Pular grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the Pular language, one of the Fula languages of the Niger-Congo language family spoken in West Africa. It is complicated and varies from region to region. This may explain why it is virtually impossible to find literature that teaches advanced topics in Pular Grammar. The following explanation concerns mainly the Pular language spoken in Futa Jallon. To facilitate learning, all expressions are translated into English, so this article could also be a tool for learning Pular vocabulary. Numerous examples are given in tables to demonstrate the rules provided and to allow the reader to decipher the rules of Pular grammar.
Nouns, pronouns and adjectives
Nouns and their articles
Since the articles of nouns vary significantly, it is probably better to learn each Pular noun with its appropriate articles. It is also useful to learn the plural and singular forms of Pular nouns together because no simple rules are apparent for going from the singular form to the plural form. This may sound like a daunting task, but a few generalizations can be made.
Pular nouns don't have indefinite articles. So the "a" article in English is simply omitted in Pular. Example: a hand = jungo.
The most common, definite articles associated with plural nouns are: bhen (which is reserved for nouns indicating many people), dhin and dhen. The latter two articles are used for nouns referring to objects or things. bhen, dhin and dhen correspond to "the" in English.
on is the singular form of bhen, and they are used for nouns that indicate a single person or many people, respectively.
Nouns imported from other languages, especially French, follow some systematic patterns. In the singular form of the noun, the definite article is on (there are some situations where other articles can work as well, but the on article seems to work all the time). If the noun indicates an object or a thing, the plural form of the noun is usually obtained by adding ji at the end of the singular form and dhin is used as the article for the plural form. If the imported noun indicates a person, the singular form of the noun will end with jo, but the plural form will end with bhe, and bhen is used as the article for the plural form. Please see the tables below for examples that demonstrate these systematic patterns.
Singular and plural forms of imported nouns:
Pular
English
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
proofeseerjo on
proofeseerbhe bhen
the school teacher
the school teachers
ministirjo on
ministirbhe bhen
the cabinet minister
the cabinet ministers
sofeerjo on
sofeerbhe bhen
the driver
the drivers
mekanisienjo on
mekanisienbhe bhen
the mechanic
the mechanics
dokteerjo on
dokteerbhe bhen
the doctor
the doctors
limiyeer on
limiyeerji dhin
the light
the lights
ordinateer on
ordinateerji dhin
the computer
the computers
frigoo on
frigooji dhin
the refrigerator
the refirigerators
kayee on
kayeeji dhin
the notebook
the notebooks
bik on
bikji dhin
the pen
the pens
vantilateer on
vantilateerji dhin
the fan
the fans
telee on
teleeji dhin
the TV
the TV's
lampu on
lampuuji dhin
the lamp
the lamps
torso on
torsooji dhin
the flash light
the flash lights
taasi on
taasiiji dhin
the coffee cup
the coffee cups
guverneman on
guvernemanji dhin
the government
the governments
lekkol on
lekkolji dhin
the school
the schools
seelfown on
seelfownji dhin
the cell phone
the cell phones
Plural and singular forms of most fruits and vegetables
The nouns of most fruits and vegetables follow a similar pattern when changing from singular to plural. These nouns have a root form, which perhaps was imported from other languages. The singular form of these nouns is obtained by adding re to the root, and nden is usually the definitive article. By contrast, the plural form is obtained by adding je to the root, and dhen is the definitive article for the plural form. The table below provides examples to demonstrate this pattern.
