Verbs
Note that a positive Sesotho verb in the present tense and in it's original form always end on an -a.
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abandon - ngala abolish - fedisa accuse - qosa admire - boha allocate - aba answer - araba approach - atamela argue - lwana arrive - fihla ask - botsa assault - otla assess - hlahloba bake - baka bark - bohola become blind - foufala beg - kopa bend - koba bite - loma break - roba bring - tlisa buy - reka borrow - adima boil - bela call - bitsa catch - tshwara chase - leleka chew - hlafuna classify - hlophisa clean - hlakola close - kwala come - tloho complete - phetha confiscate - hapa conserve - boloka consult - rerisa contest - tseka correct - tshwaya cook - pheha cry - lla cut - seha dance - tantsha dazzle - fahla deny - hana desire - lakatsa divide - arola |
drink - nwa drive - kganna dry - omisa eat - ja enter - kena entertain - thabisa fall - wa finish - qeta fly - fofa fold - mena get - fumana give - fa guide - tataisa help - thusa herd - disa hit - otla hold - tshwara immerse - ina improve - lokisa indicate - supa inject - hlaba inoculate - enta invite - moma kick - raha kill - bolaya knock down - diha know - tseba laugh - tsheha listen - mamela look - sheba love - rata make fire - besa marry - nyala meet - kopana modify - fetola obtain - fumana open - bula originate - hlaha pass - fetisetsa pay - lefa phela - live play - bapala plant - jala pray - rapela press down - hatella |
put on - tena/apara race - beisa read - bala reduce - fokotsa receive - amohela refuse - hana remove - tlosa require - batla respect - hlompha respond - araba rest - phomola return - kgutla reveal - senola rinse - tsokotsa run - matha say - re see - bona sell - rekisa sew - roka sign - saena sing - bina sit - dula sleep - robala smell - nkga stand - ema steal - utswa succeed - atleha surpass - feta suspend - emisa swallow - kwenya swear - rohaka sweep - fiela talk - bua teach - ruta tell - bolella thank - leboha tie - tlama wait for - emela wake up - tsoha want - batla wash - hlatswa win - hlola work - sebetsa write - ngola wring - sotha |
The verb is used to indicate tenses in Sesotho.
The following prefixes and suffixes may be added to verbs to achieve certain meanings and/or forms of the verb:
| Type | Prefix/suffix | Original form |
New Example |
Translation | Description |
| Infinitive | ho - | bala | ho bala | to read | Forms infinitive form -
adds "to" (Also functions in a nominal capacity.) |
| Passive | -wa | ja | jewa | being eaten | Creates passive form
- action is done to noun. |
| Neutral | -ahala -leh |
utlwa | utlwahala | be audible | Verb expresses noun in tansformative manner. |
| Applied | -etsa -ela |
sheba | shebetsa | ask for | Creates applied form of verb. |
| Causative | -tsa -ntsha -nya |
bona | bontsha | cause to see | Something is caused to
happen to the noun. |
| Intensive | -isisa | utlwa | utlwisisa | understand | The act of the verb is intensified. |
| Reciprocal | -ana | bona | bonana | see each other | Action is carried out among parties - from both sides. |
| Reversive | -oloha -olla |
tlama | tlamolla | untie | A certain action is reversed - undone. |
| Reflexive | i- | bona | ipona | see yourself | Action is done by subject
or object to itself. |
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© J. Olivier
(2009)