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<div class="pg_page_title">Southern Sotho Grammar - Plurals</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">Southern Sotho Grammar - Plurals</div>
Hi Southern Sotho learners!😊<br>Learning [https://polyglotclub.com/language/southern-sotho Southern Sotho] Grammar can be a challenge, but with the right approach and dedication, you can master it in no time! In this lesson, we will focus on plurals in Southern Sotho.  
 
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/southern-sotho Southern Sotho] learners! 😊<br>
In this lesson, we are going to learn about plurals in Southern Sotho.  
 
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__TOC__


== Plural Formation ==
== Introduction ==
Plurals are used to refer to more than one person, place or thing. In Southern Sotho, like in any other language, the rules for forming plurals can be tricky, especially for beginners. In this lesson, we will explain the basic rules for forming plurals and give you some examples.
 
 
<span link>With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]], [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]], [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]] & [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]].</span>
== Basic Rules for Forming Plurals ==
There are four basic rules for forming plurals in Southern Sotho:


In Southern Sotho, there are two ways to form plurals: by adding a suffix or by reduplication.
'''1. Noun Stem Change:''' Sometimes nouns change their stem when forming plurals. In most cases, the stem vowel is replaced with a different vowel. Here are some examples:


=== Suffix ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Southern Sotho !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| motso- || [mo.tso] (stem: o) || village(s)
|-
| bana- || [ba.na] (stem: a) || child(ren)
|-
| dintho- || [di.n.tʰo] (stem: i) || thing(s)
|-
| metsi- || [me.tʰ.si] (stem: e) || water(s)
|-
| lithoko- || [li.tʰɔkʰo] (stem: o) || word(s)
|}


The most common way to form plurals is by adding a suffix. The suffix used depends on the noun class of the word. For example, the suffix for nouns in class 1 is -a, while the suffix for nouns in class 2 is -e.  
'''2. Prefix 'ma':''' The prefix 'ma' is added to some nouns to form plurals. Here are some examples:


For example, the singular form of the word ''mohopolo'' (book) is ''mohopolo'', while the plural form is ''mohopoloa'' (books). Similarly, the singular form of the word ''mokgwa'' (dog) is ''mokgwa'', while the plural form is ''mokgwae'' (dogs).  
{| class="wikitable"
! Southern Sotho !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| mosali- || [mo.sa.li] || woman/wife
|-
| masali- || [ma.sa.li] || women/wives
|-
| tate- || [ta.te] || father/dad
|-
| mate- || [ma.te] || fathers/dads
|}


=== Reduplication ===
'''3. Lengthened Vowel:''' Sometimes the vowel in the final syllable of a noun is lengthened to form the plural. Here are some examples:


Another way to form plurals is by reduplication. This means repeating the same word twice. For example, the singular form of the word ''mohau'' (person) is ''mohau'', while the plural form is ''mohau mohau'' (people).  
{| class="wikitable"
! Southern Sotho !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| lefu- || [le.fu:] || bone(s)
|-
| hae- || [ha:e:] || cow(s)
|-
| shefu- || [ʃe.fu:] || rabbit(s)
|}


It is important to note that reduplication is only used for nouns in class 1. Nouns in other classes cannot be reduplicated.  
'''4. No Change:''' Some nouns do not change at all when forming plurals. Here are some examples:


== Plural Agreement ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Southern Sotho !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| litho- || [li.tʰo] || thing(s)
|-
| likhoeli- || [li.kʰo.e.li] || horse(s)
|-
| leleme- || [le.le.me] || cowries (shells used as money)
|}


In Southern Sotho, the verb must agree with the subject in number. This means that if the subject is plural, the verb must also be in the plural form.
== Examples ==
Here are some examples in dialogue to show how plurals are used in context:


For example, the sentence ''The book is red'' would be ''Mohopolo o tšwetšwe'' in Southern Sotho. However, if the subject is plural, the sentence would be ''Mohopoloa o tšwetšwe'' (The books are red).
* Person 1: Ke tla ba le mosali le bana. ('I will go with a woman and children.')
* Person 2: Ke utloa. ('Okay.')


Similarly, adjectives must also agree with the noun in number. For example, the sentence ''The book is big'' would be ''Mohopolo o nyenyane'' in Southern Sotho. However, if the subject is plural, the sentence would be ''Mohopoloa o nyenyane'' (The books are big).
* Person 1: Ha re tšebeletse lithoko tse ling? ('Have we used these words?')
* Person 2: Ha hona selemo se tse ling. ('Not in this lesson.')


