Language/Southern-betsimisaraka-malagasy/Grammar/Negation-and-Questions

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Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy Grammar → Basic Sentence Structure → Negation and Questions

Welcome to the "Complete 0 to A1 Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy Course". In this lesson, we will learn about negation and questions in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy using the basic sentence structure we've previously covered. Negation and questions are important parts of any language, and understanding how to form them will help you communicate more effectively. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form negative and interrogative sentences in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Descriptive Adjectives & Adverbs of Frequency and Manner.

Negation

Negation is a way to express the opposite of an affirmative sentence. In Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy, negation is formed using the particle "tsy" before the verb. For example:

Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy	Pronunciation	English
Mety mahay mihiratra aho.	[mɛtʃi mahaj miˈharatrə aɦu]	I can dance.
Tsy mety mahay mihiratra aho.	[tsimɛtʃi mahaj miˈharatrə aɦu]	I cannot dance.

As you can see, "tsy" negates the verb "mety" (can) to make it negative. This structure can be used with any verb in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy to create negative sentences.

Here are some more examples of negative sentences in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy:

• Tsy mahay mihiratra aho. (I do not dance.)
• Tsy mbola nanomboka ny asa intsony aho. (I have not started work yet.)
• Tsy mino aho fa misy olana. (I do not believe there's a problem.)

Questions

Questions are used to ask for information or clarification. In Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy, questions can be formed using question words or by changing the word order of the sentence.

Question Words

Question words are words used to ask for specific information. In Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy, common question words are:

• Iza? (Who?)
• Inona? (What?)
• Aiza? (Where?)
• Aiza no misy trano fandraisana anao? (Where do you live?)
• Inona no anaranao? (What is your name?)

Here is an example of a Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy sentence using a question word:

Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy	Pronunciation	English
Iza no namako?	[iˈza nunaˈmakʊ]	Who is my friend?

The question word "Iza?" (Who?) is used to ask for information about the subject of the sentence.

Word Order

Another way to form questions in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy is by changing the word order of the sentence. To form a question, the subject and verb are inverted. For example:

Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy	Pronunciation	English
Mihiratra aho.	[miˈharatrə aɦu]	I am dancing.
Mihiratra ve aho?	[miˈharatrə vɛ aɦu]	Am I dancing?

As you can see, the subject "aho" (I) and the verb "mihiratra" (am dancing) have been inverted to form a question. This structure can be used with any sentence in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy to create a question.

Here are some more examples of questions in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy:

• Mbola tsy hita izay olona teneninao aho. (I have not seen your friend yet.)

  * Tsy hita intsony izy? (Have you not seen them?)

• Mety mahay mihiratra aho. (I can dance.)

  * Mety mahay mihiratra ve ianao? (Can you dance?)

• Nomena ny tampo sy ny karama ho an'ny mpiara-belona. (We gave food and clothing to our neighbors.)

  * Niary hatsarana ve ianareo? (Did you go to church?)

That's it for this lesson on negation and questions in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy using the basic sentence structure. Make sure you review and practice these structures to reinforce your understanding. In the next lesson, we will continue to learn more about the basic sentence structure in Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Southern Betsimisaraka Malagasy Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Hello and Goodbye
• Introduction and Response

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject and Verb
• Negation and Questions

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Fady (Taboos)
• Celebrations and Festivals

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Hobbies and Interests

  ---

Verb Conjugation

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Drink

• Local Cuisine
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Cardinal Numbers
• Ordinal Numbers

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Frequency and Manner

  ---

Traditional Clothing and Textiles

• Lamba
• Basketry

  ---

Days of the Week and Months of the Year

• Days of the Week
• Months of the Year

  ---

Prepositions and Pronouns

• Prepositions of Place
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Art and Music

• Musical Instruments
• Visual Arts

  ---

Weather and Climate

• Weather Conditions
• Seasons and Climate Zones

  ---

Future Tense and Expressions

• Simple Future Tense
• Expressions of Time

  ---

Beliefs and Religion

• Ancestors and Ancestral Worship
• Religious Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Simple Future Tense
• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Adverbs of Frequency and Manner
• Prepositions of Place
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Have
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Future Tense

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