Language/Ganda/Grammar/Negation
Hi Ganda learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Ganda. Negation is the process of expressing the opposite of a statement. We will learn how to negate a verb, an adjective, and a noun.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Adjectives, How to Use "Be", Conditional Mood & Plurals.
Verb Negation
To negate a verb in Ganda, we add the word "te" before the verb. For example, "nondaba" means "I eat" and "tenondaba" means "I don't eat". Here is a table with some examples:
| Ganda | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| nondaba | /nɔ̀ndábà/ | I eat |
| tenondaba | /tènɔ̀ndábà/ | I don't eat |
| nolima | /nòlímá/ | I dance |
| tenolima | /tènòlímá/ | I don't dance |
Let's see a dialogue:
- Person 1: Waliwo munne? (Did you eat?)
- Person 2: Te nondaba. (I did not eat.)
Adjective Negation
To negate an adjective in Ganda, we add the word "si" before the adjective. For example, "enna" means "it is sweet" and "sienna" means "it is not sweet".
| Ganda | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| enna | /ènná/ | it is sweet |
| sienna | /sìènná/ | it is not sweet |
| sibuna | /sìbùná/ | it is not good |
| empya | /èmpíyá/ | it is new |
Let's have another dialogue:
- Person 1: Luba lwa nnyo? (Is the sauce tasty?)
- Person 2: Sienna. (It is not sweet.)
Noun Negation
To negate a noun in Ganda, we add the word "tte" before the noun. For example, "nnyo" means "sauce" and "ttennyo" means "not sauce".
| Ganda | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| nnyo | /nɲɔ̀/ | sauce |
| ttennyo | /ttèɲɔ̀/ | not sauce |
| ggulu | /ggùlú/ | sky |
| ttiggulu | /ttìggulú/ | not sky |
Let's practice a dialogue:
- Person 1: Waliwo lubbale lwammeeza? (Did you see the big stone?)
- Person 2: Ttiggwa. (I did not see it.)
By using negation, we can express the opposite of a statement, whether that statement is about a verb, an adjective or a noun.
To improve your Ganda Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources
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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