Language/Assamese/Grammar/Gender-and-Plurals

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Assamese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Nouns and Pronouns → Gender and Plurals

Assamese nouns are an essential component of the language. Every noun in Assamese has a gender, either masculine or feminine, and they can be singular or plural. In this lesson, we will learn how to recognize gender in Assamese nouns and how to form plurals.

Gender in Assamese Nouns

Gender in Assamese is divided into two categories: masculine and feminine. Masculine nouns usually end with '-or' or '-ok', while feminine nouns usually end with '-a' or '-i'. It's essential to know the gender of a noun as it affects the choice of pronouns and adjectives used in a sentence.

Here are some examples of masculine and feminine nouns in Assamese:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
ছোৱালখাৰি (chowalkhari)	/ʧɔ.ʋaːl.kʰɑː.ɾi/	Barber
চেলা (chela)	/tʃe.lɑ/	Student
দুঃখী (dukhhi)	/duːkʰi/	Sad (adjective)
লক্ষীৰাম (lokhiram)	/lokhi.ɾɑːm/	Name of a person (masculine gender)
মহিলা (mahila)	/mɔ.hi.lɑ/	Woman
আপুনি (apuni)	/ɑ.pu.ni/	You (Formal)

As you can see from the examples above, the ending of a noun often gives clues about their gender. However, there are some exceptions, so it's essential to memorize them to avoid confusion.

Forming Plurals in Assamese

In Assamese, forming plurals is quite straightforward. Usually, adding '-সমূহ' (-sumuh) after the noun makes it plural. Here are some examples:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
খেলা (khela)	/kʰe.lɑ/	Game
খেলাসমূহ (khelasumuh)	/kʰe.lɑː.su.mu/	Games
ছাতা (chata)	/ʧɑː.tɑ/	Umbrella
ছাতাসমূহ (chatasumuh)	/ʧɑː.tɑː.su.mu/	Umbrellas

As you can see from the examples, the plural form is formed by adding '-সমূহ' (-sumuh) at the end of the singular noun. However, some nouns take a different form when they become plural.

Here are some examples of nouns that take a different form when they become plural:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
গুড়া (gura)	/gu.ɾɑ/	Jaggery (unrefined sugar)
গুড়া (gura)	/gu.ɾɑː/	Jaggery (refined sugar)
ছবি (chobi)	/ʧɔ.bi/	Picture/ Picture taken
ছবি (chobi)	/ʧɔ.biː.su.mu/	Pictures

As you can see from the examples, the Assamese language has some exceptions when forming plurals that you should be aware of to avoid confusion.

Using Gender and Plurals in Sentences

Once you know the gender of a noun and how to form plurals, you can use them in sentences. In the examples below, we will show how using gender and plurals affects the choice of adjectives and pronouns in Assamese:

Example 1:

Assamese: সেকেতি আমাৰ বই পঢ়ে। Pronunciation: /se.ke.ti ɑ.maɹ bɔi pɒ.ɖʱe/ English: She is reading our book.

Example 2:

Assamese: তেওঁ একটা লম্বা বাঘ। Pronunciation: /te.ɔ̃ ek.tɑ lɔm.bɑ bɑgh/ English: He is a tall tiger.

Example 3:

Assamese: আমি চাৰ খাব। Pronunciation: /ɑ.mi chaɹ kʰɑb/ English: I will eat four teas.

Example 4:

Assamese: আমি চাঁদ দেখিত যাব। Pronunciation: /ɑ.mi ʧɑ̃d de.kʰi.tʰɔ jɑ.b/ English: I will see the moon.

In example 1, we used 'সে' (she) because the noun 'বই' (book) has a feminine gender. In example 2, we used 'তেওঁ' (he) because 'বাঘ' (tiger) has a masculine gender. In example 3, we used the plural form of chai (teas) by adding '-সমূহ' (-sumuh) after 'চাৰ' (four). In example 4, 'চাঁদ' (moon) is a singular noun, so we didn't add anything extra to make it plural.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned about gender and plurals in Assamese nouns. We saw that gender is divided into two categories: masculine and feminine, and that knowing the gender affects the choice of adjectives and pronouns used. We also saw that forming plurals is quite straightforward, with the exception of a few words. By mastering the skill of identifying gender in nouns and forming plurals, you will be well on your way to mastering the Assamese language.

Table of Contents - Assamese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Assamese Script

• Vowels and Consonants
• Combined Letters

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject, Verb, and Object
• Questions and Negations

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Plurals
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transport
• Directions and Locations

  ---

Assamese Festivals and Traditions

• Major Festivals
• Traditional Customs

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Prepositions
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Personal Pronouns
• Plurals
• Conditional Mood
• 0 to A1 Course
• Comparatives and Superlatives

Sources

• Assamese language - Wikipedia

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