Language/Wolof/Grammar/Describing-People-and-Things

Wolof → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Describing People and Things

Learning how to describe people, places, and things is an essential part of mastering the Wolof language. As we continue our journey to complete the 0 to A1 Wolof course, we will now focus on adjectives and adverbs.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use adjectives in Wolof to describe people, places, and things, including colors, sizes, and shapes. Let's get started!

Describing People

When it comes to describing people in Wolof, we use adjectives to convey various physical and personal characteristics.

Here are some common adjectives used to describe people in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
sanex	sa-nekh	tall
yaram	ya-ram	beautiful
jamm	ja-mm	big
ngor	n-gor	short
begg	be-gg	small
xale	xa-le	young
gëm	gëm	old

To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:

• Xale ngaay nit = "Young girl"
• Jamm loxo ci xel = "Big house on the hill"

We can also use the Wolof verb "bu" (to be) to describe someone's personality or character traits. For example:

• Omar bu ëpp = "Omar is smart"
• Fatou bu yaram = "Fatou is beautiful"

Describing Places

Adjectives are also important when it comes to describing places, whether it's the city you're visiting or the beach you're lounging on.

Here are some common adjectives used to describe places in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
bindiir	bin-jeer	noisy
fii	fee	dark
kër	ker	homey
yoon	yo-on	hot
booy	boo-y	pretty
sapoona	sa-poo-na	clean

To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:

• Fii sama kajoor = "Dark room"
• Yoon biima = "Hot car"

We can also describe the weather using adjectives. Here are some common weather-related adjectives in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
sàppat	sap-pat	sunny
bës bi	bes-bee	cloudy
baxnaaw	ba-khnaaw	windy
bu baax	boo baakh	rainy

For example:

• Sàppat naa la = "It's sunny"
• Bu baax bu dee xaalis? = "Is it raining outside?"

Describing Things

Adjectives are also an important part of describing things in Wolof. In addition to colors, sizes, and shapes, we can also use adjectives to describe the quality of an object.

Here are some common adjectives used to describe things in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
loxo	lo-xo	high
joxe	jo-khe	heavy
dox	dokh	thin
sëy-sëy	sey-sey	soft
mënëm mënëm	meh-nem meh-nem	hard
wëëru wëëru	weh-ru weh-ru	cold

To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:

• Joxe biir = "Heavy chair"
• Loxo jeex = "High wall"

We can also use colors as adjectives. Here are some common colors in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
bu ndaw	boo ndow	black
suuf	soof	white
diggoon	dee-gon	red
kanam	ka-nam	green
yobnii	yob-nee	yellow

For example:

• Diggoon ragala = "Red dress"
• Suuf biir = "White house"

Describing Actions

While adjectives are used to describe nouns, adverbs are used to describe verbs. In Wolof, adverbs are typically formed by adding the suffix "-oon" to the corresponding adjective.

Here are some common adverbs used to describe actions in Wolof:

Wolof	Pronunciation	English
jexee-oon	jehh-ksay-oon	slowly
laax-oon	laakh-oon	quickly
amoon-oon	a-moon-oon	calmly
mööm-oon	mohm-oon	silently

To use these adverbs, we simply place them after the verb they modify. For example:

• Xale yi jexee-oon tay = "The young girl walks slowly"
• Omar laax-oon xooloo ci yoon = "Omar eats quickly in the car"

It's important to note that adverbs in Wolof are not as commonly used as in other languages. Instead, the context of the sentence often conveys the manner or method of the action being described.

Congratulations on completing this lesson on adjectives and adverbs in Wolof! With these new linguistic tools, you'll be able to bring more depth and detail to your conversations in the language.

Table of Contents - Wolof Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Wolof

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Wolof Cultural Norms

• Politeness and Respect
• Greetings and Social Etiquette

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Classes
• Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

  ---

Family and Social Structure

• Family Roles
• Social Hierarchy

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Tenses

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating and Drinking

  ---

Wolof Cuisine and Dining Etiquette

• Traditional Dishes
• Dining Etiquette

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Describing Actions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

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Travel and Tourism in Wolof-Speaking Countries

• Popular Destinations
• Travel Tips

Related Lessons

• Plural Nouns — Indefinite article
• Am (to have) in the present tense
• Question Formation
• Word Order
• Pronouns and How to ask questions
• How to Use Have
• Clitic Pronouns
• Future Tense
• Comparatives
• Intensifiers

Sources

• gambia – Janga Wolof
• NEW WOLOF BOOK