12- The Unreal Conditional Tenses (Hypothetical)
a-Unreal Present (-tu)
The Unreal Present conditional tense structure is used to express a hypothetical situation in the present and formulated as follows;
Subject Prefix + Verb root + The Suffix “-tu”
The hypothetical tense marker of the present conditional suffix “-tu” is placed at the end of the verbal root.
Aleetu leetna ; I would read the book
Naakuatu ; You would work
Wapatu ; He/she would swim
Tekoatu Kunaka ; We would learn Kunaka
Saasautu ; You(pl) would fight
Nuzanutu zatna ; They would cook food
Example Sentences
Akutu Loto, areitu soa. (If I won Lottery, I would travel a lot.)
Naasatu chu, naasotu onua. (If you came here, you would see them)
Nukuatu, nurutu dina. (If they worked, they would get money)
Negative Form:
The negative form of unreal present conditional is easily formulated by simply adding negative sentence indicator “in“ in front of the subjet prefix, hence the structure is formulated as follows;
In Subject Prefix + Verb root + The suffix “-tu”
In Amaetu dar ; I would not clean the house
In Naawautu taas ; You would not wear fur
In Wazatu zatna ; He/she would not eat food
In Tehotu e shenne ; We would not go to the city
In Saapotu Faranke ; You(pl) would not speak French
In Nufuetu oa ; They would not follow me
Example Sentences
(Qule) Akutu Loto, in anautu chae dar.
(If I won Lottery, I would not buy a house)
(Qule) in naasatu e woa dar, in naasotu oa.
(If you did not come to my house, you would not see me)
(Qule) in nunautu moqte un tuatku, in nuzanutu zatna.
(If they did not buy vegetable in bazaar, they would not cook food)
b-Unreal Past (-tule)
The Unreal Past conditional tense structure is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past and formulated as follows;
Subject Prefix + Verb root + The suffix “-tule”
The tense marker of the present conditional suffix “-tule” is placed at the end of the verbal root.
! Past conditional suffix “-tule“ is the past form of the present conditional suffix “-tu“ , since it is formed as “-tu“ + “le” Þ “-tule“
Atotule itto ; I would have tried hard
Naakoatule Kunaka ; You would have learned Kunaka
Waguatule ; He/she would have got married
Tenautule kotta ; We would have bought a car
Nuruetule kutta ; They would have arrived early
Saalitule chai ; You(pl) would have drunk tea
Example Sentences
(Qule) walitule na repa, ka waduetule.
(If he had drunk this medicine, he would have got healed)
(Qule) saaruetule dar kutta, saasotule oa.
(If you(pl) had arrived home early, you(pl) would have seen me)
Negative Form:
The negative form of unreal past conditional is easily formulated by simply adding negative sentence indicator “in“ in front of the subjet prefix , hence the structure is formulated as follows;
In Subject Prefix + Verb root + The suffix “-tule”
In asautule ; I would not have fought
In naamatule ; You would not have noticed
In wakotule un dar ; He/she would not have hidden at home
In tesuatule tutna i ron ; We would not have opened the door of the room
In saachetule katela ; You(pl) would not have played football
In nuhotule ; They would not have gone
Example Sentences
(Qule) in naasatule chu, in naasotule oa.
(If you had not come here, you would not have seen me)
(Qule) in nuguatule, in nugotule chu.
(If they had not got married, they would not have lived here)
Chapter Test - 12
Please chose the correct translation. (Questions 1-10)
1- If you did not come, I would not see you.
a) In naasatu, in asotu onaa.
b) Naasatule, in asotule onaa.
c) In naasatule, asotule onaa.
d) In naasatule, in asotule owa.
e) In naasatu, asotu onaa.
2- If we had not gone to Nairobi, we would not have seen the lions.
a) Tehotule e Nairobi, in tesotule puoban.
b) In tehotule e Nairobi, in tesotule puoban.
c) In tehotule e Nairobi, tesotule puoban.
d) In tehotule e Nairobi, in tesotule puoba.
e) In tehotu e Nairobi, in tesotu puoban.
3- If he did not bring food, we would not cook.
a) In anitu zatna, in tezanutu.
b) In wanitule zatna, in tezanutule.
c) In wanitu zatna, tezanutu.
d) In wanitu zatna, in tezanutu.
e) Wanitu zatna, tezanutu.
4- If he had invited us, we would have come.
a) Waguetule oa, tesatule.
b) In waguetule ote, in tesatule.
c) Naaguetule ote, tesatule.
d) Waguetu ote, tesatu.
e) Waguetule ote, tesatule.
5- If they had worked, they would have earned Money.
a) Tekuatule, teyetule dina.
b) Nukuatu, nuyetu dina.
c) Nukuatule, in nuyetule dina.
d) Nukuatule, nuyetule dina.
e) Naakuatule, naayetule dina.
6- If the students had learned Kunaka, they would speak it now.
a) Leuja wakoatule Kunaka, wapotu owa arra.
b) Leujan nukoatule Kunaka, nupotule owa arra.
c) Leujan nukoatu Kunaka, nupotu owa arra.
d) Leujan nukoatule Kunaka, nupotu owa arra.
e) Leujan nukoatule Kunaka, in nupotu owa arra.
7- If I had seen him, I would have told him.
a) Asotule owa, in amotule owa.
b) Asotule onaa, amotule onaa.
c) Asotu owa, amotu owa.
d) Naasotule owa, naamotule owa.
e) Asotule owa, amotule owa.
8- If we had bought a house last month, we would stay there now.
a) Tenautule chae dar sa’ah mun, tebaetule shu arra.
b) Nunautule chae dar sa’ah mun, nubaetu shu arra.
c) Tenautule chae dar sa’ah mun, tebaetu shu arra.
d) Tenautule chae dar tua munan zuda, tebaetu shu arra.
e) Tenautule chae dar sa’ah mun, in tebaetu shu arra.
9- If you had understood the question, you would have answered it.
a) In naayotule kiatna, in naadiatule owa.
b) Naayotu kiatna, naadiatu owa.
c) Naayotule kiatna, in naadiatule owa.
d) Wayotule kiatna, wadiatule owa.
e) Naayotule kiatna, naadiatule owa.
10- If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.
a) Naaleutule, naafagutule kumaetna.
b) Nuleutule, nufagutule kumaetna.
c) Naaleutule, in naafagutule kumaetna.
d) Naaleutu, naafagutu kumaetna.
e) Naaleutule, naafagutu kumaetna.