Language/Tswana/Grammar/Adverbs

Tswana → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Adverbs

As you continue to learn Tswana grammar, you will eventually come across one of the most important parts of speech: adverbs. Adverbs provide more information about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They add depth, detail, and nuance to the Tswana language.

What are Adverbs?

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They can change the meaning of a sentence, such as indicating time, frequency, manner, or degree. In Tswana, adverbs can be placed in various parts of a sentence depending on their function.

For example, consider the following sentence:

"Mmina o tla bona otlhe se se sale botlhoko le se se phapangeng."

This sentence roughly translates to:

"I will see everything clearly and realistically."

In this sentence, the adverb "clearly" modifies the verb "see," providing more information on how the action was performed. The adverb "realistically" modifies the verb "see" as well, providing additional information about the manner in which the action was performed.

Types of Adverbs

In Tswana, there are several different types of adverbs. They are:

Manner Adverbs

Manner adverbs describe how an action is done. They usually end in "-eng" in Tswana.

Here are some examples of manner adverbs in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
fa legeng	[fa ˈle.ɡɛŋ]	quickly
nako tse ding	[ˈna.kʰɔ t͡sɛ ˈdiŋ]	sometimes
mo letsong	[mɔ ɬɛˈt͡sɔŋ]	quietly
ka motsamaisa	[ka mɔ.ʦa.maˈi.sa]	carefully

Place Adverbs

Place adverbs describe where an action takes place. They usually end in "-ng" in Tswana.

Here are some examples of place adverbs in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
mo gae	[mɔ ˈka.ɛ]	at home
ka kobo	[ka ˈkʰɔ.bɔ]	outside
go tswa go go lona	[ɡɔ t͡swa ɡɔ ɡɔ ˈlo.na]	from here to there
mo lefatsheng	[mɔ lɛ.faˈt͡ʃʼɛŋ]	in the field

Time Adverbs

Time adverbs describe when an action occurs. They usually end in "-e" or "-eng" in Tswana.

Here are some examples of time adverbs in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
fa borothong	[fa bɔ.ɾɔtʰɔŋ]	soon
ka nako eo	[ka ˈna.kʰɔ ɛ.ɔ]	at that time
go fitlhela	[ɡɔ fɪ.t͡ɬʰɛ.la]	already

Degree Adverbs

Degree adverbs describe the extent or level of an action or quality. They usually end in "-leng" in Tswana.

Here are some examples of degree adverbs in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
ka nako e e leng	[ka ˈna.kʰɔ ɛ ɛ ˈlɛŋ]	at that very moment
nako e e amegileng	[ˈna.kʰɔ ɛ ɛ a.me.ˈɡi.lɛŋ]	at an early hour
lethabo le le bigileng	[lɛ.ˈtʰa.bɔ lɛ lɛ bi.ˈɡi.lɛŋ]	extremely happy

Frequency Adverbs

Frequency adverbs describe how often an action occurs. They usually end in "-a" in Tswana.

Here are some examples of frequency adverbs in Tswana:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
ka nako eo e tlaa bona a sa tla kgona	[ka ˈna.kʰɔ ɛ.ɔ ɛ ˈt͡ɬaː ˈbɔ.na a sa t͡ɬa ˈkʰɔ.na]	rarely
ka letsatsi la ka	[ka lɛ.ˈt͡sa.t͡si la ka]	every day

Adverb Placement

In Tswana, the placement of adverbs can vary depending on their function. The simplest rule is that manner adverbs can be placed before or after the verb they modify, while place, time, degree, and frequency adverbs come before the verb they modify.

For example:

"Mmina o tla bona otlhe fa legeng." (I will see everything quickly.)

"Le tumelo ke la re a tla bona ka kobo." (Our hope is that we will see outside.)

"Ke tla bona gaufi diatomitiki tse di leng degrees." (I will see several degrees of diatomite.)

Conclusion

In this lesson on Tswana grammar, you have learned about the importance of adverbs and the different types of adverbs in the Tswana language. By mastering the use of adverbs, you will be able to communicate more effectively, vividly, and accurately in Tswana. In the next lesson, you will learn how to use the possessive pronouns and adjectives to show ownership or relationships in Tswana.

Table of Contents - Tswana Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Basic Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Polite Expressions

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Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Verb Conjugation

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Numbers

• Counting 1-10
• Ordinal Numbers

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Days of the Week and Months

• Days of the Week
• Months of the Year

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plural Nouns

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Common Objects and Places

• Household Items
• Places in Town

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Drink

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions of Place
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Possessives and Demonstratives

• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

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Tswana Traditions and Customs

• Traditional Clothing
• Tswana Cuisine

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Tswana Holidays and Celebrations

• National Holidays
• Traditional Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Plurals
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions
• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• 0 to A1 Course
• Negation
• Subject Pronouns
• Pronouns
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives