Is this not Jesus?"
5. "These are", never "this are". The verb agrees with "this" or "these". "This is my sister." "These are my children" (19.5). Not "These is my children" and not "This are my children".
6. "This" and "that". "This" is for what is near. "That" is for what is far, or by the listener (Lesson 13). Bemba has uyu (near), uyo (by you), ulya (far): English "that" covers uyo and ulya. Compare: "I want this chair" (19.6) and "I want that chair" (icipuna cilya). The English word changes; the noun does not.
7. "This" for what was just said or seen. Sometimes "this" points to words or an event, not to a thing you can touch. The disciples heard a voice, and "when they heard this, they fell down" (19.14); Jesus said, "I have told you these things" (19.15). Here Bemba uses ifi, "these things" (plural), but English can say "this" (one event, one thing said) or "these things" (many words). So "Do this" is Cita ici (Lesson 15), and "these words" is aya mashiwi.
8. "This" for time and place. "This" joins a time word: this morning, this afternoon, this week, this year, this Saturday. It takes no small word before it: "I will see you this Saturday", not "on this Saturday" (Lesson 18, "With 'last', 'next' and 'this', no 'on'"). Bemba uses the time words of its own: ilelo is "today" (Lesson 18, nga ilelo), and pa nshita ino is "at this time, now" (Yoani 13:7, Lesson 15). Bemba pano (here) is also part of "in this world": pano isonde, "in the world" (19.12), and pano calo, "on earth" (Lesson 18). English says "in this world" or "in the world", never "in here world".
9. "This one". When "this" stands for a thing already named, English can add "one": "I want this one." Bemba says Ndefwaya ici. "These ones" is heard in speech, but "these" alone is better.
Common Mistakes:
- "This books are good." Correct: These books are good. "This" is for one. - "These is my sister." Correct: This is my sister. - "I want these chair." Correct: I want this chair. - "Book this is mine." Correct: This book is mine. "This" goes before the noun. - "He is my sister." Correct: This is my sister. / She is my sister. - "In this morning I read." Correct: This morning I read. No "in". - "I will come on this Saturday." Correct: I will come this Saturday. No "on". - "Dis book" or "zis book." Correct: this book /ðɪs bʊk/. The tongue goes between the teeth. - "Thees is my house." Correct: This /ðɪs/ is my house. The vowel is short.
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"This" is among the twenty most frequent words of English. It is heard everywhere: "this is my friend", "what is this?", "this morning", "this week".
Introductions. When you meet someone in a group, English introduces by pointing: "This is my sister Bupe, and this is my friend Chanda." People shake hands and say "Nice to meet you." In Zambia a person may also use a title: "This is Mr Banda."
The telephone. English speakers say "this" on the telephone for themselves: "Hello, this is Mutale." And they ask: "Who is this?" or "Is this Mr Banda?" Do not ask "Who are you?" on the telephone; it sounds rude.
Time. "This" is the natural word for the day or the week you are in: "this morning", "this evening", "this week", "this year". "This morning" means the morning of today: "I saw him this morning."
The Bible. "This" is the word that points in the great verses. The voice from the cloud says, "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 17:5, Section F). A psalm says, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24, KJV).
Common expressions with "this":
- this and that — small things of different kinds: "We talked about this and that." - like this — in this way: "Hold the pen like this." - these days — nowadays: "These days many people have a phone." - this time — now, on this occasion: "This time I will be early." - Who is this? — on the telephone, "Who is speaking?"
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Matthew 17:5, from the Transfiguration: Jesus is on the mountain with Peter, James and John, and a voice speaks from the cloud. English: King James Version (1611). Bemba: Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa (2015), Mateo 17:5.
"And elyo behold (no word) a voice ishiwi out of the cloud lyafuma mwikumbi ("it came out of the cloud") which said aliti ("saying"), This uyu is e my beloved son mwana wandi ("my child") whom uo I love natemwa, in whom uo I am well pleased nsekelamo ("I am pleased in him"); hear ye him mulemumfwa ("you be listening to him")." - Matthew 17:5 (KJV)
"And behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." "Elyo ishiwi lyafuma mwikumbi aliti, 'Uyu e mwana wandi uo natemwa, uo nsekelamo. Mulemumfwa.'" (Mateo 17:5, Ishiwi Lyakwa Lesa 2015)
Peter has just spoken. He has seen Jesus with Moses and Elijah, and he offers to build three shelters, one for each (Mateo 17:4). Then the voice comes, and it answers with a pointing word. It does not argue; it says "This". Not Moses, not Elijah, not three shelters: this one, who is standing there. "This" means "the one who is here, before you". The voice then gives two things said of him, "my beloved Son" and "in whom I am well pleased", and one command, "hear ye him". The next verse, Mateo 17:6, is 19.14: "when the disciples heard this, they fell down". The Gospel of Mark has the same voice with the same pointing word: "Uyu e Mwana wandi, uo natemwa, mulemumfwa" (Mako 9:7). The sentence is short and every word is plain, but everything depends on its first word.
