Language/Fijian/Grammar/Adjectives

Fijian Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Fijian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we'll be discussing adjectives in Fijian grammar. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. For example, in the sentence "The beautiful girl is singing," the word "beautiful" is an adjective that describes the noun "girl."

Forming Adjectives in Fijian

In Fijian, adjectives can be formed by either adding a suffix to a noun or simply using the base form of the word as an adjective.

Using a Suffix

To form an adjective using a suffix, add the suffix "-a" to the noun. Here are some examples:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
kau	kau-a	green
waqa	waqa-a	fiery
kana	kana-a	sweet
yalo	yalo-a	clever

Using the Base Form

Some adjectives in Fijian are the same as the base form of the corresponding noun. In English, this would be like using "sugar" as an adjective to mean "sweet." Here are some examples of base form adjectives in Fijian:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
lolo	lolo	coconut
drau	drau	honey
qele	qele	sand
vatu	vatu	stone

Note that some Fijian adjectives can also be used as nouns. For example, "kau" can mean "the color green," so "o na kau" means "the green one" or "the green thing."

Placing Adjectives in a Sentence

In Fijian, adjectives are placed after the noun they describe. For example, "na kau viti" means "the green Fiji," with "kau" coming after "viti."

Possessive Adjectives

In Fijian, possessive adjectives are formed by adding "na" before a noun. For example, "na noqu vale" means "my house," with "noqu" meaning "my" before the noun "vale."

You can also use the suffix "-qu" to create possessive adjectives. For example, "vanuaqu" means "my country," with "-qu" replacing "na."

Comparison of Adjectives

To form the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in Fijian, use the words "vakalevu" and "levu" respectively. For example, "na kau viti vakalevu" means "the greener Fiji" or "the Fiji that is more green."

Examples

Here's a dialogue that demonstrates how to use adjectives in Fijian:

• Person 1: E vaka kece oqo na kau kana-a. (Everything here is sweet.)
• Person 2: Io, dou sa kana tiko na kana oqo. (Yes, you're eating the sweet one right now.)
• Person 1: O koya na kena makawa ena kau yalo-a. (He's the smartest one in the group.)
• Person 2: Io, ni sa lako ga taudaku ena kena bubului. (Yes, he always keeps his promises.)

Make sure to practice your Fijian with native speakers and ask them any questions you have. You can also find more resources on Polyglot Club to improve your Fijian Grammar.

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