originally posted by: machieng https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/33762759
This is an overview of object infixes in the different noun classes. Please leave your questions below!
For these examples, the objects themselves are not absolutely necessary to include, unless for the purposes of providing more context. Other than the M/Wa example, the other sentences are complete without the object nouns, and the pronoun 'it'/'them' can be used to replace them. In the case of the Swahili translation, however, the object is useful (and necessary) to be able to identify which object infix to use, as this is determined by the noun class of the object noun:
| Noun Class | Singular | Plural | Translation (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M/Wa | Mama ananipenda | Mama anatupenda | Mother/Mum loves me |
| M/Wa | Juma anamwangalia | Juma anawaangalia | Juma is looking at him/her (person or animal) |
| M/Mi | Juma aliupanda (mti) | Juma aliipanda (miti) | Juma climbed/planted the tree |
| JI/Ma | Nitalipika (yai) | Nitayapika (mayai) | I will cook the egg |
| Ki/Vi | Maria alikitengeneza (kiti) | Maria alivitengeneza (viti) | Maria made/fixed the chair |
| U/N | Utauziba (ufa huo) | Uziziba (nyufa hizo) | You will fill up/plug that crack! |
| N/N | Hii ni nyumba yangu. Ninataka kuiuza | Hizi ni nyumba zangu. Ninataka kuziuza | This is my house. I want to sell it |
| U/Ma | Daktari ameutibu (ugonjwa) | Daktari ameyatibu (magonjwa) | The doctor has cured the disease |
From the sentences above, object infixes are typically only included to demonstrate specificity of the object being referenced, when used in combination with the object noun. The object nouns in parentheses are not absolutely necessary, if the listener already knows the object in question, such as in the N/N example.
If it's a general reference, the infix is not necessary. e.g. 'I want a banana' vs 'I want the banana' would be 'Ninataka ndizi' vs 'Ninaitaka ndizi', or simply 'Ninaitaka' (I want it)
N 
C1 
B2 
B1 
A1