- "This is my beloved Son": "This" stands alone and is followed by "is". Bemba uyu e mwana wandi: uyu (this, for a person), e (is), mwana wandi (my child). - "Beloved" is "loved very much". It is an old and formal adjective. Bemba says uo natemwa, "whom I love", a describing clause (uo is the relative of Lesson 13). - "In whom I am well pleased" is formal English; today we say "with whom I am very happy". Bemba uo nsekelamo ends in -mo, "in him": "whom I am pleased in". It is like the -po of Lesson 18 ("on it"), but for "inside". - "Hear ye him" is old English. "Ye" is the old word for "you" (more than one), and "hear" here means "listen to and obey". Today: "Listen to him." Bemba mulemumfwa: mu- (you, more than one), -le- (be doing), -mu- (him), -mfwa (hear). The word "him" is inside the verb; English puts it after the verb (Lesson 16). - Bemba Mwana in Mako 9:7 has a capital letter, because it names the Son. English writes "Son" with a capital letter in the same way.
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19.16 Madam mukwai who nani is ni this uyu child mwana
19.17 This uyu is ni my wandi child mwana Mwansa Mwansa
19.18 And kabili these aba are ni my bandi children bana Mulenga Mulenga and na Chola Chola
19.19 Chanda Chanda take bula this ili book ibuku
19.20 Thank you natotela sir mukwai Do bushe this ili book ibuku is ni yours lyenu
19.21 Yes ee this ili is ni my lyandi English lya ciNgeleshi book ibuku
19.22 Read belenga this ili book ibuku at ku home ng'anda
19.23 Chanda Chanda please napapata cut putula this uyu bread umukate
19.24 Yes ee madam mukwai I am cutting ndeputula this uyu bread umukate
19.25 Madam mukwai this uyu cat pushi is ali on pa the table tebulo again kabili
19.26 Oh ala this uyu cat pushi get down ika panshi ("go down to the ground")
19.27 Mother mayo this uyu cat pushi is ni mine wandi
19.28 Mwansa Mwansa I (na-) know nalishiba this uyu cat pushi
19.29 Mutale Mutale you are welcome mwaiseni in mu this iyi house ing'anda
19.30 Thank you natotela madam mukwai today ilelo we are tuli with ne joy nsansa in mu this iyi house ing'anda
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19.16 Bupe: "Madam, who is this child?" Bupe: "Mukwai, ni nani uyu mwana?"
19.17 The teacher's wife: "This is my child Mwansa." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Uyu ni mwana wandi Mwansa."
19.18 The teacher's wife: "And these are my children, Mulenga and Chola." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Kabili aba ni bana bandi, Mulenga na Chola."
19.19 The teacher: "Chanda, take this book." Kafundisha: "Chanda, bula ibuku ili."
19.20 Chanda: "Thank you, sir. Is this book yours?" Chanda: "Natotela mukwai. Bushe ibuku ili ni lyenu?"
19.21 The teacher: "Yes, this is my English book." Kafundisha: "Ee, ili ni ibuku lyandi lya ciNgeleshi."
19.22 The teacher: "Read this book at home." Kafundisha: "Belenga ibuku ili ku ng'anda."
19.23 The teacher's wife: "Chanda, please cut this bread." Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Chanda, napapata putula uyu umukate."
19.24 Chanda: "Yes, madam. I am cutting this bread." Chanda: "Ee mukwai. Ndeputula uyu umukate."
19.25 Bupe: "Madam, this cat is on the table again!" Bupe: "Mukwai, uyu pushi ali pa tebulo kabili!"
19.26 The teacher's wife: "Oh! This cat! Get down!" Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Ala! Uyu pushi! Ika panshi!"
19.27 Mwansa: "Mother, this cat is mine." Mwansa: "Mayo, uyu pushi ni wandi."
19.28 The teacher's wife: "Mwansa, I know this cat!" Umukashi wa kafundisha: "Mwansa, nalishiba uyu pushi!"
19.29 The teacher: "Mutale, you are welcome in this house." Kafundisha: "Mutale, mwaiseni mu ng'anda iyi."
19.30 Mutale: "Thank you, madam. Today we are glad in this house." Mutale: "Natotela mukwai. Ilelo tuli ne nsansa mu ng'anda iyi."
