Language/Ewe/Grammar/Adjectives
Hi Ewe learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on adjectives in Ewe. Adjectives are words that describe a noun or pronoun, they add more information to the sentence. Understanding adjectives is important to build up your Ewe vocabulary and make your speech more precise and colorful. So, let's get started!
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: How to Use "Have", Geography, Negation & Pronouns.
What are Adjectives?[edit | edit source]
Adjectives are words that describe or modify a noun or pronoun. They give more information about the quality, characteristic, or condition of the object, place, or person that they are associated with. Ewe, like many other languages, uses adjectives to provide a more complete picture of a situation, a person, or a thing. Let's see more about Ewe adjectives.
Adjectives in Ewe[edit | edit source]
In Ewe, adjectives behave similarly to what you might be familiar with in other languages. They generally come before the noun they describe, and they agree in number and gender with the noun. Ewe does not use articles (a, an, the) so adjectives play an important role in defining and describing the noun.
Let's see some examples of Ewe adjectives:
| Ewe | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dzidzɔnya | dʒi-dʒɔ-nja | tall |
| ɣle | ɣlé | big |
| xoxowa | xɔ-xɔ-wa | beautiful |
| tso | tso | old |
Placement of Adjectives in Ewe[edit | edit source]
In Ewe, adjectives generally come before the noun they describe, although there are some exceptions based on the emphasis or style of the speaker or writer. If several adjectives are used in a sentence, the order of the adjectives is determined by grammatical rules such as their type, origin, or length.
For example:
- nu wo tofia wo nyɔdɔdzi dzidzɔnya
* nu wo tofia = your new car * wo nyɔdɔdzi dzidzɔnya = with shiny rims * Your new car with shiny rims
In this example, "wo nyɔdɔdzi dzidzɔnya" comes after "nu wo tofia" because it describes a specific feature of the car.
- ɣlé ɣɔme kpakpa xoxowa kple tsoa
* ɣlé ɣɔme kpakpa = the big yellow house * xoxowa kple tsoa = with old and dilapidated windows * The big yellow house with old and dilapidated windows
In this example, "ɣlé ɣɔme kpakpa" comes before "xoxowa kple tsoa" because the size of the house is the most important information.
Remember, practice makes perfect, and once you get used to Ewe sentence structure and adjective placement, it will start to feel more natural and intuitive.
Comparison of Adjectives[edit | edit source]
Another important aspect of adjectives is comparison. There are three ways to do comparison in Ewe:
1. Positive comparison: This is when you use an adjective without any comparison to another object. For example:
* nuwo tsoɖoa dzidzɔnya
* nuwo tsoɖoa = my old car
* dzidzɔnya = tall
* My old car is tall.
2. Comparative comparison: This is when you use an adjective to compare two things. To form the comparative, you use the word "gbɔ" after the adjective. For example:
* ɣɔme kpakpa gbɔ ɣɔme dzi nuta
* ɣɔme kpakpa = yellow house
* ɣɔme dzi nuta = green house
* ɣɔme kpakpa gbɔ ɣɔme dzi nuta = The yellow house is bigger than the green house.
3. Superlative comparison: This is when you use an adjective to compare three or more things. To form the superlative, you use the word "mawu" after the adjective. For example:
* dzidzɔnya mawu
* dzidzɔnya = tall
* dzidzɔnya mawu = the tallest
* The tallest one.
Examples of Comparison in Ewe[edit | edit source]
Let's see some examples of comparison in Ewe:
- Comparative comparison:
* Kofi gbɔ ŋkɔmi lɛ oo
* Kofi = Kofi's
* ŋkɔmi = book
* Kofi gbɔ ŋkɔmi lɛ oo = Kofi's book is bigger.
- Superlative comparison:
* Egɔɔ mawu
* Egɔɔ = tree
* Egɔɔ mawu = the tallest tree.
* Afadi mawu
* Afadi = mountain
* Afadi mawu = the highest mountain.
Interrogative Adjectives in Ewe[edit | edit source]
In Ewe, interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about the characteristics or quality of a noun or a pronoun. They provide more information and indicate to the speaker or listener that the information is needed to understand the context. The interrogative adjectives in Ewe are:
- Aye (What?)
- Dze (Which?)
Examples of Interrogative Adjectives[edit | edit source]
Let's see some examples of interrogative adjectives in Ewe:
- Aye dzoada ko nɛ?
* Aye = What * dzoada = time * ko = is it? * nɛ = today * What time is it today?
- Dze ɣɔme nɔ ŋɔ kpe nɛwo?
* Dze = Which * ɣɔme = house * nɔ = is * ŋɔ kpe = on * nɛwo = your side * Which house is on your side?
Practice Makes Perfect[edit | edit source]
To improve your Ewe grammar and vocabulary, it is important to practice regularly. You can find materials, such as articles, videos, and podcasts on Polyglot Club website, to help you build your skills. Additionally, you can also find native speakers and ask them any questions! Now, it's time to practice with a dialogue:
- Person 1: ɣɔme gbɔnu
* Person 1: ɣɔme = house * gbɔnu = new * My new house.
- Person 2: Wò, ɔdɔnu ko?
* Person 2: Wò = Yes * ɔdɔnu = with a garden * ko = is it? * Yes, with a garden?
- Person 1: Tsɔ ko
* Person 1: Tsɔ = Old * Yes, it's a bit old.
By practicing regularly, you can build your Ewe grammar and vocabulary. Keep it up!
➡ 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[edit | edit source]
- Pronouns
- Conditional Mood
- Give your Opinion
- Future Tense
- Questions
- How to Use Have
- Plurals
- How to Use Be
- Negation