Language/Tswana/Grammar/Adverbs

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Tswana → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adverbs

Welcome to the exciting world of Tswana grammar! Today, we will dive into the fascinating topic of adverbs. Adverbs play a vital role in the Tswana language, just as they do in English. They enhance our sentences by describing how, when, where, and to what extent actions occur. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use adverbs confidently to express yourself more vividly in Tswana.

In this lesson, we will cover the following:

• Definition of Adverbs: What they are and their function in sentences.

• Types of Adverbs: The different categories of adverbs in Tswana.

• Formation of Adverbs: How to create adverbs from other parts of speech.

• Examples: A variety of examples to illustrate how adverbs are used.

• Exercises: Practical exercises to help you apply what you've learned.

Definition of Adverbs

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide more information about how actions are performed or to what degree something is true. In Tswana, just like in English, adverbs can answer questions such as:

• How? ( manner )

• When? ( time )

• Where? ( place )

• To what extent? ( degree )

Types of Adverbs

In Tswana, adverbs can be categorized into several types. Here are the main ones:

Adverbs of Manner

These adverbs describe how an action is performed. In Tswana, these often end with the suffix "-ka" or "-ngwe".

Examples:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
hantle	/ˈhant͡lɛ/	well
sentle	/ˈsɛnt͡lɛ/	beautifully
kgonthe	/kɡonˈtʰɛ/	truly
kgale	/kɡaˈlɛ/	far

Adverbs of Time

These adverbs indicate when an action takes place.

Examples:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
jaanong	/jaˈnoŋ/	now
gompieno	/ɡomˈpienʊ/	today
kgale	/kɡaˈlɛ/	long ago
borai	/bɔˈrai/	tomorrow

Adverbs of Place

These adverbs specify where an action occurs.

Examples:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
mo	/mɔ/	here
kwa	/kwɑ/	there
fa	/fa/	everywhere
lefa	/lɛfa/	nearby

Adverbs of Degree

These adverbs express the intensity or degree of an action, adjective, or another adverb.

Examples:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
thata	/ˈθata/	very
kaone	/kaˈo.nɛ/	quite
seka	/ˈsɛka/	not at all
gohle	/gɔˈhɛlɛ/	too much

Formation of Adverbs

Many adverbs in Tswana can be formed from adjectives or verbs. Below are a few common patterns:

• From Adjectives: Often, adding the suffix "-ka" transforms an adjective into an adverb.

• Example: "tshego" (laugh) becomes "tshegokah" (laughingly).

• From Verbs: Adding the suffix "-ngwe" can also create adverbs.

• Example: "dira" (to do) becomes "dirangwe" (doing).

Examples of Adverbs in Context

To solidify your understanding, let's look at 20 examples of how adverbs can be used in sentences:

1. O bopile hantle. (You built well.)

2. O ya mo jaanong. (You are going there now.)

3. O tshela fa. (You live here.)

4. O dula kgale. (You have been living for a long time.)

5. O tshela mo. (You live here.)

6. O dumelela thata. (You allow very much.)

7. O etela kwa. (You visit there.)

8. O itlhokomela sentle. (You take care of yourself beautifully.)

9. O bua gohle. (You speak too much.)

10. O ithuta gompieno. (You learn today.)

11. O tloga mo borai. (You will leave here tomorrow.)

12. O dira kaone. (You do quite well.)

13. O simolola sentle. (You start beautifully.)

14. O etela gompieno. (You visit today.)

15. O etela borai. (You visit tomorrow.)

16. O tloga mo. (You leave here.)

17. O tla boela mo. (You will return here.)

18. O dumelela kgale. (You allow long ago.)

19. O bopa kaone. (You create quite well.)

20. O tshela fa. (You live everywhere.)

Exercises

Now that you have a solid understanding of adverbs, let's put your knowledge to the test with some exercises. Try to complete these sentences with the appropriate adverbs:

1. O bua __________. (You speak ____.)

2. O etela __________. (You visit ____.)

3. O dira __________. (You do ____.)

4. O dumelela __________. (You allow ____.)

5. O simolola __________. (You start ____.)

6. O dula __________. (You live ____.)

7. O lefa __________. (You are nearby ____.)

8. O etela __________. (You visit ____.)

9. O itlhokomela __________. (You take care of yourself ____.)

10. O bopile __________. (You built ____.)

Solutions and Explanations

Here are the solutions to the exercises above, along with explanations:

1. O bua hantle. (You speak well.)

• "Hantle" modifies the verb "bua" (to speak) to indicate the manner of speaking.

2. O etela mo. (You visit here.)

• "Mo" indicates the place of the visit.

3. O dira kaone. (You do quite well.)

• "Kaone" modifies the verb "dira" (to do) to express the degree of doing.

4. O dumelela thata. (You allow very much.)

• "Thata" modifies the verb "dumelela" (to allow) to indicate intensity.

5. O simolola sentle. (You start beautifully.)

• "Sentle" describes how the action of starting is performed.

6. O dula gompieno. (You live today.)

• "Gompieno" indicates when the action of living occurs.

7. O lefa kwa. (You are nearby there.)

• "Kwa" specifies the location of being nearby.

8. O etela borai. (You visit tomorrow.)

• "Borai" indicates when the visit will take place.

9. O itlhokomela kgale. (You take care of yourself long ago.)

• "Kgale" indicates the duration of self-care.

10. O bopile kgale. (You built long ago.)

• "Kgale" indicates when the action of building took place.

As you practice using adverbs, remember that they enhance your sentences and provide clarity. The more you use them, the more natural they will feel in your speech.

Congratulations on completing this lesson! Keep practicing, and soon you'll feel at home using adverbs in Tswana.

Table of Contents - Tswana Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Polite Expressions

  ---

Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Verb Conjugation

  ---

Numbers

• Counting 1-10
• Ordinal Numbers

  ---

Days of the Week and Months

• Days of the Week
• Months of the Year

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plural Nouns

  ---

Common Objects and Places

• Household Items
• Places in Town

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Drink

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions of Place
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Possessives and Demonstratives

• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

  ---

Tswana Traditions and Customs

• Traditional Clothing
• Tswana Cuisine

  ---

Tswana Holidays and Celebrations

• National Holidays
• Traditional Celebrations

Sources

• Tswana Grammar - Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Tswana language - Wikipedia

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Plurals
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions
• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• 0 to A1 Course
• Negation
• Subject Pronouns
• Pronouns
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

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