kusubiri

Kusubiri is a Swahili verb meaning to wait or to await something or someone. It is the infinitive form formed by attaching the infinitive marker ku- to the stem sbiri/subiri. The term can refer to the act of waiting as well as the expectation that something will occur. In everyday language, kusubiri is used when waiting for people, events, information, or results.

Grammatically, kusubiri is transitive and takes an object indicating what is being waited for. Examples include Ninasubiri rafiki (I am waiting for a friend) and Anasubiri taarifa (He is waiting for the information). It can be combined with time expressions to specify duration, such as Nilimsubiri kwa saa nyingi (I waited for him for many hours) or Nitasubiri hadi mkutano uanze (I will wait until the meeting begins). The verb forms to express tense use the usual subject prefixes and tense markers: present Ninasubiri, past Nilimsubiri, and future Nitakusubiri. The imperative form is Subiri! for single people or Subirini! for groups.

Etymology and related forms: Kusubiri is formed from the stemubiri/subiri with the ku- infinitive marker. A related noun form is msubiri, meaning “the one who waits,” and the act of waiting can be expressed in context by the noun-derived usage of kusubiri. The imperative Subiri serves as a direct command to wait.

Usage and variation: Kusubiri is common across Swahili-speaking regions in East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and appears in spoken language, journalism, literature, and media. It is a fundamental verb for expressing patience, anticipation, and timing in everyday communication.