Pular
English
Root
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
putee
puteere nden
puteeje dhen
the sweet potato
the sweet potatoes
jaabere
jaabereere nden
jaabereeje dhen
"A kind of vegetable"
"A kind of vegetable"
piya
piyaare nden
piyaaje dhen
the avocado
the avocados
leemunne
leemunneere nden
puteeje dhen
the orange
the oranges
putee
puteere nden
puteeje dhen
the sweet potato
the sweet potatoes
cacchu
cacchuure nden
cacchuuje dhen
the lime/lemon
the lime/lemons
kobokobo
kobokoboore nden
kobokobooje dhen
the egg plant
the egg plants
pompiteeri
pompiteeriire nden
pompiteeriije dhen
the potato
the potatoes
mango
mangoore nden
mangooje dhen
the mango
themangoes
gnamaku
gnamakuure nden
gnamakuuje dhen
the pepper
the peppes
putee
puteere nden
puteeje dhen
the sweet potato
the sweet potatoes
bhohe
bhoheere nden
bhoheeje dhen
"A guinean fruit"
"A guinean fruit"
booto
bootoore nden
bootooje dhen
"A guinean fruit"
"A guinean fruit"
nete
neteere nden
neteeje dhen
"A guinean fruit"
"A guinean fruit"
poore
pooreere nden
pooreeje dhen
"A guinean fruit"
"A guinean fruit"
cappe
cappeere nden
cappeeje dhen
"A vegetable similar to cassava roots"
"A vegetable similar to cassava roots"
Singular and plural forms of other nouns:
Pular
English
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
koyngal ngal
koydhe then
the foot
the feet
leggal ngal
leddhe dhen
the stick (or branch)
the sticks
baafal ngal
baafe dhen
the door
the doors
dammugal ngal
dammudhe dhen
the gate
the gates
busal ngal
buse dhen
the thigh
the thighs
avionwal ngal
avionje dhen
the airplane
the airplanes
padhal ngal
padhe dhen
the shoe
the shoes
otowal ngal
otooje dhen
the vehicle
the vehicles
yiitere nden
gite dhen
the eye
the eyes
jullere nden
julle dhen
the carved piece of wood for sitting
the carved pieces of wood for sitting
jungo ngon
juudhe dhen
the hand (or arm)
the hands
gorko on
worbhe bhen
the man
the men
debbo on
rewbhe bhen
the woman
the women
aadenjo on
aadenbhe bhen
the human being
the human beings
karamokoojo on
karamokoobhe bhen
the teacher
the teachers
jangoowo on
jangoobhe bhen
the reader (or student)
the readers (or students)
hoore nden
koe dhen
the head
the heads
tuuba nban
tuube dhen
the trouser
the trousers
pantalon on
pantalonji dhin
xxx
the pants
telefon on
telefonji dhin
the phone
the phones
roobu on
roobuuji dhin
the dress
the dresses
bareeru ndun
bareeji dhin
the dog
the dogs
gnaariiru ndun
gnaariiji dhin
the cat
the cats
kerooru ndun
kerooji dhin
the monkey
the monkeys
motooru ndun
motooji dhin
the motocycle
the motocycles
Possessive adjectives
Term
Pular Example
English Meaning
an
jungo an
my hand
maa
jungo maa
your hand
makko
jungo makko
his/her hand
amen
jungo amen
our hand (excluding you)
men
jungo men
our hand (inclussive)
mon
jungo mon
your hand
mabbhe
jungo mabbhe
their hand
Note that unlike in English, in Pular the possessive adjective comes after the noun. In the table above, "jungo" is a noun that means hand. Similar to English, the possessive adjective does not vary with the genre or number of what is possessed. It varies only with the noun that possesses. For example:
bheengu an (my wife) --> moodi an (my husband). Note here that the genre of the noun changed, but the possessive adjective stayed the same (an).
jungo an (my hand) --> juudhe an (my hands). Note here that the noun changed from singular to plural, but the possessive adjective stayed the same (an).
Object pronouns
lan, ma, te, mo, men, en, on, bhe.
n
rank
Pular
English
1
1st sing.
Bhe wallay lan.
They will help me.
2
2nd sing. (future)
Bhe walle te.
They will help you.
3
2nd sing. (past)
Bhe wallii ma.
They have helped you.
4
3rd sing.
Bhe wallay mo.
They will help him/her.
5
1st plu. excl.
Bhe wallay men.
They will help us (excluding you).
6
1st plu. incl.
Bhe wallay en.
They will help us (including you).
7
2nd plu.
Bhe wallay on.
They will help you (plural).
8
3rd plu.
O wallay bhe.
He/she will help them.
11
Example
Example
Example
Interrogative keywords
ko hombo, ko hondhun, ko hombhe, ko honno, ko honto, ko ... hondhi, ko ... njelo, ko ... jelu
n
Pular
English
1
Ko hombo nii?
Who is this?
2
Ko hombhe nii?
Who are these people?
3
Ko hondhun nii?
What (object) is this?
4
Ko dolokaaji hondhi jeyudhaa?
Which shirts belong to you?
5
Ko honno innetedhaa?
What is your name?
6
Ko honno o innetee?
What is his/her name?
7
Ko honto yahataa?
Where are you going?
8
Ko chuudhi hondhi jeyudhaa?
Which houses do you own?
9
Ko yimbhe njelo ataakunomaa?
How many people attacked you?
10
Ko biiniiji jelu heddi ka frigoo?
How many bottles remain in the refrigerator?
Subject pronouns
mi, a, o, men, en, on, bhe, dhe, dhi
n
Pular
English
1
Mi faamii.
I understand.
2
A faamii.
You understand.
3
O faamii.
He/She understands.
4
Men faamii.
We understand (excluding you).
5
En faamii.
We understand (including you).
6
On faamii.
You understand (plural).
7
Bhe faamii.
They understand (people).
8
Dhi tuunii.
They have gotten dirty (objects or animals).
8
Dhe tuunii.
They have gotten dirty (objects or animals).
Demonstrative adjectives
Pular has many demonstrative adjectives, which are keywords that indicate the location of a "noun" with respect to the speaker. However, they are usually derived from the definitive articles described above. Here is a partial list:
oo, bhee (plural = these people), dhii(plural), dhee(plural), [ngal, ngol, ngii, ngoo, nguu, nduu, ndee, ndii, dhan, mbaa, kun, etc...]
The English equivalent of these adjective demonstratives are: this, these, that, and those.
Indefinite pronouns
Note that this is a partial list.
goddho, goddhun, hay e gooto, hay e fus
See the table below for some expressions using indefinite pronouns.
n
Pular
English
1
Goddho no ka hurgo.
Someone is in the bathroom.
2
Goddhun luubhay.
Something will smell.
3
Wobbhe no arude.
Some people are coming.
4
Goddhun munchoto.
Something will be crushed.
5
Mi soodaali hay e fus.
I did not buy anything.
6
A fottaano hay e gooto?
Didn't you meet anyone?
7
Hay e gooto wallaano men.
No one helped us.
Others__location
dhoo, gaa, dhaa, too, gadha, gaanin
n
Pular
English
1
Aru dhoo.
Come here (where I am standing).
2
Aru gaa.
Come over here (In the area where I am).
3
Yahu dhaa.
Go over there (not too far from me).
4
Yahu too.
Go way over there (far away from me).
5
Himo darii ka ghadha chaangol.
He is standing across the river (the river is between the speaker and the person his is standing).
6
Himo darii ka gaanin chaangol.
He is standing on this side of the river (the speaker is on the same side of the river where the person is standing).
Verb forms and conjugations
Various verb types
Pular verbs are mainly distinguished by the endings of their infinitive forms. These endings include: ugol, agol, egol, angol, ingol, orgol and maybe others. The most common ending is probably ugol. Please see the table below for examples.
Verb ending
Pular verb
English
ugol
defugol
to cook
ugol
gnaamugol
to eat
ugol
yarugol
to drink
ugol
windugol
to write
ugol
ronkugol
to get tired
ugol
wallugol
to help
agol
joodhagol
to sit down
agol
immagol
to get up
agol
sulmagol
to wash one's face
agol
fubbagol
to swim
agol
lubhagol
to borrow (something from someone)
egol
labegol
to look pretty or handsome
egol
foolegol
to be defeated
egol
janfegol
to be cheated
egol
sokegol
to be jailed
angol
gollangol
to work for someone
angol
sonkangol
to yell at someone
angol
addangol
to bring something for someone
angol
aynangol
to keep an eye on something for someone.
angol
defangol
to cook for someone
ingol
findingol
to wake up someone
ingol
jibingol
to give birth to a baby
ingol
sunningol
to "circumscise" someone
ingol
yaggingol
to make someone regret
ingol
aaningol
to make someone worried
orgol
addorgol
to bring along
orgol
nabhorgol
to take someone or something along; to give someone a ride
orgol
okkorgol
to give a gift to someone
Affirmative forms of verbs:
The future form of various verb types
1)Verbs ending in "ugol": To express the affirmative form of ugol verbs in the future, simply replace the ugol ending with ay. For example, soodugol turns into sooday. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "soodugol", which means to buy.
