| Short form | Long form | English |
|---|---|---|
| mú | móno, múnu¹ | I |
| ngé | you | |
| yá | yándi | he, she |
| béto | we | |
| béno | you | |
| bá | báu, bó² | they |
| yáu, yó² | it, they |
Notes:
(1) Móno is used in Congo-Kinshasa, múnu is used in Congo-Brazzaville.
(2) Bó and yó are used in the Kwango-Kwilu region.
(3) Yáu is used in singular and plural.
| Kikóngo | English |
|---|---|
| na móno/múnu | my |
| na ngé | your |
| na yándi | his, her |
| na béto | our |
| na béno | your |
| na báu | their |
| na yáu | its, their |
Note: It's also possile to say: ya múnu = mine, ya ngé = yours, etc.
| Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| - | ba- | |
| mu- | ba- | muntu = a human being, bantu = human beings |
| mu- | mi- | |
| di- | ma- | dibóko = a hand, mabóko = hands |
| ki- | bi- | kíma = a thing, bíma = things |
| ka- | tu- | kakíma = a trifle, tubíma = trifles |
Regular verbs are conjugated with the help of particles that are placed before the verbs. The progressive or habitual tenses are formed with the help of the suffix -ak-.
| Tense | Form | Particle | Examples | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | long | kéle | Móno kéle kusála. | I work. |
| short | ké | Mú ké sála. | ||
| Present progressive | long | kéle -ak- | Móno kéle kusaláka. | I am working. |
| short | ké -ak- | Mú ké saláka. | ||
| Perfect | long | méne | Móno méne kusála. | I have worked. |
| short | mé | Mú mé sála. | ||
| Perfect progressive | long | méne -ak- | Móno méne kusaláka. | I have been working. |
| short | mé | Mú mé saláka. | ||
| Future | long | ata | Móno ata kusála. | I will work. |
| short | ta | Mú ta sála. | ||
| Future progressive | long | ata -ak- | Móno ata kusaláka. | I will be working. |
| short | ta -ak- | Mú ta saláka. | ||
| Past | long | -ak- | Móno saláka. | I worked. |
| short | -ak- | Mú saláka. | ||
| long | ||||
| short | = |
Note: The tenses are derived from Kikongo verbs kukála (to be) → ké(le), kumána (to finish) → mé(ne) and kuvánda (to sit) → vánda.
Most adjectives consist of particle ya and a noun. E.g. mayélé = intelligence, ya mayélé = intelligent. Even
In some cases particle ya can be left out after verbs:
muána ya mayélé. = an intelligent child
Muána ké ya mayélé. = Child is intelligent.
muána ya mbóte. = a good child.
Muána ké (ya) mbóte. = Child is good.
A number of adverbs consist of na and a noun. E.g. na ngólo = with force, forcefully.
Relative clause can be formed with particle ya:
Kíma, ya móno ké zoláka míngi na Kóngo, kéle ntángu.
The thing, that I like most in Congo, is the weather.
Another way is to use yína:
Yándi, yína kuizáka, kéle kuáku.
He, who came, is here.
Expression the one who is formed with muntu:
Yándi mósi muntu ké zába vé.
He himself is the one who doesn't know.
In Kikóngo class prefixes mark in effect also word classes. In addition particles ya and na mark systematically adjectives and adverbs.
Verbs always begin with ku- and end with -a in their base form, e.g. kusála = to work. Actor nouns always begin with mu- or reduced nasal and end with -i, e.g. musádi or nsádi = worker. Words starting with ki-, di- or lu- and ending with -u often denote some kind of (result of) action, e.g. kisálu = (a piece of) work.
The examples are derived from kukába = to divide
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ak- | Habitual or repetitive | kukabáka = to deal |
| -akan- | Ability | kukabakána = to be divisible |
| -am- | Passive | kukabáma = to become divided |
| -an- | Reciprocal | kukabána = to divide each other |
| -il- | Applicative | kukabíla = to divide for, to share with |
| -is- | Causative | kukabísa = to force to divide |
| -uk- | Stative | kukabúka = to be (in) divided (state) |
| -ul- | Inverse | kukabúla* = to divide |
(*) irregular