Language/Central-atlas-tamazight/Grammar/Negation
Hi Central Atlas Tamazight learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation in Central Atlas Tamazight. We will cover how to form negative sentences, how to use negation with different tenses, and some common negative words.
Forming Negative Sentences
To form a negative sentence in Central Atlas Tamazight, we add the negative particle "ur" before the verb. For example:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ur yufa | ur jufa | I don't eat |
In this example, we added the negative particle "ur" before the verb "yufa" (to eat).
We can also use the negative particle "ur" with the different tenses (present, past, and future). For example:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ur i yufa | ur i jufa | I am not eating |
| ur tettuyef | ur tettuyef | You didn't eat |
| ur i tettufa | ur i tettufa | You will not eat |
In these examples, we added the negative particle "ur" before the verb in the different tenses.
Using Negation with Different Tenses
Let's take a closer look at how to use negation with different tenses in Central Atlas Tamazight.
Present Tense
To form a negative sentence in the present tense, we add the negative particle "ur" before the present tense verb. For example:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ur i d-ibɣa | ur i dd-ibgha | I am not loving |
| ur t-iqerri | ur t-ikkri | You are not reading |
| ur y-ifka | ur y-iffka | He/She is not eating |
| ur nezzi | ur nezzi | We are not going |
| ur ten-nuznu | ur ten-nuznu | You(plural) are not singing |
| ur y-idra | ur y-iddra | They are not working |
In these examples, we added the negative particle "ur" before the present tense verbs.
Past Tense
To form a negative sentence in the past tense, we add the negative particle "ur" before the past tense verb. For example:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ur t-tzemra | ur t-tzemra | You didn't kiss |
| ur y-idegga | ur y-iddga | He/She didn't buy |
| ur n-iyut | ur n-iyut | We didn't see |
| ur tn-idren | ur tn-idren | You(plural) didn't eat |
| ur y-ibbi | ur y-ibbi | They didn't come |
In these examples, we added the negative particle "ur" before the past tense verbs.
Future Tense
To form a negative sentence in the future tense, we add the negative particle "ur" before the future tense verb. For example:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ur i y-irezzi | ur i y-irrizi | I will not go |
| ur t-iqqar | ur t-ikkar | You will not read |
| ur y-ifer | ur y-iffir | He/She will not see |
| ur nettu | ur nettu | We will not sleep |
| ur ten-ufa | ur ten-ufa | You(plural) will not eat |
| ur y-ini | ur y-ini | They will not come |
In these examples, we added the negative particle "ur" before the future tense verbs.
Common Negative Words
Here are some common negative words used in Central Atlas Tamazight:
| Central Atlas Tamazight | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ibba | ibba | nothing |
| ur inna | ur inna | never |
| ur teyya | ur teggaw | nowhere |
| ur tberren | ur tberren | not anymore |
For example, we can use the common negative word "ibba" (nothing) in a sentence like:
- Person 1: Ur yufa, mazal ibba? (Don't you eat, nothing else?)
- Person 2: Ulac, ur yufa. (No, I don't eat.)
In this example, the common negative word "ibba" is used to mean "nothing else."
Examples in Context
Here's a dialogue between two people using negation:
- Person 1: Ur t-iweẓẓif s tidet? (Don't you like tea?)
- Person 2: Ulac, ur t-iweẓẓif. Nekk tji tayyara. (No, I don't like tea. I prefer coffee.)
In this example, we used the negative particle "ur" to form the negative sentence "ur t-iweẓẓif" (don't like).
Sources
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