Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Adjectives-in-Nepali
As a beginner learning Nepali, one of the things you will likely encounter is the use of adjectives in the language. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide additional information about the size, color, shape, appearance, and other attributes of the nouns or pronouns. In this lesson, we will learn about the different types of adjectives in Nepali and how to use them in sentences.
Types of Adjectives
There are three types of adjectives in Nepali:
1. Attributive Adjectives
Attributive adjectives are those that are placed before the noun that they modify. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For example:
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| रातो | rāto | red |
| छोटो | chhoto | small |
| राम्रो | rāmro | good |
| सुन्दर | sundar | beautiful |
In the example above, "रातो" (rāto) is a masculine singular adjective that means "red." It agrees with the masculine singular noun "पेंट" (peṇṭ) to make "रातो पेंट" (rāto peṇṭ), which means "red pants." Similarly, "राम्रो" (rāmro) is a masculine singular adjective that means "good," and it agrees with the masculine singular noun "पुस्तक" (pustak) to make "राम्रो पुस्तक" (rāmro pustak), which means "good book."
2. Predicate Adjectives
Predicate adjectives are those that follow the linking verb "हुनु" (hunu) or "छ" (cha) and describe the subject of a sentence. They agree in gender and number with the subject of the sentence, not the object. For example:
- घर लामो छ। (Ghar lāmo cha.) - The house is tall.
- मेरो बाबु सुन्दर हुनुहुन्छ। (Mero bābu sundar hunuhunchha.) - My father is handsome.
In the examples above, "लामो" (lāmo) and "सुन्दर" (sundar) are predicate adjectives that follow the linking verbs "छ" (cha) and "हुनु" (hunu), respectively. They agree in gender and number with their subject, not the object. Note that the word order in Nepali is different from that of English, so the subject comes before the predicate adjective.
3. Adjectives used as Nouns
Adjectives used as nouns are those that take on the function of a noun in a sentence. In Nepali, these are usually derived by adding the suffix "-ता" (-tā) at the end of the adjective. For example:
- बुद्धिमानता भनेको महत्वपूर्ण हो। (Buddhimānatā bhaneko mahatvapūrṇ ho.) - Intelligence is important.
In this example, "बुद्धिमान" (buddhimān) is an adjective that means "intelligent." By adding the suffix "-ता" (-tā), it becomes "बुद्धिमानता" (buddhimānatā), which functions as a noun in the sentence.
Formation of Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
In Nepali, comparative and superlative adjectives are formed by adding the suffixes "-तर" (-tar) and "-तम" (-tam), respectively, at the end of the adjective. For example:
- यो गाडी तिनै राम्रो छ। (Yo gāḍī tinai rāmro cha.) - This car is the best.
- तिनी अरुबाट थोरै बुद्धिमान छ। (Tinī arubāṭ thōrāi buddhimān cha.) - She is less intelligent than others.
In the example above, "-तर" (-tar) and "-तम" (-tam) are used to make the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective "राम्रो" (rāmro), meaning "good." Similarly, in the second example, the adjective "बुद्धिमान" (buddhimān), meaning "intelligent," is used in the comparative form by adding the suffix "-तर" (-tar).
Conclusion
In this lesson, we learned about the different types of adjectives in Nepali and how they are used in sentences. We also learned about the formation of comparative and superlative adjectives. Learning to use adjectives correctly will help you describe the world around you more accurately and make your Nepali language skills more versatile.