Language/Lingala/Grammar/Gender

Lingala Grammar - Gender

Hi Lingala learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the gender rules in Lingala. We will look at how to identify the gender of nouns and how to use them correctly in sentences.

Gender in Lingala

In Lingala, nouns are either masculine or feminine. This means that adjectives, verbs, and other words must agree with the gender of the noun they refer to. For example, if a noun is masculine, then the adjective used to describe it must also be masculine.

Identifying Gender

The gender of a noun can usually be identified by its ending. Most nouns ending in -a are feminine, while most nouns ending in -o are masculine. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

Here are some examples of nouns and their genders:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English Translation	Gender
moto	moh-toh	fire	Masculine
mbisi	mbee-see	cat	Feminine
nkolo	n-koh-loh	tree	Masculine
nzela	n-zeh-lah	river	Feminine

It is important to note that some nouns can be either masculine or feminine depending on the context. For example, the word for “person” can be either muntu (masculine) or muntuwa (feminine).

Using Gender in Sentences

Once you have identified the gender of a noun, you must use the correct form of the verb, adjective, or other word that refers to it.

For example, if you are talking about a feminine noun, you must use the feminine form of the verb. Here are some examples:

Lingala	Pronunciation	English Translation	Gender
moto oyo	moh-toh oh-yoh	this fire	Masculine
moto oyo aleki	moh-toh oh-yoh ah-leh-kee	this fire is burning	Masculine
mbisi oyo	mbee-see oh-yoh	this cat	Feminine
mbisi oyo alobi	mbee-see oh-yoh ah-loh-bee	this cat is sleeping	Feminine

It is also important to note that some verbs and adjectives have different forms depending on the gender of the noun they refer to. For example, the verb “to love” is alobaka for masculine nouns and alobaki for feminine nouns.

Practice

To improve your Lingala Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Quiz

Test your knowledge of gender in Lingala with this quiz:

1. What is the gender of the word moto (fire)?
2. What is the gender of the word mbisi (cat)?
3. What is the gender of the word nkolo (tree)?
4. What is the gender of the word nzela (river)?
5. What is the verb for “to love” when referring to a masculine noun?
6. What is the verb for “to love” when referring to a feminine noun?

Answers:

1. Masculine
2. Feminine
3. Masculine
4. Feminine
5. alobaka
6. alobaki

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• Negation
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• Conditional Mood
• The first 10 words
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