Subject
Future form
English
Mi
sooday
I will buy
A
sooday
You (singular) will buy
O
sooday
he/she will buy
En
sooday
We (including you) will buy
Men
sooday
We (excluding you) will buy
On
sooday
You (plural) will buy
Bhe
sooday
They (referring to people) will buy
Although the verb does not vary with the subject, it does vary with the object. That is when the object is the singular form of you, the "ay" ending becomes "e". The table below shows some examples of how the future form of "ugol" verbs varies with the object.
Subject
Future form
object
English
O
wallay
lan
He/she will help me.
O
walle
te
He/she will help you(singular).
O
wallay
mo
He/she will help him/her.
O
wallay
en
He/she will help us(including you).
O
wallay
men
He/she will help us(excluding you).
O
wallay
on
He/she will help you(plural).
O
wallay
bhe
He/she will help them(referring to people).
2)Verbs ending in "agol": To express the affirmative form of agol verbs in the future, simply replace the agol ending with oto. For example, fubbagolturns into fubboto. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "fubbagol", which means to swim.
Subject
Future form
English
Mi
fubboto
I will swim
A
fubboto
You (singular) will swim
O
fubboto
he/she will swim
En
fubboto
We (including you) will swim
Men
fubboto
We (excluding you) will swim
On
fubboto
You (plural) will swim
Bhe
fubboto
They (referring to people) will swim
3)Verbs ending in "egol": To express the affirmative form of egol verbs in the future, simply replace the egol ending with ete. For example, weelegolturns into weelete. Note however that this form does not always make sense if the subject is I (mi). For example, "mi sokete" sounds more like "I will have you jailed" than "I will be jailed". The table below provides more examples using the verb "weelegol", which means to be hungry.
Subject
Future form
English
Mi
weelete
I will be (get) hungry
A
weelete
You (singular) will be hungry
O
weelete
he/she will be hungry
En
weelete
We (including you) will be hungry
Men
weelete
We (excluding you) will be hungry
On
weelete
You (plural) will be hungry
Bhe
weelete
They (referring to people) will be hungry
4)Verbs ending in "angol", "ingol" or "orgol", : To express the affirmative form of these verbs in the future, simply replace the gol ending with ay. For example, jangangol turns into janganay; yaggingol into yagginay; and okkorgol into okkoray. Similar to above, the verb does not vary when the subject varies.
The imperative form of various verb types
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The present continuous form of various verb types
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The past continuous form of various verb types
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The terminated past form of various verb types
1)Verbs ending in "ugol": To express the affirmative form of ugol verbs in the "terminated past" form, simply replace the ugol ending with uno. For example, soodugol turns into sooduno. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "soodugol".
Subject
Terminated Past form
English
Mi
sooduno
I bought
A
sooduno
You (singular) bought
O
sooduno
he/she bought
En
sooduno
We (including you) bought
Men
sooduno
We (excluding you) bought
On
sooduno
You (plural) bought
Bhe
sooduno
They (referring to people) bought
Here are some simple sentences where "ugol" verbs are conjugated in the Terminated Past form.
Time reference
Subject
Terminated Past form of "ugol" verb
Object
English
Hanki
mi
sooduno
motooru
Yesterday I bought a motocycle.
Rowani
men
yahuno
Pari
Last year we went to Paris.
Hanki
o
yhettuno
lekki kin
Yesterday he/she took the medicine.
Hande mbimbi
bhe
yahuno
ka lekkol
This morning they went to school.
Hanki jemma
a
hiruno
moyyha.
Last night you snored a lot.
Although the verb does not vary with the subject, it does vary with the object. That is when the object is either me or you(singular), the "ugol" verb can vary. The table below shows some examples of how the Terminated Past form of "ugol" verbs varies with the object. The chosen verb is "wallugol", which means to help.
Subject
Terminated Past form
Object
English
o
walluno
lan
He/She helped me.
o
wallanno
--
He/She helped me. (Note here that the object "an" is inserted in the verb.)
o
walleno
--
He/She helped you(singular). (Note here too that the object "e" is inserted in the verb.)
o
walluno
ma
He/She helped you (singular).
2)Verbs ending in "agol": To express the affirmative form of agol verbs in the "terminated past" form, simply replace the agol ending with ino. For example, joodhagol turns into joodhino. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "immgagol", which means to get up.
