From the infinitive prefix kw- used before vowels.
-kw-
This is often dropped in colloquial speech:
| Swahili TAM markers | |
|---|---|
| Initial | |
| Positive infinitive | ku-/kw-1 |
| Negative infinitive | kuto- |
| Habitual | hu-1 |
| Telegrammic | ka-1 |
| Final | |
| General (positive indicative) | -a |
| Positive subjunctive | -e |
| Negative present | -i |
| Second person plural | -ni |
| Infix position positive subject concord | |
| Positive past | -li- |
| Positive present | -na- |
| Positive future | -ta- |
| Negative subjunctive | -si-1 |
| Positive present conditional | -nge- |
| Negative present conditional | -singe- |
| Positive past conditional | -ngali- |
| Negative past conditional | -singali- |
| Gnomic | -a-1 |
| Perfect | -me- |
| "Already" past | -lisha- |
| "Already" present | -mesha-/-sha- |
| "If/When" | -ki-1 |
| "If not" | -sipo- |
| Consecutive | -ka-1 |
| Infix position negative subject concord | |
| Negative past | -ku-1 |
| Negative future | -ta- |
| "Not yet" | -ja-1 |
| Negative present conditional | -nge- |
| Negative past conditional | -ngali- |
| Relative | |
| Past | -li- |
| Present | -na- |
| Future | -taka- |
| Negative | -si- |
| 1 Can take stress and therefore does not require -ku-/-kw- in monosyllabic verbs. | |