Language/Tajik/Grammar/Subject-Object-Verb-Order
Tajik language follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. This means that the subject of the sentence comes first, then the object, and finally the verb. This word order is the opposite of the word order used in English, which is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).
Understanding the SOV order is essential for forming basic sentences in Tajik. In this lesson, we will learn about Tajik grammar and practice forming simple sentences.
Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Introduction to the Tajik Alphabet & Negation in Sentences.
Tajik Grammar
Tajik grammar follows a similar structure to other Indo-European languages. Some of the key features of Tajik grammar include:
Nouns and Pronouns
Tajik nouns are inflected for gender and number. There are two genders in Tajik: male and female. The plural form of a noun is usually created by adding the suffix "-ҳо" to the singular form of the noun.
Tajik personal pronouns are inflected for person and number. There are three grammatical persons: first person (speaking subject), second person (spoken to), and third person (spoken about).
Verbs and Tenses
Tajik verbs have different forms depending on the tense of the sentence. In Tajik, there are four simple tenses: present, past, future, and imperative.
Verbs in the present tense are usually formed by adding the suffix "-м" to the root form of the verb.
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives in Tajik follow the noun they modify. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Adverbs in Tajik modify the verb in the sentence. They help to describe how the action in the sentence is being performed.
Prepositions and Conjunctions
Prepositions in Tajik are used to show the relationship between words in a sentence. They usually come before the noun or pronoun they modify.
Conjunctions in Tajik are used to connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. They can be used to join two equal parts of a sentence or to show a cause-and-effect relationship.
Word Order
As mentioned earlier, Tajik follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. This means that the subject of the sentence comes first, followed by the object and the verb.
For example:
| Tajik | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ман | I (subject) |
| китобро | book (object) |
| хондам. | read (verb, past tense) |
"I read the book."
In this example, the subject "Ман" (I) comes first, followed by the object "китобро" (book) and finally the verb "хондам" (read) in the past tense.
Here's another example:
| Tajik | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ту | You (subject) |
| соати | time (object) |
| чанд | what time (verb) |
| дарумад? | come (past tense) |
"What time did you come?"
In this example, the subject "Ту" (you) comes first, followed by the object "соати" (time), and the verb "чанд" (what time) in the past tense.
Let's look at a few more examples:
| Tajik | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ман | I (subject) |
| Имон | now (object) |
| наврасам. | celebrate Navruz (verb, present tense) |
"I am celebrating Navruz now."
| Tajik | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Дусттар | friends (subject) |
| пиёдагир мекунанд. | do business (verb, present tense) |
"Friends do business."
As you can see in these examples, Tajik sentence structure follows a strict word order pattern.
Practice Sentences
Let's practice forming simple sentences in Tajik. Here are a few examples:
- Ман китобро харидам. (I bought the book.)
- Ту канд соати вуқти хондан меросӣ? (When will you have time to read?)
- У моя як дӯст дорад. (He has one friend.)
- Бақайдгир мехоҳад чизе фурӯхт кунад. (The shopkeeper wants to sell something.)
Use these sentences as a model to create your own simple sentences in Tajik.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we learned about the basic sentence structure in Tajik, which follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. We also learned about Tajik grammar and practiced forming simple sentences. Understanding Tajik sentence structure and grammar is essential for progressing in Tajik language learning.
Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: How to Use Be & Nouns.
Other Lessons
- Nouns
- Past Tense
- Vowels and Consonants
- Personal pronouns
- Negation in Sentences
- Using Conjunctions
- Using Prepositions
- Questions
- Negation
Sources