Subject
Terminated Past form
English
Mi
immino
I got up
A
immino
You (singular) got up
O
immino
he/she got up
En
immino
We (including you) got up
Men
immino
We (excluding you) got up
On
immino
You (plural) got up
Bhe
immino
They (referring to people) got up
Here are some simple sentences where "agol" verbs are conjugated in the Terminated Past form.
Time reference
Subject
Terminated Past form of "ugol" verb
Object
English
Hanki
mi
gosino
laabhi tati.
Yesterday I brushed my teeth three times.
Rowani
bhe
waajino
lan moyyha.
Last year they gave me good advice (well).
Hanki
o
janfino
mignan an
Yesterday he/she cheated my younger sibling.
3)Verbs ending in "egol": To express the affirmative form of egol verbs in the "terminated past" form, simply replace the egol ending with ano. For example, lamminegol turns into lamminano. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "weelegol", which means to be(get) hungry.
Subject
Terminated Past form
English
Mi
weelano
I was hungry
A
weelano
You (singular) were hungry
O
weelano
he/she was hungry
En
weelano
We (including you) were hungry
Men
weelano
We (excluding you) were hungry
On
weelano
You (plural) were hungry
Bhe
weelano
They (referring to people) were hungry
Here are some simple sentences where "egol" verbs are conjugated in the Terminated Past form.
Time reference
Subject
Terminated Past form of "ugol" verb
Object
English
Hanki
mi
weelano
moyyha.
Yesterday I was hungry a lot.
Rowani
bhe
jattano
otowal mabbhe ngal.
[litt. Last year they were rubbed their vehicle.]
Hanki
o
gnawlano
dolaarji sappo.
Yesterday he/she was loaned ten dollars.
The simple past form of various verb types
1)Verbs ending in "ugol": To express the affirmative form of ugol verbs in the "simple past" form, simply replace the ugol ending with ii. For example, soodugol turns into soodii. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "gnaamugol", which means to eat.
Subject
Simple Past form
English
Mi
gnaamii
I have eaten.
A
gnaamii
You (singular) have eaten.
O
gnaamii
he/she has eaten.
En
gnaamii
We (including you) have eaten.
Men
gnaamii
We (excluding you) have eaten.
On
gnaamii
You (plural) have eaten.
Bhe
gnaamii
They (referring to people) have eaten.
Here are some simple sentences where "ugol" verbs are conjugated in the Simple Past form.
Subject
Simple Past form of "ugol" verb
Object
English
mi
hewtii
ka suudo.
I have arrived at the house.
Gando
foolii
piiro ngon.
Gando has won the fight.
Bhe
ronkii.
--
They have gotten tired.
A
tampii
moyyha.
You have suffered a lot.
Boobo on
nawnii.
--
The baby has gotten sick.
2)Verbs ending in "agol": To express the affirmative form of agol verbs in the "simple past" form, simply replace the agol ending with ike. For example, joodhagol turns into joodhike. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "immgagol", which means to get up.
Subject
Simple Past form
English
Mi
immike
I got up
A
immike
You (singular) got up
O
immike
he/she got up
En
immike
We (including you) got up
Men
immike
We (excluding you) got up
On
immike
You (plural) got up
Bhe
immike
They (referring to people) got up
Here are some simple sentences where "agol" verbs are conjugated in the Simple Past form.
Subject
Simple Past form of "agol" verb
Object
English
mi
bhortike
dolokke maa on.
I have taken off your shirt.
mi
gnawlike
mo dolaarji joy.
I have borrowed five dollars from him/her.
Boobo on
suumitike
yeeso ngon.
The baby has covered his/her face (with a blanket).
A
bhornike
dolokke tuunu-dho.
You have put on a dirty shirt.
3)Verbs ending in "egol": To express the affirmative form of egol verbs in the "simple past" form, simply replace the egol ending with aama. For example, lamminegol turns into lamminaama. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "weelegol", which means to be(get) hungry.
Subject
Terminated Past form
English
Mi
weelaama
I have gotten hungry.
A
weelaama
You (singular) have gotten hungry.
O
weelaama
He/she has gotten hungry.
En
weelaama
We (including you) have gotten hungry.
Men
weelaama
We (excluding you) have gotten hungry.
On
weelaama
You (plural) have gotten hungry.
Bhe
weelaama
They (referring to people) have gotten hungry.
