Language/Lingala/Grammar/Nouns

Lingala Grammar - Nouns

Hi Lingala learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will delve into one of the most fundamental aspects of Lingala grammar - nouns! Get ready to learn how to form grammatically correct sentences using different noun classes and have fun discovering some interesting cultural facts along the way.

Introduction

In Lingala, nouns are classified into different classes or categories, each with its own unique prefix. There are a total of 16 noun classes or categories in the Lingala language, each with a different prefix. To form a sentence in Lingala, one must choose the appropriate prefix for the noun in question, depending on which noun class it belongs to. For example, the noun "house" belongs to noun class 9, which is identified by the prefix "mba" and "houses" belongs to noun class 10, which is identified by the prefix "nyumba".

Understanding the different noun classes in Lingala is a crucial step towards developing proficiency in the language. Once you have mastered the basic grammar rules, you can use the knowledge to communicate effectively in Lingala. Therefore, let's dive into the fascinating world of Lingala nouns! 💪

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Present Tense, Verb to be, Prepositions & Descriptive Adjectives.

Noun Classes in Lingala

In Lingala, there are 16 different noun classes, each with a unique prefix. Learning these nouns classes is essential to master the language. Below are the 16 classes, along with their prefixes:

Noun Class	Prefix	Example
Class 1	"mo-"	"moto" (fire)
Class 2	"ba-"	"bato" (people)
Class 3	"mu-"	"muziki" (music)
Class 4	"ma-"	"maelezo" (information)
Class 5	"ki-"	"kitabu" (book)
Class 6	"vi-"	"vitabu" (books)
Class 7	"lu-"	"lukasa" (story)
Class 8	"ka-"	"kalamu" (pen)
Class 9	"mba-"	"mbati" (brick)
Class 10	"nyumba-"	"nyumba" (house)
Class 11	"m-"	"moto" (fire)
Class 12	"n-"	"ngoma" (drum)
Class 13	"tshi-"	"tshiko" (shirt)
Class 14	"ma-"	"mapele" (spoon)
Class 15	"ki-"	"kikwembo" (code)
Class 16	"tu-"	"tumbili" (monkey)

Note: Some of the prefixes are repeated in different classes. It is important to memorize which prefix goes with which class so that you can use them correctly in your sentences.

Gender in Lingala Nouns

In Lingala, gender is distinguished through the noun classes. Each class is assigned a gender which can either be masculine or feminine. In some cases where gender is not applicable, it could either be neuter or be assigned to both sexes.

For example, class 1, 3, and 9 have a masculine gender, whereas class 2, 4, 5, 6, and 14 have a feminine gender. Class 7 has both masculine and feminine genders, while classes 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16 do not have any gender.

Usage of Noun Classes

Using the correct noun class is essential for structuring grammatically correct sentences in Lingala. To help you understand better, let's look at some examples.

Example 1:

• Lingala: Moto oyo ezalaki mikolo mingi. (Class 11)
• English: That fire was very big.

Example 2:

• Lingala: Bato aboti bandeko bakufi. (Class 2 & 10)
• English: The owners of the new houses died.

Example 3:

• Lingala: Mësu na makasi ekobeta mu biteni. (Class 4, 6, & 15)
• English: The message and codes are hidden in books.

Example 4:

• Lingala: Ndenge ya tauni asimbisi tshibasu. (Class 13)
• English: The color of the shirt is brown.

Notice how the prefixes change depending on the noun class it belongs to.

Some Interesting Facts

Did you know that Lingala is spoken by over 10 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo? It is one of the four national languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the others being French, Swahili, and Kikongo. Polyglot Club is also an excellent resource to learn Lingala. You can use it to connect with native speakers, ask any questions you may have, and even practice speaking with a language partner.

Dialogue

Person 1: Na koma kosila makasi. (I like red colors) Person 2: Namona oyo ya mingi elingi ngai. (I like the one that you like more)

Sources

• Lingala/Grammar - LING073
• Lingala - Wikipedia

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Other Lessons

• Irregular verbs – kokende – to go
• Adjectives
• Time adverbs
• Create simple sentences in the negative
• Verb to be
• Plurals
• Negation
• Using infinitive verb forms
• Irregular verbs – kolia – to eat