Language/Rundi/Grammar/Describing-with-Adverbs
Introduction
In this lesson, we will continue our study of adjectives and adverbs in Rundi. In the previous lesson, we learned how to use adjectives to describe nouns. Now, we will focus on adverbs, which are words used to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Learning how to use adverbs effectively will help you express yourself more clearly and accurately in Rundi.
Forming Adverbs from Adjectives
In Rundi, adverbs can be formed from adjectives by adding the suffix "-ment" to the adjective. For example:
| Rundi | English | Rundi Adverb | English Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| umuhoro | hot | umuhoromwo | hotly |
| umucuti | small | umucutimente | small-ly |
| umutima | big | umutimamentwi | big-ly |
| urusyo | fast | urusyomenta | fast-ly |
As you can see from the examples above, the suffix "-ment" is added to the end of the adjective to form the adverb. It's important to note that not all adjectives can be formed into adverbs in this way, and some adverbs have their own unique forms.
Using Adverbs to Describe Verbs
Adverbs are used to describe verbs in Rundi. They can be used to describe how an action is done, when an action is done, or to what extent an action is done. Here are some examples:
- Aguma umwana umwiryamvuye.
He sleeps deeply. - Aririmbura inzu yose ameze nk'ishangazi.
She decorates the whole house beautifully like an artist. - Yahagurutse itara n'ishirahamwe.
He left early with his group.
In these examples, the adverbs "umwiryamvuye" (deeply), "nk'ishangazi" (like an artist), and "itara" (early) describe how, to what extent, and when the action is done, respectively.
Forming Adverbs from Other Parts of Speech
Apart from adjectives, adverbs can also be formed from other parts of speech in Rundi. Here are some examples:
- From prepositions: by adding the suffix "-ahe" to the preposition. For example, aho (there) becomes ahoahahe (therein).
- From nouns: by adding the suffix "-kirije" to the noun. For example, ubuvuzi (agriculture) becomes ubuvuzikirije (agriculturally).
- From verbs: by adding the suffix "-o" to the verb infinitive. For example, kwiga (to learn) becomes kwigaho (learnedly).
- From exclamations: by adding the suffix "-e" to the exclamation. For example, yewe (yes) becomes yewee (yes, indeed).
Placement of Adverbs in a Sentence
Adverbs can be placed at different positions in a sentence, depending on what aspect of the verb they are describing. Generally, adverbs that describe how an action is done come before the verb, while adverbs that describe when, where, or to what extent the action is done come after the verb. Here are some examples:
- Mwami yarayumvise umurava igihe cyose yamufashe.
The king listened attentively to the prisoner every time he helped him. - Abavandimwe baneneye isoko barimwo amavuta.
The siblings work hard on the farm with enthusiasm. - Abana bafite urugendo rwose bafashwe na bose.
Children have a safe journey all the time helped by everybody.
In these examples, the adverbs "umurava" (attentively), "isoko" (on the farm), and "bafashwe" (helped by everybody) comes before the verb, while the adverbs "igihe cyose" (every time), "amavuta" (with enthusiasm), and "urugendo rwose" (all the time) comes after the verb.
Using Multiple Adverbs in a Sentence
A sentence can have more than one adverb describing the same verb. In this case, the adverbs are generally placed in a specific order:
- Manner
Example: yeguye kuzana n'abandi bo bose. (He came in to talk with everybody nicely.) - Extent
Example: yishwe ibishoboka kugirango agire uruhare rwiza. (He was trained fully so that he performs well.) - Frequency
Example: aririmbuye ku isi yose nka 'urukundo rwa Data'. (She has traveled all over the world like 'Data's love'.) - Time
Example: yarihazaga amaso umugore yahise azaniwe n'abashakanye. (He had tears in his eyes when his wife left him for others.)
In these examples, the adverbs are arranged in the order of manner, extent, frequency, and time.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we learned how to form adverbs from adjectives and other parts of speech in Rundi, and how to use adverbs to describe verbs. We also covered the different positions of adverbs in a sentence, and the order of multiple adverbs. These skills will help you to express yourself more accurately when communicating in Rundi. Keep practicing and incorporating adverbs into your speech to improve your Rundi language skills.
Other Lessons
- Gender
- Past Tense
- Adjectives
- Give your Opinion
- Alphabet and Pronunciation
- Plurals
- Negating Sentences
- How to Use Have
- Present Tense
- Future Tense