Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement
Adjectives are words used to describe or modify nouns. In Xhosa language, adjectives must agree with the noun in both gender and number. In this lesson, we will learn how to form adjectives and how to use them properly in sentences.
Xhosa Adjectives
In Xhosa, adjectives have different forms for singular and plural and for each of the noun classes, depending on the prefix used. There are 15 noun classes in Xhosa, each with its own prefix.
Here are some examples of adjectives in Xhosa:
| Noun Class | Xhosa Singular | Xhosa Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | omfana olumile | abafana abamile | good boy(s) |
| II | umfazi omuhle | abafazi abahle | beautiful woman/women |
| III | indoda embi | izindoda eziphuma | bad man/men |
| VI | inkomo encinci | izinkomo ezincinci | small cow/cows |
Please note that adjectives in Xhosa usually follow the noun they modify.
Adjective Agreement
When using adjectives with nouns, it is important to ensure that the adjective agrees with the noun in both gender and number. This means that the form of the adjective must change depending on the noun it is modifying.
In general, singular adjectives end in -e while plural adjectives end in -ile. However, the ending changes depending on the noun class:
| Noun Class | Singular Adjective Ending | - | I | -e | II | -le | III | -i | IV | -e | V | -e | VI | -i | VII | -e | VIII | -e | IX | -e | X | -e | XI | -e | XIV | -e | XIX | -e | XX | -e |
|---|
Additionally, adjectives must also agree with the noun in gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter):
| Gender | Examples of Nouns | Singular Adjective Ending | Plural Adjective Ending | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | umfana (boy) | -e | Feminine | umfazi (girl) | -hle | Neuter | igama (name) | -e |
Here are some examples of how adjectives agree with nouns in both gender and number in Xhosa:
| Noun | Adjective | Translation | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| umfana olumile | umfana olumile | good boy | abafana abamile | abafana abamile | good boys | umfazi omuhle | umfazi omuhle | beautiful woman | abafazi abahle | abafazi abahle | beautiful women | inkomo encinci | inkomo encinci | small cow | izinkomo ezincinci | izinkomo ezincinci | small cows | intombi eluncedo | intombi eluncedo | helpful girl | intombi ezingaphathi | intombi ezingaphathi | many girls |
Adjective Placement
Adjectives usually come after the noun they modify in Xhosa. Here are some examples:
- umfana olumile (good boy)
- inkomo encinci (small cow)
- umfazi omuhle (beautiful woman)
However, in some cases, the adjective comes before the noun, as in the case of possessive adjectives. Here are some examples:
- ubaba bomntwana (father of the child)
- umama wami (my mother)
- umntwana wakho (your child)
Practice
Now that you know how to form and use adjectives in Xhosa, let's practice using them in sentences. Use the following prompts to create sentences with an adjective:
- boy - smart
- girls - happy
- cat - black
- dogs - friendly
- woman - tall
- cows - fat
- child - naughty
Example: Umfana olumncinci unesifiso esihle. (The small boy is ambitious.)
Here are some possible answers:
- Umfana olumhle unqabile. (The boy is smart.)
- Abafazi abahle bayathokoza. (The girls are happy.)
- Igusha elimnyama lingumnyama. (The black cat is black.)
- Imicimbi emihle yezinkomo yindoda. (The beautiful ceremonies of cows is a man's thing.)
- Umfazi omzimba omuhle uyaphambili. (The beautiful woman is tall.)
- Izinkomo ezinoboya zimbulala. (The fat cows are slaughtering-heavy.)
- Umntwana ophemba unowumbila. (The naughty child is mischievous.)
Conclusion
Adjectives are an important part of Xhosa language, and it is essential to understand how they agree with nouns in gender and number. By practicing using adjectives in sentences, you can improve your Xhosa language skills and become more comfortable communicating in Xhosa.