« It is »: ɗe, waye, yo
Lesson 1 of 12≈ 15 min
Leo ɗe mfumoraru
Leo ɗe mfumoraru, « today is Monday ». There is no verb « to be » in this sentence: one small word is enough.
This module shows how the sentences you have heard are built. Each lesson takes one point, with validated sentences.
Two ways of saying « it is »
ɗe is used for a day, for a definition, and before a specific noun: Shindzuani ɗe yi luha yatru, « shiNdzuani is our language ».
To say « it is a… », the small word changes with the noun that follows it: wo before mwiji, sho before shomɓo, yo before nyunyi, zo before a number. For a person, the subject is taken up again with waye.
ɗe never comes before an adjective. Lesson 3.12 shows how to say « the house is beautiful ».
ɗe: a day, a definition
- Leo ɗe mfumoraru — Today is Monday.
- Meso ɗe mfumonne — Tomorrow is Tuesday.
- Desambru ɗe umwezi wa mwiso — December is the last month.
- Kashkazi ɗe wakati wa vua — Kashkazi is the rainy season.
- Shindzuani ɗe yi luha yatru — ShiNdzuani is our language.
- Mgodro ɗe yi ngoma ya Ndzuani ? — Is mgodro an Anjouan dance?
- Amina, ɗe mwanzani wangu — Amina is my friend.
- Fi ini ɗe shtrili — This fish is a red fish.
The words for « it is »
| Form | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ɗe | day, definition, specific noun | Leo ɗe mfumoraru — Today is Monday. |
| wo | before mwiji, mwiri, mlima | Domoni wo mwiji wa mashriki — Domoni is a town in the east. |
| sho | before shomɓo, shintru | Marto sho shomɓo — The hammer is a tool. |
| yo | before nyunyi, fi, nyumba | Kwai yo nyunyi ndzidu — The crow is a black bird. |
| zo | « it makes », before a number | Mbili na ntraru zo ntsano — Two and three make five. |
| waye | takes up a person | Ɓakoko waye mlozi — Grandpa is a fisherman. |
The small word that agrees
- Domoni wo mwiji wa mashriki — Domoni is a town in the east.
- Bimbini wo mwiji wa walozi — Bimbini is a fishermen's town.
- Mhonko wo mwiri wa baharini — The mangrove is a tree of the sea.
- Marto sho shomɓo — The hammer is a tool.
- Hadisi sho shintru sha wana — A story is something for children.
- Kwai yo nyunyi ndzidu — The crow is a black bird.
- Ewa, yo fi ya leo — Yes, it's today's fish.
- Mbili na ntraru zo ntsano — Two and three make five.
- Kumi na kumi zo shirini — Ten and ten make twenty.
- Ɓakoko waye mlozi — Grandpa is a fisherman.
Practice
« Today is Monday. »
Leo ___ mfumoraru
« Two and three make five. »
Mbili na ntraru ___ ntsano
Mini-quiz
« Domoni is a town in the east. »
Domoni ___ mwiji wa mashriki
You can say « it is »
You can name a day and define a thing. Next: the verb, in the present.