Language/Central-pashto/Grammar/Subject-Object-Verb
| ◀️ Numbers 11-20 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Negation ▶️ |
Introduction
Welcome to the Central Pashto course! This lesson is about the basic sentence structure in Central Pashto. We will focus on the subject-object-verb (SOV) structure, which is the most common sentence structure in Pashto. Understanding the SOV structure is crucial to forming simple sentences in Central Pashto.
We will begin by discussing the importance of word order in Pashto sentences. Then we will move on to practicing forming SOV sentences, which will help you get comfortable with the sentence structure. Finally, we will provide you with some rules on SOV sentence formation and some examples.
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Subject Pronouns & Past Continuous.
Word Order in Central Pashto Sentences
Word order is vitally important in Central Pashto sentences. The order in which the subject, object, and verb appear determines the meaning of the sentence. Unlike English, which follows the subject-verb-object (SVO) pattern, Central Pashto follows the SOV pattern. In SOV sentences, the verb comes at the end of the sentence.
Let's take a look at the following sentence to understand the SOV pattern:
"زما براچی سټيوری دی."
The above sentence translates to "My brother is telling a story." Now let's break down the sentence structure and see how the SOV pattern works:
| Central Pashto | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| "زما" | "zəma" | "my" |
| "براچی" | "brɑt͡ʃi" | "brother" |
| "سټيوری" | "stóri" | "story" |
| "دی" | "di" | "is/are/am" |
As we can see, the sentence follows the SOV pattern with the verb "is" at the end of the sentence. Now, let's practice forming some simple SOV sentences.
Forming Simple SOV Sentences
Let's look at some simple sentences made up of subject, object, and verb in Pashto:
- زه هټه کوم.
- ته په خپل سر کې دي.
- ستاسو وړاندې صاف دی.
- زه خوب یم.
Can you guess what these sentences mean? Read on to find out!
Example Sentences
| Central Pashto | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| "زه هټه کوم." | "za hatta kóom." | "I am hungry." |
| "ته په خپل سر کې دي." | "ta pə khpal sar ke di." | "You have it on your head." |
| "ستاسو وړاندې صاف دی." | "stasə wrándə sáf di." | "Your room is clean." |
| "زه خوب یم." | "za xwob yam." | "I am good." |
Great job! You are well on your way to mastering the SOV sentence structure in Central Pashto. Let's now take a look at some rules and examples for forming SOV sentences.
Rules for Forming SOV Sentences
In Central Pashto, most sentences follow the SOV structure. Here are some basic rules to help you form SOV sentences correctly:
- The subject comes first, followed by the object, and finally the verb.
- Adjectives and adverbs come immediately before the word they modify.
- Prepositions come immediately before the noun they modify.
- Nouns are inflected based on case, which changes the form of the word depending on its function in the sentence. There are four cases in Pashto: nominative, accusative, genitive, and oblique.
Let's look at some examples to clarify these rules:
| Central Pashto | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| "زه مور دې خوړوم." | "za mor de xworom." | "I am eating chicken." |
| "ستا سړی هلته کوم." | "stá saré hiltə kóom." | "We saw a beautiful flower." |
| "زموږ لاره به دې موږ درته کول دی." | "zmóə́ lárə be de móg dərte kóol di." | "We brought the books from the library." |
| "ځل بچې څلري مې وايم." | "zal baché tsálari mé wayam." | "Yesterday I bought three dresses." |
Keep practicing and you will soon become an expert in forming SOV sentences!
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing this lesson on the basic sentence structure in Central Pashto! We hope that you have gained a good understanding of the SOV structure and are now able to form simple sentences with ease.
As you continue with the course, you will see more complex sentence structures and learn how to use different tenses, prepositions, and pronouns to express your ideas effectively in Central Pashto.
Continue practicing and immersing yourself in Pashto language and culture as much as possible. This will help you improve your language skills and appreciate the rich traditions and customs of the Pashtun people.
Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Questions & How to Use Be.
Other Lessons
- Past Continuous
- Present Continuous
- Negation
- How to Use Be
- Object Pronouns
- Prepositions of Place
- Possessive Pronouns
- Pronouns
- Common Prepositions
- Wh Questions
| ◀️ Numbers 11-20 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Negation ▶️ |