Difference between revisions of "Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Negation"

Latest revision as of 22:42, 2 April 2023

◀️ Forming Questions — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️

Xhosa Grammar - Negation

Hi Xhosa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Xhosa. Being able to use negative forms is essential for communication. It is also a rich aspect of Xhosa grammar as it involves a complex structure of particles and verbs. Don't worry, we will take it step-by-step and illustrate each point with cultural information and interesting facts.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Pronouns, Questions, Plurals & Give your Opinion.

Negation particles[edit | edit source]

In Xhosa, negating a sentence involves particles that are placed before the verb. The negation particle depends on the tense and aspect of the verb. Here are the common negative particles:

Particle	Example	Translation
ang	Angiqali	I am not going
-i	Angiqali	I am not going
-azi	Andiqazi utshwala	I don't know beer
-angi	Andiqangi utshwala	I haven't had beer
-ingi	Andisingi utshwala	I don't like beer

For example, to negate the present tense verb "qala" (to start), we use "ang" or "-i":

uMa qala ukudlala ibhola. (My mother starts to play soccer.)
uMa angaqali ukudlala ibhola. (My mother doesn't start to play soccer.)

You can notice that "ang" also means "won't" or "will not" as in the following sentence:

Andizange ndiqale. (I will never start.)
Andiqali. (I won't start.)

Negation of copular verbs[edit | edit source]

Copular verbs are the ones that link the subject to the complement, such as "to be" or "to seem". In Xhosa, to negate copular verbs, we use "anga" + subject + verb:

Ndoda waziswa. (The man is known.)
Indoda ayikho. (The man is not here.)
Uyazi impawu zeqhaza? (Do you know the cause of the fire?)
Andiyazi. (I don't know.)

Negative concords[edit | edit source]

Negative concord is a linguistic phenomenon where more than one negative element is used in a sentence, which does not necessarily imply a positive meaning. In Xhosa, negative concord is used to emphasize the negation of a verb or to express a stronger denial. Here are some examples:

Andikho ndiphumeleli kakhulu. (I am not not successful.)
Andiyi nto ndiyikhathazi. (I don't fear nothing.)
Andisayi kufumana umsebenzi. (I will not not get a job.)

Negative imperatives[edit | edit source]

To make a negative imperative (command), we use "m" + negative particle + verb:

Mangingaphumeleli. (Don't be successful.)
Musayi kufumana umsebenzi. (Don't get a job.)

Dialogue[edit | edit source]

Betty: Awu Phum, uthetha isiXhosa kanjani? (Hey Phum, how do you speak Xhosa?)
Phum: Ndisathetha isiXhosa kakuhle kodwa andiyazi ukulungisa ngokwengqondo. (I speak Xhosa well but I don't know how to correct grammatically.)
Betty: Hau, wena ungaphumi ngathi! (Wow, you're not hopeless like that!)
Phum: Hayi, angaqali! (No, I'm not!)

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Negation in Xhosa may seem complex at first sight, but with practice and cultural immersion, you will master it easily. Remember that grammar is just a means of communication, not an end in itself. You can improve your Xhosa grammar also using the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! For more Xhosa Grammar topics, check our page.

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources[edit | edit source]

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Conditional Mood, Future Tense & How to Use Have.

Videos[edit | edit source]

Week 7 Xhosa Grammar: 10.3 Negative commands - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Table of Contents - Xhosa Course - 0 to A1[edit source]

Course Presentation

Introduction to Xhosa

Greetings and Introductions

Nouns and Pronouns

Numbers and Time

Verbs and Tenses

Family and Relationships

Questions and Negation

Food and Dining

Xhosa Culture and Traditions

Travel and Transportation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Weather and Seasons

