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| Grammar Articles Indefinite article is placed before the noun.........youn Definite article is la (singular) and yo (plural) The definite article is added to what can be called a noun phrase. A noun phrase can consist of a single noun, a noun and its adjectives, a noun and a phrase functioning as an adjective, or a possessive phrase. 1. noun = lèt-la = the letter. 2. noun = adjective = lèt vye-a = the old letter. 3. noun and phrase = lèt ke m ekri-a = the letter I wrote. 4. possessive phrase = kay moun-an = the house of the man. You may have noticed that the phrase is not always followed by -la. The definite article changes slightly in singular depending on what letter precedes it. 1. after any consonant except n or m consonant add -la lèt = letter youn lèt = a letter lèt la = the letter lèt yo = the letters 2. after words endings in m, nm, nn, gn, ng, la becomes nan chanm = room youn chanm = a room chanm nan = the room chanm yo = the rooms 3. after vowels la becomes a ri = street youn ri = a street ri a = the street ri yo = the streets 4. after words ending in -n la becomes an chen = dog youn chen = a dog chen an = the dog chen yo = the dogs When referring to a previously mentioned noun, you must use la Ou pran ri a = You take the street. M pran ri la? = I take the street? Nouns Nouns have no gender Plurals for plural place the plural article yo after the noun. bèf = cow bèf yo = the cows Possession Kreyol doesn't use 's to show possession, nor does it use "of". To expression possession or "of the", you place the thing possessed in front of the possessor. kay jan. Jean's house. chen moun nam. the man's dog. / the dog of the man. Pronouns There is only one form of the pronoun. Nny change is caused for liaison and not for case. singular plural 1st m / mwen nou 2nd w / ou 3rd l / li y / yo When the pronoun precedes a verb, it is the subject. When it follows a verb, it is the direct object. When two pronouns follow a verb, the first is the indirect object and the second is the direct object. When the pronoun is placed after a noun, it is the possessive adjective. For the subject of the verb, you usually use the abbreviated form. For the subject of an adjective or linking verb, use the full form. For the object of the verb, place the full form after the verb (except for mwen which is at times abbreiviated) Possessive pronouns pam mine panou ours paou yours pali(pal) his, hers, its payo theirs se liv-mwen. = It's my book. Se pam. = it's mine. Se chen li. = It's his dog. Se pali. = It's his. Will continue in the November issue. |
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