Language/Somali/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement

Somali → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Nouns and Adjectives → Adjective Agreement

Welcome to this Somali grammar lesson! In this lesson, we will learn about adjective agreement in Somali. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. In Somali, adjectives must agree with the number and gender of the noun they are modifying. This may seem confusing at first, but once you understand the rules, it becomes much easier. Let's get started!

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Gender & Time.

Noun Gender and Plurals Review

Before we dive into adjective agreement, let's quickly review noun gender and plurals in Somali. In Somali, there are two genders: masculine and feminine. Masculine nouns typically end in a consonant, while feminine nouns typically end in '-o' or '-a'. For example:

Somali	Pronunciation	English
walaalo	wa-la-a-lo	brother(s) (masculine)
haweenka	ha-wee-nk-a	woman/women (feminine)

To form plurals, masculine nouns usually add '-yo' to the end, while feminine nouns usually add '-yo' or '-o'. For example:

Somali	Pronunciation	English
walaalo-yo	wa-la-a-lo-yo	brothers (masculine)
haweenka-yo	ha-wee-nk-a-yo	(group of) women (feminine)
hawooyin	ha-woy-in	women (feminine)

Note that some feminine nouns can form plurals with '-o' instead of '-yo'. For example, 'dumar' (woman) can be both singular and plural, while 'dumar-yo' is more commonly used to refer to a specific group of women.

Adjective Agreement

Now that we've reviewed noun gender and plurals, let's move on to adjective agreement. In Somali, adjectives must agree with the number and gender of the noun they are modifying. This means that if the noun is masculine and singular, the adjective must also be masculine and singular. If the noun is feminine and plural, the adjective must also be feminine and plural. Let's look at some examples:

Somali	Pronunciation	English
wiil yar	wiil yar	young boy (masculine singular)
naag la'aan	naag la-aan	small girl (feminine singular)
wiilasha yar-yar	wiilasha yar-yar	young boys (masculine plural)
naagtii la'aanta ah	naagtii la-aanta ah	small girls (feminine plural)

Note that in the last example, the adjective 'la'aanta' (small) is a feminine singular adjective because it agrees with the gender of the noun 'naag' (girl), while the plural marker is added at the end of the noun.

Exceptions

As with any grammatical rule, there are always exceptions. In Somali, there are a few adjectives that do not follow the regular rule of adjective agreement. Here are some examples:

- 'dhalaal' (late) is always masculine, even if it describes a feminine noun. - 'nadiif' (clean) and 'dhexaad' (neat) can be used interchangeably for both masculine and feminine nouns in singular and plural forms. - 'qoraal' (written) is always masculine, even if it describes a feminine noun.

Practice

Now that you understand the rules of adjective agreement in Somali, let's practice with some examples. Write the correct form of the adjective in parentheses to complete each sentence:

1. Naag (bariis) ayaa dhashay. (yar) 2. Wiil (walwalsan) ayaa dhashay. (yaro) 3. Far (luuqada) waxaan qoray. (yar) 4. Walaalo (cilmi) ayaa soo dhaweynay. (yaro-yaro) 5. Haweenka (qalbiga) ayaa websites u laabatay. (la'aanta)

1. Naag bariiska ah ayaa dhashay. (bariis-yar) 2. Wiilka walwalsan ayaa dhashay. (walwalsan-yaro) 3. Farada luuqada waxaan qoray. (luuqada-yar) 4. Walaalaha cilmiyaha ayaa soo dhaweynay. (cilmi-yaro-yaro) 5. Haweenka qalbiga ah ayaa websites u laabatay. (qalbiga-la'aanta)

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have completed the lesson on Somali adjective agreement! Adjectives are an important part of language that allow us to describe and modify the nouns in our sentences. In Somali, it's important to remember that adjectives must agree with the number and gender of the nouns they modify. Practice is key to mastering this rule, so keep practicing and incorporating it into your Somali conversations!

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Noun Gender and Plurals & 0 to A1 Course.

Table of Contents - Somali Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• Basic Verb Conjugation

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

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Nouns and Adjectives

• Noun Gender and Plurals
• Adjective Agreement

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Conjunctions

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Food and Dining

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

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Somali Customs and Traditions

• Greetings and Etiquette
• Holidays and Celebrations

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Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

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Somali Geography and History

• Geography of Somalia
• Somali History

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Adverbs and Expressions

• Common Adverbs
• Idiomatic Expressions

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Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

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Somali Art, Music, and Literature

• Somali Art
• Somali Music
• Somali Literature

Other Lessons

• Future Tense
• Nouns
• Common Adverbs
• Basic Verb Conjugation
• Noun Gender and Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Possession
• Conditional Mood
• Adjectives

Sources

• Somali grammar - Wikipedia
• BEGINNER'S SOMALI GRAMMAR