Mandinka/Grammar

This page highlights some important features of Mandinka grammar.

Verbs

Gerunds

For transitive verbs without an object, gerunds take on "roo" at the end of the verb.

• domo<v><tv><ger> ↔ domoroo, to eat, eating
• loo<v><tv><ger> ↔ looroo, to build, building
• saŋ<v><tv><ger> ↔ sandiroo, to buy, buying
• waafi<v><tv><ger> ↔ waafiroo, to sell, selling
• suuñaa<v><tv><ger> ↔ suuñaaroo, to steal, stealing
• kantandi<v><tv><ger> ↔ kantandiroo, to wait, waiting

For transitive verbs with an object, gerunds take on "o" at the end of the verb.

• domo<v><tv><ger><obj> ↔ domoo, to eat, eating
• loo<v><tv><ger><obj> ↔ loo, to build, building
• saŋ<v><tv><ger><obj> ↔ saŋo, to buy, buying
• waafi<v><tv><ger><obj> ↔ waafoo, to sell, selling
• miŋ<v><tv><ger><obj> ↔ miŋo, to drink, drinking

For intransitive verbs, gerunds take on "o" at the end of the verb as well.

• díyaamu<v><iv><ger> ↔ diyaamoo, speak/speaking
• taama<v><iv><ger> ↔ taamoo, to walk/walking
• kuu<v><iv><ger> ↔ kuuwoo, to bathe/bathing
• siinoo<v><iv><ger> ↔ siinoo, to sleep/sleeping
• bori<v><iv><ger> ↔ boroo, to run/running

Infinitives

• díyaamu<v><inf> ↔ díyaamu, speak/speaking
• taama<v><inf> ↔ taama, to walk/walking
• kuu<v><inf> ↔ kuu, to bathe/bathing
• siinoo<v><inf> ↔ siinoo, to sleep/sleeping
• bori<v><inf> ↔ bori, to run/running
• tiiñaa<v><inf> ↔ tiiñaa, to destroy/destroying
• kanju<v><inf> ↔ kanju, to defend/defending
• kantandi<v><inf> ↔ kantandi, to wait, waiting

Negative Auxiliaries

• be<vbmod> ↔ be, is/was
• be<vbmod><neg> ↔ te, is not/was not
• ñanta<vbmod> ↔ ñanta, should
• ñanta<vbmod><neg> ↔ ñaŋ, shouldn´t
• ye<vbmod> ↔ ye, did
• ye<vbmod><neg> ↔ maŋ, did not

Related Auxiliaries

• la<post> ↔ la, is/will/shall
• kaŋ<vaux> ↔ kaŋ, -ing
• ke<vbdo> ↔ ke, do

Adverbs

In Mandinka, adverbs are classified as either general or specific. Specific adverbs are applicable only to specific verbs and/or adjectives, whereas general adverbs apply to a number of verbs and/or adjectives. For general adjectives, the typical format is to add "ke" to the end of the verb.

• tariyaa<adj><advl> ↔ tariyaake, quick/quickly
• kende<adj><advl> ↔ kendeke, very well
• bete<adj><advl> ↔ beteke, very well
• jawu<adj><advl> ↔ jawuke, severely
• banban<adj><advl> ↔ banbanke, tightly

Nouns

Plurals

Nouns in Mandinka take "lu" at the end to form plurals.

• woo<det><dem><pl> ↔ woolu , that/those
• kalaa<n><pl> ↔ kalaalu, a pen/pens
• motoo<n><pl> ↔ motoolu, a vehicle/vehicles
• suloo<n><pl> ↔ suloolu, a monkey/monkeys
• musoo<n><pl> ↔ musoolu, a woman/women