Language/Wolof/Grammar/Comparatives
Introduction
Welcome back to another grammar lesson in the Complete 0 to A1 Wolof Course! In this lesson, we will be discussing comparatives in Wolof. This is an important subject to understand as it will allow you to describe differences and similarities between objects in Wolof. Let's get started!
Comparatives
In Wolof, to compare adjectives, we use the words fii and si. The word fii means "more" and si means "less".
To form the comparative in Wolof, you need to use the following structure:
| Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective + fii + nga/yi/lu/ne | adjective + fee + nga/yee/loo/neh | more + adjective + than |
| Adjective + si + nga/yi/lu/ne | adjective + see + nga/yee/loo/neh | less + adjective + than |
You will notice that the endings of nga, yi, lu, ne in the comparative construct match the gender and number of the noun being compared.
Here are some examples:
| Wolof | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Gàmmu fii nga jàngor-jàngor bi íi ci nàkk | gah-moo fee nga jangor-jangor bee ee chee nak | The big mango is more delicious than the small one |
| Njax fii yi aax lu jëm | nyakh fee yee ahkh loo jem | The yellow one is more sour than the green one |
| Tudd fii lu wër | tood fee loo weer | The red dress is more expensive than the blue one |
| Lu topp si yi rëy | loo top see yee ray | The white bird is less common than the black one |
Conclusion
Now that you know how to form comparatives in Wolof, you will be able to express differences and similarities between objects. Keep practicing and try to use comparatives in your daily conversations. Thanks for joining me for this lesson, and see you in the next one!