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Hobbies and Interests

Xhosa Music and Literature

◀️ Forming Questions — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+<span pgnav>
+{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
+|[[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Forming-Questions|◀️ Forming Questions — Previous Lesson]]
+|[[Language/Xhosa/Vocabulary/Common-Foods|Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️]]
+|}
+</span>
 {{Xhosa-Page-Top}}
 <div class="pg_page_title">Xhosa Grammar - Negation</div>
-Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/xhosa Xhosa] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will be discussing the basics of negation in Xhosa. Negation is an important part of any language, and Xhosa is no exception. We will look at how to form negative sentences, as well as some common mistakes to avoid. Let's get started! __TOC__
-== Basics of Negation ==
+Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/xhosa Xhosa] learners! 😊<br>
-Negation in Xhosa is fairly straightforward. To form a negative sentence, you simply add the word ''ayi'' before the verb. For example:
+In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Xhosa. Being able to use negative forms is essential for communication. It is also a rich aspect of Xhosa grammar as it involves a complex structure of particles and verbs. Don't worry, we will take it step-by-step and illustrate each point with cultural information and interesting facts.
+__TOC__
+<span link>Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]], [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Questions|Questions]], [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Plurals|Plurals]] & [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion|Give your Opinion]].</span>
+== Negation particles ==
+In Xhosa, negating a sentence involves particles that are placed before the verb. The negation particle depends on the tense and aspect of the verb. Here are the common negative particles:
 {| class="wikitable"
+! Particle !! Example !! Translation
 |-
-! Xhosa !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
+| ang || Angiqali || I am not going
 |-
-| Uyayazi || u-ya-ya-zi || He reads
+| -i || Angiqali || I am not going
 |-
-| Ayi uyayazi || a-yi u-ya-ya-zi || He does not read
+| -azi || Andiqazi utshwala || I don't know beer
+|-
+| -angi || Andiqangi utshwala || I haven't had beer
+|-
+| -ingi || Andisingi utshwala || I don't like beer
 |}
-It's that simple! However, there are a few things to keep in mind when forming negative sentences.
+For example, to negate the present tense verb "qala" (to start), we use "ang" or "-i":
+* uMa qala ukudlala ibhola. (My mother starts to play soccer.)
+* uMa angaqali ukudlala ibhola. (My mother doesn't start to play soccer.)
+You can notice that "ang" also means "won't" or "will not" as in the following sentence:
+* Andizange ndiqale. (I will never start.)
+* Andiqali. (I won't start.)
+== Negation of copular verbs ==
+Copular verbs are the ones that link the subject to the complement, such as "to be" or "to seem". In Xhosa, to negate copular verbs, we use "anga" + subject + verb:
+* Ndoda waziswa. (The man is known.)
+* Indoda ayikho. (The man is not here.)
+* Uyazi impawu zeqhaza? (Do you know the cause of the fire?)
+* Andiyazi. (I don't know.)
+== Negative concords ==
+Negative concord is a linguistic phenomenon where more than one negative element is used in a sentence, which does not necessarily imply a positive meaning. In Xhosa, negative concord is used to emphasize the negation of a verb or to express a stronger denial. Here are some examples:
-=== Common Mistakes ===
+* Andikho ndiphumeleli kakhulu. (I am not not successful.)
-One common mistake is to use the wrong form of the verb. For example, if you want to say "I do not understand", you would use the verb ''yazi'' (to understand). However, if you use the wrong form of the verb, such as ''yazela'' (to explain), then the sentence would be incorrect.
+* Andiyi nto ndiyikhathazi. (I don't fear nothing.)
+* Andisayi kufumana umsebenzi. (I will not not get a job.)
-Another common mistake is to forget to add the word ''ayi''. If you forget to add this word, then the sentence will be incorrect. For example, if you want to say "He does not read", you must include the word ''ayi'' before the verb ''uyayazi'' (to read).
+== Negative imperatives ==
-Finally, it is important to remember that the word ''ayi'' must always come before the verb. If you put the word ''ayi'' after the verb, then the sentence will be incorrect.
+To make a negative imperative (command), we use "m" + negative particle + verb:
-== Examples ==
+* Mangingaphumeleli. (Don't be successful.)
-Let's look at some examples of negative sentences in Xhosa.
+* Musayi kufumana umsebenzi. (Don't get a job.)
-{| class="wikitable"
+== Dialogue ==
-|-
-! Xhosa !! Pronunciation !! English Translation
+* Betty: Awu Phum, uthetha isiXhosa kanjani? (Hey Phum, how do you speak Xhosa?)
-|-
+* Phum: Ndisathetha isiXhosa kakuhle kodwa andiyazi ukulungisa ngokwengqondo. (I speak Xhosa well but I don't know how to correct grammatically.)
-| Ayi uyayithanda || a-yi u-ya-yi-thanda || He does not like
+* Betty: Hau, wena ungaphumi ngathi! (Wow, you're not hopeless like that!)
-|-
+* Phum: Hayi, angaqali! (No, I'm not!)
-| Ayi uyayazi || a-yi u-ya-ya-zi || He does not read
-|-
-| Ayi uyayifunda || a-yi u-ya-yi-funda || He does not study
-|-
-| Ayi uyayibona || a-yi u-ya-yi-bona || He does not see
-|-
-| Ayi uyayifundisa || a-yi u-ya-yi-fundisa || He does not teach
-|}
-As you can see, forming negative sentences in Xhosa is quite simple. Just remember to add the word ''ayi'' before the verb, and to use the correct form of the verb.
+== Conclusion ==
-== Practice ==
+Negation in Xhosa may seem complex at first sight, but with practice and cultural immersion, you will master it easily. Remember that grammar is just a means of communication, not an end in itself. You can improve your Xhosa grammar also using the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=143 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/xhosa/question questions]! For more Xhosa [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar|Grammar]] topics, check our page.
-To improve your [[Language/Xhosa|Xhosa]] [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=143 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/xhosa/question questions]!
 <hr>➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
+<span class='maj'></span>
+==Sources==
+* [http://learn101.org/xhosa_grammar.php Xhosa Grammar | LEARN101.ORG]
+* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/24772127 Negative concord and nominal licensing in Xhosa and Zulu]
+<span link>Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]], [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]] & [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]].</span>
+{{#seo:
+|title=Xhosa Grammar - Negation
+|keywords=Xhosa grammar, negation in Xhosa, particles, copular verbs, negative concord, negative imperatives, language learning.
+|description=In this lesson, you will learn how to use negation in Xhosa. Learn about particles, copular verbs, negative concord and negative imperatives with cultural and linguistic details. Improve your Xhosa grammar with native speakers.
+}}
+==Videos==
+===Week 7 Xhosa Grammar: 10.3 Negative commands - YouTube===
+<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nhAI6WNVb4</youtube>
-==Related Lessons==
+==Other Lessons==
+* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]]
+* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]]
+* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
 * [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Plurals|Plurals]]
+* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
 * [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
-* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]]
 * [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
-* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
+* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion|Give your Opinion]]
-* [[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
 {{Xhosa-Page-Bottom}}
+<span links></span>
+{{Xhosa-0-to-A1-Course-TOC}}
+[[Category:Course]]
+[[Category:Xhosa-Course]]
+[[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
+[[Category:Xhosa-0-to-A1-Course]]
+<span pgnav>
+{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
+|[[Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Forming-Questions|◀️ Forming Questions — Previous Lesson]]
+|[[Language/Xhosa/Vocabulary/Common-Foods|Next Lesson — Common Foods ▶️]]
+|}
+</span>