Language/Samoan/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Samoan learners!😊
Learning Samoan Grammar can be a challenge, but it's also a great way to improve your language skills. In this lesson, we'll look at the basics of forming plurals in Samoan.
Plural Formation
In Samoan, plurals are formed by adding the suffix -a to the end of the word. For example, the singular form of the word "manu" (bird) is "manu", and the plural form is "manua".
The same rule applies to nouns that end in a vowel. For example, the singular form of the word "tama" (person) is "tama", and the plural form is "tamaa".
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, the plural form of the word "teine" (girl) is "teinei", not "teinea".
Plural Agreement
In Samoan, the verb must agree with the subject in number. This means that if the subject is plural, the verb must also be in the plural form. For example, the sentence "The birds are flying" would be translated as "O le manua ua tupu".
Similarly, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be in the singular form. For example, the sentence "The bird is flying" would be translated as "O le manu ua tupu".
Plural Possessives
In Samoan, possessive pronouns must also agree with the noun they refer to in number. For example, the phrase "my birds" would be translated as "ai manua ou te".
Similarly, the phrase "your birds" would be translated as "ai manua oe te".
Conclusion
In this lesson, we looked at the basics of forming plurals in Samoan. We saw that plurals are formed by adding the suffix -a to the end of the word, and that possessive pronouns must also agree with the noun they refer to in number.
To improve your Samoan Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. 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. 😎