Prerequisite: Lesson 5.
New words
None. This lesson adds no vocabulary at all.
The owner comes second
To say whose something is, put the owner right after it.
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| ruma mi | my house |
| nama yu | your name |
| anak ta | her child |
| rafiki kita | our friend |
You already know mi, yu, ta, kita. There is no separate word for my — the ordinary pronoun does it.
Works with any noun
The owner does not have to be a pronoun.
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| ruma rafiki | the friend’s house |
| nama anak | the child’s name |
| ca doktor | the doctor’s tea |
Owner, then description
If you also want to describe the thing, the owner comes first, then the adjective.
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| ruma mi kabir | my big house |
| anak ta keci | her small child |
| rafiki yu hao | your good friend |
Chains
Each word belongs to the one before it. Keep going as long as you need.
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| ruma rafiki mi | my friend’s house |
| anak rafiki yu | your friend’s child |
| nama anak rafiki mi | my friend’s child’s name |
In a sentence
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| Mi kan ruma yu. | I see your house. |
| Rafiki mi saufa lai. | My friend will come. |
| Anak ta suda nomu ca. | Her child drank tea. |
| Kita bil nama doktor. | We know the doctor’s name. |
With plurals
Double the noun, then add the owner:
| Amadunia | English |
|---|---|
| anak-anak mi | my children |
| ruma-ruma rafiki | the friend’s houses |
| tri anak ta | her three children |
A conversation
— Nama yu? — Nama mi es Luma. Nama yu? — Nama mi es Sol. Ruma yu kabir? — No, ruma mi keci. Rafiki mi lai! — Rafiki yu hao? — Ya, rafiki mi hao.
Your name? — My name is Luma. Yours? — My name is Sol. Is your house big? — No, my house is small. My friend is coming! — Is your friend good? — Yes, my friend is good.
Practice
- Ruma mi keci. — My house is small. (You met this sentence in Lesson 3 as a guess. It was right.)
- Mi mau ca yu. — I want your tea.
- Anak-anak rafiki mi kula pan. — My friend’s children eat bread.
- Doktor suda kan anak ta. — The doctor saw her child.
- Nama rafiki yu? — Your friend’s name?
What you can already say
Six lessons, 57 roots, and still not one word has changed its shape. You can now say whose anything is, to any depth, using only words you already had.
Questions are covered in Lesson 7.