Language/Pulaar/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Pulaar Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Pulaar learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Pulaar. The verb "be" is a very important verb in English and in many other languages, including Pulaar. It is used to indicate a state of being or existence. For example, "I am happy" or "He is tall".

Using the verb "be" in Pulaar is different from using it in English. But don't worry, we're here to help you. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use the verb "be" in Pulaar correctly and confidently. 😊

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Questions & Conditional Mood.

The Pulaar Verb "Be"

In Pulaar, the verb "be" has three different forms: "tee", "de" and "je". Knowing when to use which form depends on the noun class of the subject of the sentence. There are seven noun classes in Pulaar, which are marked with different prefixes.

The verb "tee" is used with nouns in classes 1 and 2, which have the prefixes "co-" and "mo-", respectively. The verb "de" is used with nouns in classes 3 and 4, which have the prefixes "ju-" and "ke-", respectively. The verb "je" is used with nouns in classes 5, 6, and 7, which have the prefixes "te-", "ne-", and "o-", respectively.

Let's look at some examples:

Pulaar	Pronunciation	English
co-yiri tee	co-yiri te	The house is big
mo-baaba tee	mo-baaba te	The father is old
ju-galle de	ju-galle de	The horse is strong
ke-biru de	ke-biru de	The cow is fat
te-falde je	te-falde je	The boy is short
ne-tiine je	ne-tiine je	The girl is pretty
o-gilloonu je	o-gilloonu je	The tree is tall

Notice how the verb "tee" is used with the prefix "co-" in the first example and with the prefix "mo-" in the second example. Similarly, the verb "de" is used with the prefix "ju-" in the third example and with the prefix "ke-" in the fourth example. Finally, the verb "je" is used with the prefix "te-" in the fifth example, with the prefix "ne-" in the sixth example and with the prefix "o-" in the seventh example.

Negation

To negate a sentence with the verb "be" in Pulaar, you need to use the word "ma". "Ma" means "not" and it comes before the verb.

For example:

• Person 1: Laabiiri tee. (I am happy.)
• Person 2: Ma laabiiri tee. (I am not happy.)

• Person 1: Suudadoo je. (The flower is beautiful.)
• Person 2: Ma suudadoo je. (The flower is not beautiful.)

Questions

To make a question with the verb "be" in Pulaar, you need to use a question word, such as "mbele" or "kiin". The question word comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and then the verb.

For example:

• Person 1: Laabiiri tee. (I am happy.)
• Person 2: Mbele laabiiri tee? (Are you happy?)

• Person 1: Deboogo je. (The bird is small.)
• Person 2: Kiin deboogo je? (Is the bird small?)

Dialogue

Below is a dialogue between two friends, Mariama and Fatou, where they use the verb "be" in different forms:

• Mariama: Salu, Fatou, domi ko? (Hi, Fatou, how are you?)
• Fatou: Noon, a jaay. Tee ndow mi? (I'm fine, thank you. Are you okay?)
• Mariama: Waaw, mangi fii ci kanam. (Yes, I'm here with you.)
• Fatou: Suudadoo je! (The flower is beautiful!)
• Mariama: Waaw, ko xiifam. (Yes, it's colorful.)
• Fatou: Mo baaba tee. (My father is old.)
• Mariama: Waaw, e yonente. (Yes, he's wise.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned how to use the verb "be" in Pulaar. Remember that the verb "be" has three different forms in Pulaar, "tee", "de", and "je", which depend on the noun class of the subject. To negate a sentence with the verb "be", use the word "ma". To make a question, use a question word such as "mbele" or "kiin".

To improve your Pulaar grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Ask native speakers and feel free to edit the Grammar page if you think it can be improved.

We hope this lesson was helpful. Practice using the verb "be" in Pulaar as much as you can! 😊

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➡ 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. 😎

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Plurals & Give your Opinion.

Other Lessons

• Future Tense
• Plurals
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Negation
• How to Use Have
• Questions

Sources

• Pulaar Grammar - How to Use "Have"
• Pulaar Learners' Reference Grammar

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