Language/Bambara/Grammar/Questions

Bambara Grammar - Questions

Hi Bambara learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn all about questions in Bambara. You will learn how to ask questions, and how to answer them. You will also learn some cultural information and interesting facts about Bambara. By the end of this lesson, you will have a good understanding of how Bambara questions work. So, let's get started!

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Conditional Mood & Negation.

Asking Questions

Asking questions is a crucial part of any language. In Bambara, questions are formed by adding the question word at the beginning of the sentence. The most common question words are:

English	Bambara	Pronunciation
What	dɔn	dohn
Who	ká	kah
Why	makɔnɔ	mah-koh-noh
When	bɛ	beh
Where	kú	koo
How	yélenkɛ	yeh-lehn-keh

For example:

• "Dɔn ka taafo?" (What is this?)
• "Ká denw ka?" (Who are you?)
• "Makɔnɔ o kò a taafo?" (Why is he/she/it here?)
• "Bɛ tà wo lo ?" (When will you leave?)
• "Kú ma?", (Where is it?)
• "Yélenkɛ ye o ye?" (How are things with you?)

To answer a yes-no question, you simply use either "ɲé" (yes) or "té" (no). For example:

• "A bè culamuso ?" (Do you like rice and beans?)
• "ɲé" (yes)
• "Té" (no)

For more complex questions, the answer will differ depending on the context.

The Verb "To Be" in Questions

The verb "to be" in Bambara is expressed by the words "bè" or "ye". To make a question using "to be", you simply switch the subject and the verb. For example:

• Statement: "Mamadu ye bamanankan." (Mamadu is Bambara.)
• Question: "Bamanankan ye Mamadu?" (Is Mamadu Bambara?)

• Statement: "A bè fɔtɔ gòfuru wo." (I am eating a piece of bread.)
• Question: " A fɔtɔ gɔfuru wo bè?" (Is it a piece of bread that I am eating?)

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are questions that are asked within a sentence. With indirect questions, the question word does not come at the beginning of the sentence. Instead, it is used within the sentence. For example:

• Statement: "A sìkɛ̀ bamanankan dì?" (Do you know Bambara?)
• Indirect question: "I dɔn kà kɛ̀ a sìkɛ̀ ?" (Do you know what I speak?)

• Statement: "O jò bèsɔ lé?" (Did he/she/it go far?)
• Indirect question: "Makònò o jò bèsɔ lé?" (Do you know why he/she/it went so far?)

Dialogue

Here's an example dialogue to practice asking and answering questions in Bambara:

• Person 1: Kú ma? (Where is it?)
• Person 2: Ni tiguèrèba. (It's over there.)

• Person 1: Bɛ tà ka blen ? (When will you come back?)
• Person 2: Kan yé aw ji kelen. (I will come back tomorrow.)

• Person 1: Ká jòko dèn? (Who are you playing with?)
• Person 2: Mògara kòw èni. (I am playing with my friends.)

Cultural Information

Bambara is a widespread language spoken in several African countries including Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali. Bambara is the most widely spoken language in Mali, where it is the official language. Bambara is also an important language in popular culture in Mali, particularly in music.

Mali is known for its musical traditions, and Bambara plays a big part in this. Many famous Malian musicians, such as Salif Keita and Amadou and Mariam, sing in Bambara. Bambara music often addresses social and political issues and is an important part of Malian identity.

Interesting Facts

• The Bambara language belongs to the Mande language family, which includes more than 70 languages spoken in West Africa.
• Bambara is written using the Latin alphabet, but it has diacritical marks to indicate certain vowel sounds and tonal variations.
• The Bambara words "bogolan" and "adire" both refer to the traditional practice of dyeing cloth using natural dyes. These fabrics have become popular for their unique patterns and are now often used in fashion and home décor.

To improve your Bambara Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Bambara - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
• Bambara language - Wikipedia

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Negation
• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Plurals
• How to Use Be