This document presents a summarized table of Nyanja noun-centered sentence construction. It includes: 1. Groups of nouns categorized from A to I, each with a noun class prefix. 2. Adjectival prefixes, subject and verb prefixes, demonstrative adjectives, and other grammatical elements needed for sentence construction. 3. Examples of sentences using different prefixes to show how Nyanja utilizes inflected prefixes and suffixes to construct sentences. The order of elements can vary without changing meaning.

1. James Kafupi Banda’s Summarized Table of Town
Nyanja Noun Centered Sentence Construction Tool Kit
(2013)
Based on an original deep Nyanja (CiChewa) tool kit by
Uncle Jebby
NOUNS ADJECTIVAL CONCORDS [Prefixes] ACTION
Group # Noun
Prefix
NOUN
Example
RP Nominal
Prefix
Verbal
Prefix
Numeric
Prefix
Possessive Adjective
Example
S/VP
(Subject
-Verb
prefix)
Past
TP
PresentTP Future
TP
Verb Demonstrative Adjective
Prefix Pro-
noun
Ex.
-za- or ni-
(progressive)
none=perfect
Here/This There/
That
Over there/
That
yonder
A
1 Mu-
(Or
none)
Mwa-
Munthu
-Nesi
-Chimbw i
-Mw ana
-Mw amuna
w a- w o- mu- w a -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu a- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Uyu Uno Uyo Uja
2 β/a- Βanthu
βanesi
β/achimbw i
- βana
- βamuna
β/a- w o- β/a- βa- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu βa- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Aβa β/Ano Aβo βaja
B
3 Mu- Mupando
Mutu
Munda
w a- w o- u- w a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu u- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Uyu Uno Uyo Uja
4 Mi- Mipando
Mitu
Minda
ya- yo- i- ya- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu i- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Iyi Ino Iyo Ija
C 5 - Olenji
Egi
Linso
Kw atu
ya-
kw a-
yo-
ku-
i-
ku-
ya- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu i- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Iyi Ino Iyo Ija
6 Ma-
(Me-)
Matu
Maegi
Menso/
Manso
Maolenji
ya- yo- ya- ya- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu ya- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Aya Yano Ayo Yaja/ Aja
D 7 Chi- Chifuβa
(Chikw atu)
cha- cho- chi- cha- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu chi- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Ichi Chino Icho Chija

2. 8 Vi- Vifuβa
(Vimatu)
va- vo- vi- va- -ke/o
-nga
-nu
-bo
-thu
-kulu vi- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-va- -bw ela Ivi vino Ivo Vija
E 9 N-/M- Ng’ombe
Mbuzi
ya- yo- i- ya- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu i- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Iyi Ino Iyo Ija
10 N-/M- za- zo- zi- za- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu zi- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Izi Zino Izo Zija
F 12 Ka- Kamw a
(Kagalu)
ka- ko- ke- ka- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu ka- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Aka Kano Ako Kaja
13 Tu- Tukamw a
(Tugalu)
tw a- to-
tu-
tu-
tw i-
tw a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu tu-
ti-
tw a
-na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Utu Tuno Uto Tuja
G 14 U- Uchi
Ulendo
Unga
w a- w o- u- w a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu u- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Uyu Uno Uyo Uja
H 15 Ku- Kukonda kw a- ko- ku- kw a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu ku- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Uku Kuno Uko Kuja
I.1 16 Mu- Mumimba mw a- mo- mu- mw a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu mu - -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Umu Muno Umo Muja
I.2 17 Ku- Kumunzi
Kunyumba
kw a-- ko- ku- kw a- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu ku - -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Uku Kuno Uko Kuja

3. Notes:
1. Town Nyanja does not seem to have or at least utilize the regular adjectival prefixes that are common with the deep Nyanja of the
Chewa speaking people of Eastern Province. Therefore, the author leaves this column blank.
2. The demonstrative adjectives can be used either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence
3. Like many nouns, the adjectives and verbs carry prefixes and cannot (in almost all cases) function on their own. This is because
Nyanja like all other Zambian languages is an inflected (carries prefixes, infixes and suffixes) language.
4. Sentence order can change without changing meaning; thus:
i. Group I.3 - Pamunzi panga pabwela βanthu
Pabwela βanthu pamunzi panga People have come at/ to/ in my village
Panga pamunzi pabwela βanthu
βanthu βabwela pamunzi panga
5. Possessive pronoun prefixes are determined by the noun and numeric prefixes as they must be in agreement (concord);
e.g. B3 – Mupando ukulu wansimbi = A big metallic chair
- Pali chongo panja = There is noise outside
- Panja pali chongo = Outside there is noise
- Chongo chili panja = The noise is outside
- Vyongo vili panja = The noises are outside
- Pali vyongo panja = There are noises outside
- Panja pali vyongo = Outside there are noises
I.3 18 Pa- Pamunzi
Panyumba
pa- po- pa- pa- -ke
-ko
-nga
-nu
-βo
-thu
-kulu pa- -na- -za-
ni-
-
-za- -bw ela Apa Pano Apo Paja