Here are some simple sentences where "egol" verbs are conjugated in the Simple Past form.
Subject
Simple Past form of "egol" verb
Object
English
mi
weelaama
haa reedu an ndun mutii.
I have gotten hungry to the point my belly has disappeared.
O
lamminaama
fii hitaa'de.
He has been elected for one year.
En
negliizaama
pandi.
We have been neglected too much.
A
halfinaama
sekeree on.
You have been entrusted with the secret.
The past participle form of various verb types
1)Verbs ending in "ugol": To express the affirmative form of ugol verbs in the "past participle" form, simply replace the ugol ending with i. For example, nawnugol turns into nawni. Note that the past participle form of the verb behaves as an adjective and is preceded by the verb to be conjugated in the present. The table below provides more examples using the verb "ronkugol", which means to be tired.
The verb to be in the present
Past Participle form of "ugol" verb
English
Midho
ronki
I am tired.
Hidha
ronki
You (singular) are tired.
Himo
ronki
He/she is tired.
Hidhen
ronki
We (including you) are tired.
Medhen
ronki
We (excluding you) are tired.
Hidhon
ronki
You (plural) are tired.
Hibhe
ronki
They (referring to people) are tired.
Here are some simple sentences where "ugol" verbs are converted to the Past Participle form and used as adjectives.
Verb to be
Simple Past form of "ugol" verb
Object
English
Midho
juuti
--
I am tall.
Hidha
rabbhidi
--
You are short.
Veloo-an on no
boni.
--
My bicycle is broken down.
Lekkol-an on no
woddhi
--
My school is too far.
Hibhe
nawni.
--
They are sick.
2)Verbs ending in "agol": To express the affirmative form of agol verbs in the "simple past" form, simply replace the agol ending with ike. For example, joodhagol turns into joodhike. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "immgagol", which means to get up.
Subject
Simple Past form
English
Mi
immike
I got up
A
immike
You (singular) got up
O
immike
he/she got up
En
immike
We (including you) got up
Men
immike
We (excluding you) got up
On
immike
You (plural) got up
Bhe
immike
They (referring to people) got up
Here are some simple sentences where "agol" verbs are conjugated in the Simple Past form.
Subject
Simple Past form of "agol" verb
Object
English
mi
bhortike
dolokke maa on.
I have taken off your shirt.
mi
gnawlike
mo dolaarji joy.
I have borrowed five dollars from him/her.
Boobo on
suumitike
yeeso ngon.
The baby has covered his/her face (with a blanket).
A
bhornike
dolokke tuunu-dho.
You have put on a dirty shirt.
3)Verbs ending in "egol": To express the affirmative form of egol verbs in the "simple past" form, simply replace the egol ending with aama. For example, lamminegol turns into lamminaama. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "weelegol", which means to be(get) hungry.
Subject
Terminated Past form
English
Mi
weelaama
I have gotten hungry.
A
weelaama
You (singular) have gotten hungry.
O
weelaama
He/she has gotten hungry.
En
weelaama
We (including you) have gotten hungry.
Men
weelaama
We (excluding you) have gotten hungry.
On
weelaama
You (plural) have gotten hungry.
Bhe
weelaama
They (referring to people) have gotten hungry.
Here are some simple sentences where "egol" verbs are conjugated in the Simple Past form.
Subject
Simple Past form of "egol" verb
Object
English
mi
weelaama
haa reedu an ndun mutii.
I have gotten hungry to the point my belly has disappeared.
O
lamminaama
fii hitaa'de.
He has been elected for one year.
En
negliizaama
pandi.
We have been neglected too much.
A
halfinaama
sekeree on.
You have been entrusted with the secret.
Negative forms of verbs:
The future, negative form of various verb types
1)Verbs ending in "ugol": To express the negative form of ugol verbs in the future, simply replace the ugol ending with ataa. For example, soodugol turns into soodataa. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "soodugol", which means to buy.
Subject
Future, negative form
English
Mi
soodataa
I will not buy
A
soodataa
You (singular) will not buy
O
soodataa
he/she will not buy
En
soodataa
We (including you) will not buy
Men
soodataa
We (excluding you) will not buy
On
soodataa
You (plural) will not buy
Bhe
soodataa
They (referring to people) will not buy
2)Verbs ending in "agol": To express the negative form of agol verbs in the future, simply replace the agol ending with ataako. For example, fubbagol turns into fubbataako. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "fubbagol", which means to swim.
