Language/Tswana/Grammar/Adjectives
Hi Tswana learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn about adjectives in Tswana. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They tell us about the quality, size, color, shape, and other attributes of the noun or pronoun they are modifying.
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: How to Use "Be", Gender & Conditional Mood.
Basic Adjectives[edit | edit source]
Tswana adjectives are usually placed after the noun or pronoun they modify. For example:
| Tswana | English |
|---|---|
| marago mma | mother's legs |
| motlhabi o tletseng | beautiful land |
| sebete sa mosadi | woman's dress |
In the examples above, the adjective "mma" (mother) describes the "marago" (legs), "tletseng" (beautiful) describes the "motlhabi" (land), and "sa mosadi" (of woman) describes the "sebete" (dress).
One thing to note is that, in Tswana, adjectives do not change to reflect the gender of the noun or pronoun they modify. Therefore, the same adjective can be used to modify nouns of different genders. For example:
| Tswana | English |
|---|---|
| Mosadi o tletseng | Beautiful woman |
| Moruti o tletseng | Beautiful teacher |
In both examples, the same adjective "tletseng" is used to describe the noun "mosadi" (woman) and "moruti" (teacher).
Agreement[edit | edit source]
Tswana adjectives do however agree with the noun they modify in terms of the singular/plural distinction. For example:
| Tswana | English |
|---|---|
| ngwana o tswang | Child who is from |
| bana ba tswang | Children who are from |
In the examples above, the adjective "tswang" (from) agrees with the noun it modifies, "ngwana" (child), and "bana" (children), which are singular and plural respectively.
Comparatives and Superlatives[edit | edit source]
In Tswana, comparatives and superlatives are formed using adverbs, rather than adding suffixes to the adjectives. For example:
| Tswana | English |
|---|---|
| setlhare sa tshiamo | A quieter room |
| setlhare sa matlhare | The quietest room |
In the first example, the adverb "tshiamo" (quieter) is used to describe the noun "setlhare" (room). In the second example, the adverb "matlhare" (most quietly) is used to describe the same noun.
It's worth noting that the adverbial form of some Tswana adjectives is different from the adjective form itself. For example:
| Tswana | English |
|---|---|
| tswelopele e eletsweng | A faster car |
| tswelopele e eletsang | The fastest car |
In the examples above, the adverb "eletsweng" (faster) and "eletsang" (fastest) are used to modify the noun "tswelopele" (car).
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
To see how adjectives are used in context, let's look at a dialogue:
- Person 1: Ke tlhokomelo ya kereke e e tlhokometseng. (I am a dedicated member of the church.)
- Person 2: Ke tla o tlhokomela. O tswang gonne ke mo a kgona. (I will dedicate myself too. I am from there because I know it.)
In the dialogue above, the adjective "tlhokometseng" (dedicated) is used to describe the noun "kereke" (church). The adjective "tswang" (from) is used to describe the pronoun "o" (he/she) in the second sentence.
Practice[edit | edit source]
Here are some more examples for you to practice with:
| Tswana | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| metsi a mabedi | may-tsee ah mah-bay-dee | Two water (i.e. two glasses of water) |
| diphologolo tse tsa naga | dee-pho-lo-golo tse tsa naga | Big countries |
| sa gagwe | sah gah-gweh | Of him/her/them |
Translate the Tswana sentences and try to create your own sentences using adjectives. You can practice with a language partner you find on Polyglot Club.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Adjectives are an important part of Tswana grammar and help to give more information about the nouns and pronouns that they modify. Remember that Tswana adjectives usually come after the noun or pronoun they modify, but agree in terms of singular or plural. Adjectives can also be used to create comparatives and superlatives, often through the use of adverbs.
To improve your Tswana Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ 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. 😎
Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Pronouns, How to Use Have & Negation.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]