Sentence Structure & Tenses Flashcards
In Shangaan, the basic sentence structure typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, similar to English. Here’s a breakdown:
Subject (S): This is the person or thing that performs the action of the verb.
Verb (V): This indicates the action performed by the subject.
Object (O): This is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb.
However, in Shangaan, word order can be somewhat flexible, especially in spoken language, and may vary depending on emphasis, context, or stylistic choices. But generally, the SVO order is the most common and standard structure.
Example: “Ndzi rhandza khofi.” (I love coffee.)
Ndzi (I) is the subject.
rhandza (love) is the verb.
khofi (coffee) is the object.
Adjectives usually come after the noun they describe, but their placement can be flexible depending on emphasis or context.
Example: “Xana wena unene?” (Are you fat?)
Xana (Are) is the verb.
wena (you) is the subject.
unene (fat) is the adjective describing the subject.
