Language/Central-pashto/Grammar/Plurals

Central Pashto Grammar - Plurals

Hi Central Pashto learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be exploring the fascinating topic of plurals in Central Pashto. Plurals are an important aspect of any language, and mastering them will allow you to communicate more effectively with native speakers. So, let's get started!

What are plurals?

Before we dive into the specifics of pluralization in Central Pashto, let's first define what we mean by plurals. In general, plurals are words that indicate more than one of something. In English, we typically form plurals by adding an -s or -es to the end of a word, although there are many exceptions and irregularities.

In Central Pashto, the process of forming plurals is a bit more complex.

Regular pluralization

The most common way to form plurals in Central Pashto is by adding the suffix -una to the end of a singular noun. For example, the singular word for "book" is کتاب (kitaab), while the plural is کتابونه (kitaabuna).

Here are a few more examples:

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
د کار (da kaar)	/da kaːr/	job, work
د کارونه (da kaaruna)	/da kaːruna/	jobs, works
د خلک (da xalk)	/da xaːlk/	people
د خلکونه (da xalkuna)	/da xaːlkuna/	people (plural)

As you can see, the suffix -una is added to the end of the singular noun to form the plural. It's important to note, however, that there are some irregularities in the pluralization process.

Irregular pluralization

Some nouns in Central Pashto have irregular plural forms, meaning they don't follow the typical pattern of adding -una to the end of the singular form. Here are a few examples:

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
مرغه (murgha)	/murɣa/	chicken
مرغونه (murghuna)	/murɣuna/	chickens
د پلار (da palaar)	/da paˈlaːr/	child
د کورونه (da koruna)	/da koˈruna/	children

As you can see, the plural forms of these words don't follow the same pattern as the regular plural forms. Memorizing irregular plural forms can be challenging, but with practice and repetition, it will become easier over time.

Singular nouns that don't change in the plural

There are some singular nouns in Central Pashto that don't change when they become plural. These nouns are typically borrowed from other languages, such as Arabic or Persian, and retain their original form in the plural. Some examples include:

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
د کتاب (da kitaab)	/da kitaːb/	book (singular)
د کتاب (da kitaab)	/da kitaːb/	book (plural)
د کمپیوټر (da kompyooter)	/da kompjuːtər/	computer (singular)
د کمپیوټر (da kompyooter)	/da kompjuːtər/	computer (plural)

For these nouns, there is no need to add -una at the end of the singular form, as the noun remains the same in both the singular and plural.

Plurals and culture

In Central Pashto culture, plurals are an important aspect of communication. When interacting with others, it's important to use the correct plural forms in order to convey your meaning clearly. Additionally, there are many idioms and expressions in Central Pashto that use plural nouns, such as د خلک د خوندي کې ("among the people").

By mastering pluralization in Central Pashto, you'll not only improve your language skills, but also gain a deeper understanding of Pashtun culture and traditions.

Dialogue

To help you better understand plurals in Central Pashto, here's a short dialogue between two people discussing the topic:

Person 1: د کتابونه په کالو کې ښي؟ (da kitaabuna paa kaalo ke shi?) ("Are the books on the shelf?") Person 2: هو، د کتابونه په کالو کې دي. (hu, da kitaabuna paa kaalo ke di.) ("Yes, the books are on the shelf.")

Sources

• Pashto grammar
• Pashto language

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• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• How to Use Be
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Pronouns
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