Subject
Future, negative form
English
Mi
fubbataako
I will not swim
A
fubbataako
You (singular) will not swim
O
fubbataako
he/she will not swim
En
fubbataako
We (including you) will not swim
Men
fubbataako
We (excluding you) will not swim
On
fubbataako
You (plural) will not swim
Bhe
fubbataako
They (referring to people) will not swim
3)Verbs ending in "egol": To express the negative form of egol verbs in the future, simply replace the egol ending with ataake. For example, janfegol turns into fubbataake. Note that the verb does not vary with the subject. The table below provides more examples using the verb "janfegol", which means to be cheated.
Subject
Future, negative form
English
Mi
janfataake
I will not be cheated
A
janfataake
You (singular) will not be cheated
O
janfataake
he/she will not be cheated
En
janfataake
We (including you) will not be cheated
Men
janfataake
We (excluding you) will not be cheated
On
janfataake
You (plural) will not be cheated
Bhe
janfataake
They (referring to people) will not be cheated
Negation of the imperative form of various verb types
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Negation of the present continuous form of various verb types
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Negation of the past continuous form of various verb types
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Negation of the Terminated Past form of various verb types
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Negation of the Simple Past form of various verb types
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Negation of the past participle form of various verb types
Interrogative forms of verbs
Adjectives and adverbs
The word "very" in English takes many different forms in Pular depending on what adjective is being emphasized. Here are a few examples:
kaani kas means very ugly.
laabhi pos means very clean.
woddhi pon means very far.
rabbhidhi pot means very short.
However, in general, most of these Pular adverbs could be replaced with moyyha to emphasize the adjective. But the style would be lost. The table below contains additional examples with their appropriate adverbs.
n
Pular
English
1
luubhi dus
smells very bad
2
gnaadhi gnas
very mean person (or very rough surface)
3
rawni pen
very white (color)
4
bhawli kiron
very black (color)
5
satti ken
very difficult (or very hard)
6
ronki kof
very tired
7
sembi pimpitin
very fat (usually a person)
8
sewi gnila
very thin
Sentence structure
Making Comparisons
Comparing with "bhuri"
n
Pular
English
1
Veloo an on no tuuni bhuri veloo maa on.
My bicycle is dirtier than your bicycle.
2
salon mabbhe on no yaaji bhuri salon men on.
Their living room is wider than our living room.
3
Bindhi maa dhin no jangoo bhuri bindhi an dhin.
Your hand writing is more legible than mine.
4
Faransee no satti bhuri matematik.
French is more complicated than Math.
5
Hanki hari hibhe ronki bhuri ko woowi kon.
Yesterday they were more tired than usual.
6
Ko arata mi antereenoto bhuri ko mi antereenii rowani kon.
Next year I will train more than I did last year.
7
Midho faalaa soodude bhuri killooji tati teewu.
I want to buy more than three kilos of meat.
7
Seppugol soondowoo no wondi e chellal bhuri dogugol wondewonde.
Walking often is more healthy than running occasionally.
Comparing with "wa"
Comparing with "fotta"
Contrasting ideas
Expressing contrasting ideas with "kono" (which means but)
Pular
English
Kotoo an no juuti, kono jaaja an no rabbhidhi.
My older brother is tall, but my older sister is short.
Himo weelaa, kono o sali gnaamude.
He/she is hungry, but he/she refuses to eat.
Hibhe jogii jawdi, kono bhe wallataa tampudho
They are rich, but they don't help poor people.
Mi wadhii duubhi joy ameriki, kono mi ronku waawude ingiliisi.
I have lived in America for five years, but I can't speak English.
Cause and effect
Expressing cause with "bhayru"
#
Pular
English
1
Bhayru a moyyhaa, hay e gooto wallataa ma.
Because you are not nice, no one will help you.
2
Bhe inni: "O naatataa bhayru doloke makko on no kaani."
They said: "He/she will not come in because his/her shirt is ugly."
3
Bayru a sattinii pirii on, mi waawataa soodude buy.
Since the price is too high [litt. you made the price too high], I cannot buy a lot.
4
Bhayru o jangaano, o paasaano.
