Language/Lingala/Grammar/Negation
Hi Lingala learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Lingala. Negation is an important part of any language, and it's essential to understand how to use it correctly. We'll look at the different ways to express negation in Lingala, and how to use them in different contexts.
Negation is a way of expressing the opposite of something. In Lingala, there are several ways to express negation. The most common way is to use the word "te". This word can be used to negate verbs, adjectives, and nouns. For example:
- Mobali te - He is not tall
- Nakoki te - I don't want it
- Mokili te - There isn't anything
Another way to express negation in Lingala is to use the word "mbote". This word is used to negate adverbs and adverbial phrases. For example:
- Mbote moko - Not now
- Mbote mpe - Not ever
- Mbote mpo na nini - Not anywhere
Finally, you can also use the word "mbongo" to express negation. This word is used to negate adjectival phrases. For example:
- Mbongo moko - Not good
- Mbongo mpe - Not bad
- Mbongo mpo na nini - Not great
It's important to remember that these words can only be used to express negation. They cannot be used to make affirmative statements. For example, you cannot say Mobali mbongo to mean "He is not tall".
Now that you know the basics of negation in Lingala, let's look at some examples. Here are some sentences with the words "te", "mbote", and "mbongo":
| Lingala | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Mobali te | moh-bah-lee tay | He is not tall |
| Nakoki te | nah-koh-kee tay | I don't want it |
| Mokili te | moh-kee-lee tay | There isn't anything |
| Mbote moko | mboh-tay moh-koh | Not now |
| Mbote mpe | mboh-tay mpay | Not ever |
| Mbote mpo na nini | mboh-tay mpo na nee-nee | Not anywhere |
| Mbongo moko | mbohng-goh moh-koh | Not good |
| Mbongo mpe | mbohng-goh mpay | Not bad |
| Mbongo mpo na nini | mbohng-goh mpo na nee-nee | Not great |
Now that you know how to use negation in Lingala, it's time to practice. Try making your own sentences using the words "te", "mbote", and "mbongo". You can also Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Related Lessons
- The Past Tense To Be
- The first 10 words
- Verb To Have and To Be
- Nouns
- Present Tense
- Present progressive tense
- The present tense To be
- Plurals
- The Imperative Mood
- Irregular verbs – kolia – to eat