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19.16 Bupe: "Madam, who is this child?"
19.17 The teacher's wife: "This is my child Mwansa."
19.18 The teacher's wife: "And these are my children, Mulenga and Chola."
19.19 The teacher: "Chanda, take this book."
19.20 Chanda: "Thank you, sir. Is this book yours?"
19.21 The teacher: "Yes, this is my English book."
19.22 The teacher: "Read this book at home."
19.23 The teacher's wife: "Chanda, please cut this bread."
19.24 Chanda: "Yes, madam. I am cutting this bread."
19.25 Bupe: "Madam, this cat is on the table again!"
19.26 The teacher's wife: "Oh! This cat! Get down!"
19.27 Mwansa: "Mother, this cat is mine."
19.28 The teacher's wife: "Mwansa, I know this cat!"
19.29 The teacher: "Mutale, you are welcome in this house."
19.30 Mutale: "Thank you, madam. Today we are glad in this house."
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The dialogue continues Lesson 18. The fish has been eaten, and the three friends, Mutale, Bupe and Chanda, are still in the teacher's house on Saturday. Now they meet the teacher's family, and "this" and "these" are used for people, for things in the room, and for the cat.
- A person, with a noun: "this child" (19.16), "these children" (19.18). Bemba: uyu mwana, aba bana. - A person, alone: "This is my child Mwansa" (19.17), "these are my children" (19.18). When we introduce people, English uses "this is" and "these are". Bemba: Uyu ni, Aba ni. - A thing, with a noun: "this book" (19.19 to 19.22), "this bread" (19.23, 19.24), "this cat" (19.25 to 19.28), "this house" (19.29, 19.30). Bemba: ibuku ili, uyu umukate, uyu pushi, ing'anda iyi. - A thing, alone: "this is my English book" (19.21). Bemba: ili ni ibuku lyandi lya ciNgeleshi.
"This book is yours" and "Is this your book?". In 19.20 Chanda asks "Is this book yours?" (Bushe ibuku ili ni lyenu?). English can also say "Is this your book?" with "your" before "book". Bemba lyenu follows the noun and is the respect plural, as in Lesson 18 (18.22); the teacher answers with lyandi, "mine" (19.21). English "your" and "yours" are the same for one person or many.
Bemba uyu umukate and English "this bread". In 19.23 and 19.24 the Bemba keeps the first vowel (uyu umukate), as the course has before (Lesson 17, 17.26), but in the Bible the vowel is lost (uyu mukate, 19.13). Both are used. English always has "this bread".
"Again". In 19.25 Bupe says "again" (kabili) because the cat was on the table in Lesson 18. English puts "again" at the end: "is on the table again".
"I know this cat." In 19.28 the teacher's wife uses nalishiba, "I know" (Lesson 13). She means that she has seen this cat on the table before.
"You are welcome in this house." In 19.29 the teacher uses Mwaiseni (Lesson 18), the plural word of welcome, to Mutale alone, as a respect form. English "you are welcome" is the same for one person or many. ("You're welcome" is also the answer to "Thank you", but that is not the meaning here.) Notice "in this house", not "on this house": "in" is for inside a place (Lesson 18).
"Today we are glad." In 19.30 Bemba says tuli ne nsansa, "we are with joy"; English says "we are glad" or "we are happy". Compare 19.15, where the Bible says mube ne nsansa shandi, "may you have my joy".
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- "This" /ðɪs/ and "these" /ðiːz/ are different words: "this book" but "these books". The vowel is short in "this" and long in "these"; the last sound is /s/ in "this" and /z/ in "these". - "This" /ðɪs/ and "thin" /θɪn/ begin with different sounds. /ð/ has voice, as in "this", "that", "the", "with"; /θ/ has no voice, as in "thin", "thank", "thing". - "These" /ðiːz/ and "those" /ðəʊz/: "these" is near, "those" is far. Do not say "these" /ðiːz/ for "this" /ðɪs/. - Spelling: t-h-i-s. "These" is t-h-e-s-e, with a silent final e that makes the first e long. Not "thise" or "thees". - "This" has no plural "thises". The plural is "these", a different word. - "This" has no capital letter in the middle of a sentence. At the beginning of a sentence it has one: "This is my sister." - Bemba writes c for the sound /tʃ/ in ici, icipuna; some writers use ch (ichi, ichipuna). The Bible writes ng'anda as ŋanda, but this course writes ng'anda (Lesson 16).
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