Language/Tswana/Grammar/Definite-and-Indefinite-Articles

From Polyglot Club WIKI
< Language‎ | Tswana‎ | Grammar
Revision as of 20:40, 29 March 2023 by Maintenance script (talk | contribs) (Quick edit)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Rate this lesson:
0.00
(0 votes)

Botswana-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png
TswanaGrammar0 to A1 Course → Nouns and Articles → Definite and Indefinite Articles

In Tswana, like in many other languages, articles are important determiners of a noun's identity. In this lesson, we will learn about definite and indefinite articles in Tswana, how to use them, and how they are different from one another.

Definite Articles

Definite articles refer to a particular noun in a sentence. In Tswana, the definite article "le" (pronounced "leh") is used with singular and plural nouns.

For example:

Tswana Pronunciation English
le moema leh mo-eh-mah the man

Note that we use "le" in this example to specify a particular man.

Another example:

Tswana Pronunciation English
le bana leh bah-na the children

Keep in mind that "le" is the only definite article in Tswana. Whenever you want to point out a specific noun, use "le" to make it clear.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles, on the other hand, refer to a noun without specifying which noun exactly. In Tswana, the indefinite article can be translated to "ya," or "ea."

For example:

Tswana Pronunciation English
ya moema yah mo-eh-mah a man / one man

Also:

Tswana Pronunciation English
ea bana eh-ah bah-na some children

As you see, "ya" or "ea" is used to refer to an unspecific noun or to express a general idea.

More Examples

Here are some more examples:

Tswana Pronunciation English
naano e e ya kwa Naledi nah-no eh eh yah kwa nah-leh-dee a small house in Naledi
baagi ba le ba na le bomme bah-ah-ghy bah leh bah nah leh boh-may the boys with their mothers

Practice Exercise

Let's practice identifying the use of definite and indefinite articles in Tswana. Write the sentences below and indicate whether they require the use of a definite or indefinite article:

  1. The car -
  2. A cup -
  3. The sky -
  4. Some bread -

Answers: 1) The car - definite 2) A cup - indefinite 3) The sky - definite 4) Some bread - indefinite

Conclusion

By now, you should have a good understanding of definite and indefinite articles in Tswana. You can use this knowledge to communicate more precisely with others and to better grasp the meaning behind sentences in Tswana. In the next lesson, we will learn about plural nouns in Tswana.



Contributors

Maintenance script


Create a new Lesson