Language/Wolof/Grammar/Describing-People-and-Things
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Learning how to describe people, places, and things is an essential part of mastering the Wolof language. As we continue our journey to complete the 0 to A1 Wolof course, we will now focus on adjectives and adverbs.
In this lesson, you will learn how to use adjectives in Wolof to describe people, places, and things, including colors, sizes, and shapes. Let's get started!
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Clitic Pronouns & Adjective Agreement.
Describing People
When it comes to describing people in Wolof, we use adjectives to convey various physical and personal characteristics.
Here are some common adjectives used to describe people in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
sanex | sa-nekh | tall |
yaram | ya-ram | beautiful |
jamm | ja-mm | big |
ngor | n-gor | short |
begg | be-gg | small |
xale | xa-le | young |
gëm | gëm | old |
To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:
- Xale ngaay nit = "Young girl"
- Jamm loxo ci xel = "Big house on the hill"
We can also use the Wolof verb "bu" (to be) to describe someone's personality or character traits. For example:
- Omar bu ëpp = "Omar is smart"
- Fatou bu yaram = "Fatou is beautiful"
Describing Places
Adjectives are also important when it comes to describing places, whether it's the city you're visiting or the beach you're lounging on.
Here are some common adjectives used to describe places in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
bindiir | bin-jeer | noisy |
fii | fee | dark |
kër | ker | homey |
yoon | yo-on | hot |
booy | boo-y | pretty |
sapoona | sa-poo-na | clean |
To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:
- Fii sama kajoor = "Dark room"
- Yoon biima = "Hot car"
We can also describe the weather using adjectives. Here are some common weather-related adjectives in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
sàppat | sap-pat | sunny |
bës bi | bes-bee | cloudy |
baxnaaw | ba-khnaaw | windy |
bu baax | boo baakh | rainy |
For example:
- Sàppat naa la = "It's sunny"
- Bu baax bu dee xaalis? = "Is it raining outside?"
Describing Things
Adjectives are also an important part of describing things in Wolof. In addition to colors, sizes, and shapes, we can also use adjectives to describe the quality of an object.
Here are some common adjectives used to describe things in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
loxo | lo-xo | high |
joxe | jo-khe | heavy |
dox | dokh | thin |
sëy-sëy | sey-sey | soft |
mënëm mënëm | meh-nem meh-nem | hard |
wëëru wëëru | weh-ru weh-ru | cold |
To use these adjectives, we simply place them after the noun they modify. For example:
- Joxe biir = "Heavy chair"
- Loxo jeex = "High wall"
We can also use colors as adjectives. Here are some common colors in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
bu ndaw | boo ndow | black |
suuf | soof | white |
diggoon | dee-gon | red |
kanam | ka-nam | green |
yobnii | yob-nee | yellow |
For example:
- Diggoon ragala = "Red dress"
- Suuf biir = "White house"
Describing Actions
While adjectives are used to describe nouns, adverbs are used to describe verbs. In Wolof, adverbs are typically formed by adding the suffix "-oon" to the corresponding adjective.
Here are some common adverbs used to describe actions in Wolof:
Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
jexee-oon | jehh-ksay-oon | slowly |
laax-oon | laakh-oon | quickly |
amoon-oon | a-moon-oon | calmly |
mööm-oon | mohm-oon | silently |
To use these adverbs, we simply place them after the verb they modify. For example:
- Xale yi jexee-oon tay = "The young girl walks slowly"
- Omar laax-oon xooloo ci yoon = "Omar eats quickly in the car"
It's important to note that adverbs in Wolof are not as commonly used as in other languages. Instead, the context of the sentence often conveys the manner or method of the action being described.
Congratulations on completing this lesson on adjectives and adverbs in Wolof! With these new linguistic tools, you'll be able to bring more depth and detail to your conversations in the language.
Other Lessons
- Plural Nouns — Indefinite article
- Am (to have) in the present tense
- Question Formation
- Word Order
- Pronouns and How to ask questions
- How to Use Have
- Clitic Pronouns
- Future Tense
- Comparatives
- Intensifiers
Sources
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