 | Chapter 14 - Adjectives - Generalities |
There are two types of adjectives in Somali:
Basic Adjectives
Basic adjectives are quite few. Here are some of them:
Somali Adjective |
Translation |
adag |
= difficult, strong |
badan |
= many, numerous |
bannaan |
= empty, free |
buuran |
= big, fat |
cad |
= white |
cas |
= red |
culus |
= heavy, difficult |
cusub |
= new, fresh |
dheer |
= long |
dhow |
= close, near |
dhuuban |
= thin |
fog |
= far, distant |
fudud |
= light, easy |
kulul |
= hot |
macaan |
= sweet, good |
madow |
= black, dark |
qabow |
= cold |
weyn |
= large |
xun |
= bad |
yar |
= small |
Derived Adjectives
Derived adjectives are formed from a noun or a verb by adding the suffix -an or -san
Examples:
Noun / Verb |
Translation |
Formation |
Derived Adjective |
Translation |
gaab |
= shortness |
gáab + -an |
-> gaabán |
= short |
xoog |
= strength |
xoog + -an |
-> xoogán |
= strong |
balláadh |
= width |
balláadh + -an |
-> ballaadhán |
= wide, sturdy |
fur |
= open |
fur + -an |
-> furán |
= open |
xidh |
= close |
xidh + -an |
-> xidhán |
= closed |
gub |
= burn |
gub + -an |
-> gubán |
= burnt |
shil |
= fry |
shil + -an |
-> shilán |
= fried |
farax |
= joy |
farax + -san |
-> faraxsán |
= joyful, happy |
qurúx |
= beauty |
qurúx + -san |
-> quruxsán |
= beautiful |
cádho |
= anger |
cádho + -san |
-> cadhosán |
= angry |
harraad |
= hunger |
harraad + -san |
-> harraadsán |
= hungry |
gaajo |
= thirst |
gaajay + -san |
-> gaajaysán |
= thirsty |
dhereg |
= satiety |
dhereg + -san |
-> dheregsán |
= full |
wali |
= madness |
wal + -an |
-> walán |
= mad |
Place of the adjective in relation to the noun:
In Somali, the adjective always comes AFTER the noun it qualifies.
Examples:
Noun + Adjective |
Translation |
Bisad yar |
= a small cat |
Bisada madow |
= the black cat |
Albaab cas |
= a red door |
Albaabka cas |
= the red door |
Biyo kulul |
= hot water |
Guri cusub |
= a new house |
Guriga cusub |
= the new house |
Dukaanka cusub |
= the new shop |
Shaqo fudud |
= an easy job |
Waddo dheer |
= a long road |
Baaradho shilan |
= fried potatoes, chips, French fries |
Noun qualified by 2 adjectives:
When 2 adjectives describe the same noun, the conjunction oo or ee (= and) is placed between the 2 adjectives.
Preferably, oo is used when the noun is indefinite, and ee is used when the noun is definite.
Examples:
Noun + 2 Adjectives |
Translation |
Explanation |
Bisad yar oo madow |
= a small black cat |
(indefinite noun) |
Bisada yar ee madow |
= the small black cat |
(definite noun) |
Shaah kulul oo macaan |
= hot and sweet tea |
(indefinite noun) |
Ninka weyn ee wanaagsan |
= the good tall man |
(definite noun) |
Plural of adjectives:
Adjectives form their plural by doubling their first syllable: quruxsan = beautiful, pretty. qur + quruxsan -> qurquruxsan = beautiful, pretty (plural).
If the adjective has only one syllable, simply repeat it: yar = small. yar + yar -> yaryar = small (plural).
Singular |
Translation |
Plural |
Translation |
Bisad yar |
= a small cat |
Bisado yaryar |
= small cats |
Gabadh quruxsan |
= a beautiful girl |
Gabadho qurquruxsan |
= beautiful girls |
Nin gaaban |
= a small man |
Nimmo gaagaaban |
= small men |
Cashar fudud |
= an easy lesson |
Casharo fudfudud |
= easy lessons |
Exceptions :
-
The adjective dhéer (= tall, long) becomes daadhéer in the plural.
-
The adjective wéyn (= tall, big) becomes waawéyn in the plural.
Examples:
Singular |
Translation |
Plural |
Translation |
Ninka weyn |
= the important man |
Nimmanka waaweyn |
= the important men |
Waddáda dheer |
= the long road |
waddoóyinka daadheer |
= the long roads |
Adjective as a subject case:
The subject mark is transferred to the adjective when it qualifies the subject noun of the sentence.
This subject mark becomes i on the adjective (instead of u on the noun), while the noun takes the absolute definite form.
Examples:
Subject Noun + Verb |
Translation |
Subject Noun + Adjective + Verb |
Translation |
Bisadu waa tagay |
= the cat has left |
-> Bisada yari waa tagay |
= the small cat has left |
Ninku wuu tagay |
= the man has left |
-> Ninka dheeri wuu tagay |
= the tall man has left |
Gabadhu way toostay |
= the girl has risen |
-> Gabadha quruxsani way toostay |
= the pretty girl has risen |
Inanku wuu toosay |
= the boy has risen |
-> Inanka yari wuu toosay |
= the little boy has risen |
Ninku wuu tagay |
= the man has left |
-> Ninka dheeri wuu tagay |
= the tall man has left |
Nimanku way tageen |
= the men have left |
-> Nimanka daadheeri way tageen |
= the tall men have left |
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