Since he/she did not study, he/she did not pass.
5
Bhayru bhe juulataa, bhe naatataa aljanna.
Since they don't pray, they will not go to heaven.
6
Bhayru a fiimay, a wadhataa espoor ekadi a vaksinataako, a nawnay soondowoo.
Since you smoke, you don't exercise and you don't get vaccinated, you will often be sick.
Time clauses
Expressing time clauses with "tuma"
#
Pular
English
1
Tuma reedu maa ndun fetti, a acchay gnaamugol haa feyyhintina.
After (when) your belly explodes, you will stop eating too much.
2
Tuma o arti, mi yeetoto mo.
After (when) he/she returns, I will tell him/her.
3
Tuma mi ndikki, mi fuddhitoto gollude.
After (when) I get better, I will go back to work [litt. restart working].
4
Tuma booboobhe bhen waawi wowlude, bhe jentataako
After (when) the babies learn to speak, they will not be quite.
After a lier tells the truth, Guinea will win the African Cup of Nations.
6
Tuma otowal ngal gayni wulude, ayskriim maa on yoosay.
After the car is done warming up, your ice-cream will melt.
Expressing time clauses with "haa"
n
Pular
English
1
Jiwo on jombataake haa o hebha duubhi sappoo e jeetati.
The girl will not be wedded (taken as a bride) until she turns eighteen.
2
Fewndo men waynondiraynoo ka ayropooru, mi wulluno haa gite an dhen bhuuti.
While (when) we were saying our good-byes at the airport, I cried until my eyes got swollen.
3
Mo suttii sigareeti, o fiimay haa gnalaande (gnande) o maayi.
If someone gets addicted to cigarettes, he/she will smoke until the day he/she dies.
4
Fii Alla, sabbolan haa mi gayna.
Please, wait for me until I finish.
5
Den gnande mi huluno. Bhayru gayuurindin jokkiilan, mi doguno haa koythe an dhen acchi meemude leydi.
That day I was really terrified. When the lion chased me, I ran until my legs stopped touching the ground. [Note that "bhayru", which usually mean because, is used here to mean when]
Expressing time clauses with "tuma woo"
Expressing time clauses with "fewndo"
n
Pular
English
1
Fewndo mi hewti ka labutaane, hari moodi makko no wullude.
When I arrived at the hospital, her husband was crying.
2
Fewndo laamu Seeku Tuuree, hari gineyen bhe bhen no tampi.
During Seeku Tuuree's administration [litt. During the reign of Seeku Tuuree], the Guineans were suffering.
3
Ee, awa oo debbo no wakkilii! Fewndo mi feyyhaynoo dhoo bimbi, hari himo gollude. Haa jooni o fowtaaki.
Men, let me tell you this lady is a hard worker! While I was passing here this morning, she was working. She still has not taken a break.
4
Fewndo mi wonunoo ka koleez hari moodi an no ka liisee
While I was in middle school, my husband was in high school.
5
Rowani, fewndo ka vakansiigi, hari midho Pari.
Last year, during the summer vacations, I was in Paris.
Relative clauses
Relative clauses in Pular are often used to give more details about a noun or an idea within a sentence. Thus they play a similar role in English.[1] They are often associated with the following relative pronouns:
dho = who (singular). This pronoun usually comes after a conjugated verb. Ex: ... gorko nawnu dho. = ... a man who is sick.
mo = who (singular). Unlike dho, mo usually comes after a noun. Ex: ... gorko mo nawnaa. ... a man who is not sick.
bhe = who (plural)
wondema = that
dhi, dhe, ko, dhan, ngal, etc... = that
[mo/bhe/dhi/dhe ... mun = whose. This is a partial list since these pronouns are related to the definitive articles of the nouns.
Please see the table below for examples that demonstrate the use of relative clauses.
n
Pular
English
1
Midho jogii bhibbe dhidho hodhu bhe Pari.
I have two children who live in Paris.
2
Suka an hodhu dho Niw york on no nawni.
My son who lives in New York is sick.
3
Midho andi mawdho mo suka mun jogii otooje tati.
I know an old man whose son has three vehicles.
4
Ko hombo jeyi dhii vellooji dhi pineeji mun haajitoraa hendu.
Who owns these bicycles whose tires don't need air?
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