Language/Haitian/Grammar/Adjectives

Haitian Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Haitian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on adjectives in Haitian. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide additional information about the noun, such as the size, color, shape or personality of the noun. In this lesson, you will learn how to use adjectives in a sentence, different types of adjectives, their placement and agreement with gender and number.

Types of Adjectives

In Haitian, adjectives come in different forms and serve different functions. Below are some types of adjectives and their examples:

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives describe the qualities or characteristic features of a noun. They answer the questions Who? What kind? What color? What shape? What size? Examples include:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
gwo	gwo	big
bon	bɔn	good
blan	blan	white

For example:

• Mwen gen yon gwo kat. (I have a big cat.)
• Li gen yon bon ti mizisyen. (He is a good little musician.)
• Chak lane, nivo blan an monte sou mòn yo. (Every year, the white snow rises on the mountains.)

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show the ownership or possession of someone or something. They tell us who owns or possesses the noun. Unlike English, possessive adjectives in Haitian are preceded by the noun they modify. Examples include:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
mwen	mwen	my
w ou	wu	your
li	li	his/her/its/their

For example:

• Mwen gen yon liv mwen ke mwen renmen anpil. (I have a book of mine that I really like.)
• Ou pa ka marye avèk yon moun si w ou pa renmen li. (You can't marry someone if you don't love him/her.)
• Li te konn achte pwodwi yo pou li ak fanmi li. (He/she used to buy products for him/her and his/her family.)

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point out or indicate a particular noun. They answer the questions Which one? There are four demonstrative adjectives in Haitian: sa, sa a, sa yo, and li. Examples include:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
sa	sa	this/that
sa a	sa a	this one/that one
sa yo	sa jo	these/those
li	li	he/she/it/they

For example:

• Sa se yon bon imèn anpil. (That is a very good teacher.)
• Sa a se pi byen kompare ak sa lòt yo. (This one is better than the others.)
• Sa yo se zouti nou yo. (Those are our tools.)
• Li se youn nan moun ki pi senp nan lavi a. (He/she is one of the simplest people in life.)

Indefinite Adjectives

Indefinite adjectives refer to an uncertain, indefinite, or unknown quantity. They answer the questions How many? Which one? Examples include:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
chak	chak	each/every
nenpòt	nɛnpɔt	any/whichever
kèk	kɛk	some
tout	tu	all/every
lòt	lo	other

For example:

• Chak moun gen dwa rete an sekrè. (Everyone has the right to privacy.)
• Nenpòt moun ka ale nan lane a. (Anyone can go to the beach.)
• Mwen bezwen kèk konsèy pou reyisi nan biwo a. (I need some advice to succeed at work.)
• Tout moun ap pran plezi yo. (Everybody is having fun.)
• Li te pran yon lòt wout menm si li konnen rive lwen pa sa a. (He/she took another road even if he/she knew it would lead him/her far from this.)

Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are used to ask questions about a particular noun. They answer the questions Which? What kind of? Examples include:

Haitian	Pronunciation	English
ki	ki	which/what
konben	kɔnbɛn	how much/how many

For example:

• Ki liv la ou genyen? (Which book do you have?)
• Konben liv ou genyen nan kay la? (How many books do you have in the house?)

Placement of Adjectives

In Haitian, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify. However, there are some cases where adjectives come before the noun. For example, when a noun has a special meaning, such as being large or small, the adjective comes before it. Here are some examples:

• yon gran mari / yon gwo wout (a big sea/ a big road)
• yon ti kay / yon piti mòn (a small house/ a small mountain)

Adjectives can also come after the verb “se” (to be) to describe a subject. Here are some examples:

• Li se yon zanmi fidèl. (He/she is a faithful friend.)
• Yon vye moun se yon moun ki gen eksperyans nan lavi. (An old person is a person who has experience in life.)

Agreement of Adjectives

In Haitian, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender and number, just like in English. This means that if a noun is singular, the adjective must also be singular. If a noun is feminine, the adjective must agree in gender and so on. Here are some examples:

• yon fanm blan (a white woman)
• yon ti gason nwa (a little black boy)

There are some exceptions where the adjective remains the same, regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine. For example:

• yon bèl chante (a beautiful song)
• yon bèl fanm (a beautiful woman)

Practice Dialogue

• Person 1: Mwen gen yon jèn tifi toujou kontan. (I have a young girl always happy.)
• Person 2: Ki koulè l? (What color is she?)
• Person 1: Li se yon nèg. (She is black.)
• Person 2: Kisa ou panse de fanm blan yo nan ndistri imigrasyon an? (What do you think about the white women in the immigration industry?)
• Person 1: Mwen kwè yo dous tankou zeklè. (I believe they are gentle like lightning.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned about different types of adjectives, their placement and their agreement with nouns in Haitian. To improve your Haitian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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