Language/Wolof/Grammar/Questions

Wolof Grammar - Questions

Hi Wolof learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about questions in Wolof grammar. Asking questions is an essential part of any language as it allows us to better understand the world around us and communicate with others. Understanding Wolof questions will help you to become more confident when speaking with native speakers and will improve your overall fluency.

Introduction

In Wolof, questions are formed using different sentence structures than declarative sentences. In this lesson, we will learn the different ways to form questions in Wolof, including yes/no questions and open-ended questions.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Static verbs, Conjugation, The possessive expressed by “U” & Intensifiers.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/No questions are those which require an answer of either "yes" or "no". These questions are formed using a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. Let's look at some examples:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
Naka neexu?	na-kah neh-khou?	Did you eat?
Moo tax nga ca?	moh takh nga-chah?	Are you coming with me?
Am naa leen yagg?	amh nah lehn yahgg?	Did he see it?
Fan laa jëkër?	fahn lah jeh-kher?	Did you hear that?

As you can see, yes/no questions in Wolof are formed by simply adding a question particle at the end of the declarative sentence. The question particle "na" is used for yes/no questions, and it changes to "ni" when the verb in the sentence is negative.

Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are those which cannot be answered with just "yes" or "no". These questions elicit more detailed responses and allow for more meaningful conversations. In Wolof, open-ended questions are formed by using different sentence structures than yes/no questions.

Question Words

To ask open-ended questions in Wolof, we use what are known as "question words". These words replace specific elements in a declarative sentence with a question word to create the question. Below are some of the most common Wolof question words:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
Nanga def?	nan-gah def?	Who is this?
Nanga wàkk?	nan-gah wah-ck?	What is this?
Lii wees yi?	lee wehs yi?	Where are you going?
Sama xol yi ñuy ndokk?	sah-ma khol yi ñuy en-dokh?	How do you like it?
Boul fonk?	bowl fongk?	When did it happen?
Daiñu max?	dah-eenoo max?	Why did you say that?

In Wolof, question words come at the beginning of the sentence. The basic sentence structure for open-ended questions is:

Question Word + Verb + Subject + Object

For example:

• Person 1: Nanga def? (Who is this?)
• Person 2: Xam-Xam. (It's Xam-Xam.)

• Person 1: Lii wees yi? (Where are you going?)
• Person 2: Nga tudd. (I am going home.)

Using "Est-ce que"

Another way to form open-ended questions in Wolof is to use the French phrase "Est-ce que". This is a commonly used phrase in Senegal and other French-speaking countries to form questions. First, let's look at an example in French:

• Est-ce que tu aimes le poulet?

This is equivalent to saying "Do you like chicken?" in English. To use "Est-ce que" in Wolof, simply insert it at the beginning of a declarative sentence:

• Est-ce que nga tudd ak ñeemp? (Are you going with friends?)

It is also possible to use "Est-ce que" with question words:

• Est-ce que lii tuuti am? (Where is the market?)

Using "Est-ce que" is not necessary in Wolof, but it is a helpful tool when transitioning from French to Wolof.

Examples

Let's practice by using some examples in context:

• Person 1: Nanga def? (Who is this?)
• Person 2: Am naa buy nit? (This is my sister.)

• Person 1: Moo wóór gi? (Do you speak Wolof?)
• Person 2: Waaw, waññi Wolof. (Yes, I speak Wolof.)

• Person 1: Lii seen teggi jëkk? (Where do you live?)
• Person 2: Ma yëglë Ñiimi. (I live in Niimi.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned the different ways to form questions in Wolof. Remember, yes/no questions are formed by adding the question particle "na" at the end of a declarative sentence, and open-ended questions are formed by using question words at the beginning of the sentence or by using the phrase "Est-ce que". Use these structures to have meaningful conversations with native speakers and improve your overall fluency in Wolof.

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

Sources

• Elementary Gambian Wolof Grammar
• Wolof Grammar Manual

Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Pronouns, Wolof Grammar → Nouns and Pronouns → Noun Classes, Plural Nouns — Definite articles & Basic Sentence Structure.

Other Lessons

• How to Use Be
• Adjectives
• How to Use Have
• Give your Opinion
• Notable characteristics
• Simple negation
• Enonciative pronouns
• Am (to have) in the present tense
• Possessive pronouns