== Conclusion ==
== Conclusion ==
In this lesson, we have covered the basic rules for forming plurals in Southern Sotho. Remember that like with any language skill, practice makes perfect. Use the examples provided and practice with native speakers to improve your language skills. To improve your [[Language/Southern-sotho|Southern Sotho]] [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar|Grammar]], check out [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club]. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=109 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/southern-sotho/question questions]!


In this lesson, we have looked at how to form plurals and how to make sure that the verb and adjective agree with the noun in number. To improve your [[Language/Southern-sotho|Southern Sotho]] [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=109 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/southern-sotho/question questions]!
== Sources ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Sotho Southern Sotho]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_plural Noun plural]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotho_language Sotho language]


<hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


<span link>Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: [[Language/Southern-sotho/Vocabulary/How-to-Say-Hello-and-Greetings|Say Hello and Greetings in Southern Sotho]], [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]] & [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Questions|Questions]].</span>
{{#seo:
|title=Southern Sotho Grammar - Plurals
|keywords=Southern Sotho, plurals, language skills, grammar, nouns, stem change, prefix 'ma', lengthened vowel, no change
|description=Plurals are used to refer to more than one person, place or thing. In this lesson, we will explain the basic rules for forming plurals in Southern Sotho and give you some examples. Use the examples provided and practice with native speakers to improve your language skills.
}}


==Related Lessons==
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Negation|Negation]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
* [[Language/Southern-sotho/Grammar/Negation|Negation]]


{{Southern-sotho-Page-Bottom}}
{{Southern-sotho-Page-Bottom}}
<span links></span>

Latest revision as of 21:05, 27 March 2023

Lesotho-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png
Southern Sotho Grammar - Plurals

Hi Southern Sotho learners! 😊
In this lesson, we are going to learn about plurals in Southern Sotho.

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Plurals are used to refer to more than one person, place or thing. In Southern Sotho, like in any other language, the rules for forming plurals can be tricky, especially for beginners. In this lesson, we will explain the basic rules for forming plurals and give you some examples.


With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Conditional Mood, Future Tense, Pronouns & Adjectives.

Basic Rules for Forming Plurals[edit | edit source]

There are four basic rules for forming plurals in Southern Sotho:

1. Noun Stem Change: Sometimes nouns change their stem when forming plurals. In most cases, the stem vowel is replaced with a different vowel. Here are some examples:

Southern Sotho Pronunciation English
motso- [mo.tso] (stem: o) village(s)
bana- [ba.na] (stem: a) child(ren)
dintho- [di.n.tʰo] (stem: i) thing(s)
metsi- [me.tʰ.si] (stem: e) water(s)
lithoko- [li.tʰɔkʰo] (stem: o) word(s)

2. Prefix 'ma': The prefix 'ma' is added to some nouns to form plurals. Here are some examples:

Southern Sotho Pronunciation English
mosali- [mo.sa.li] woman/wife
masali- [ma.sa.li] women/wives
tate- [ta.te] father/dad
mate- [ma.te] fathers/dads

3. Lengthened Vowel: Sometimes the vowel in the final syllable of a noun is lengthened to form the plural. Here are some examples:

Southern Sotho Pronunciation English
lefu- [le.fu:] bone(s)
hae- [ha:e:] cow(s)
shefu- [ʃe.fu:] rabbit(s)

4. No Change: Some nouns do not change at all when forming plurals. Here are some examples:

Southern Sotho Pronunciation English
litho- [li.tʰo] thing(s)
likhoeli- [li.kʰo.e.li] horse(s)
leleme- [le.le.me] cowries (shells used as money)

Examples[edit | edit source]

Here are some examples in dialogue to show how plurals are used in context:

  • Person 1: Ke tla ba le mosali le bana. ('I will go with a woman and children.')
  • Person 2: Ke utloa. ('Okay.')
  • Person 1: Ha re tšebeletse lithoko tse ling? ('Have we used these words?')
  • Person 2: Ha hona selemo se tse ling. ('Not in this lesson.')

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, we have covered the basic rules for forming plurals in Southern Sotho. Remember that like with any language skill, practice makes perfect. Use the examples provided and practice with native speakers to improve your language skills. To improve your Southern Sotho Grammar, check out Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources[edit | edit source]


Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Say Hello and Greetings in Southern Sotho, How to Use Have & Questions.

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]


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