Dzongkha grammar explained

Dzongkha grammar describes the morphology and syntax of Dzongkha, a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Bhutan. This article uses Roman Dzongkha to indicate pronunciation.

Nouns

Number

Dzongkha nouns distinguish between singular (unmarked) and plural, with the plural either unmarked or suffixed with . The use of the plural suffix is not obligatory and is used mainly for emphasis.

Case

Dzongkha nouns are marked for 5 cases: genitive, locative, ablative, dative and ergative.

• genitive case: marks possession and is often translated as "of". There are 4 genitive suffixes in written Dzongkha:
  • - after words ending in,,, .
  • - after words ending in, and certain words ending a vowel.
  • - ater words ending in,, .
  • after certain words ending in a vowel.
• locative case - marks location or destination and is often translated as "in", "at" or "on". It's indicated by the suffix .
• ablative case - marks direction away from the noun and is often translated as "from". It's indicated by the suffix .
• dative case - marks the goal or where an activity takes place and is often translated as "to", "for" or "at". It's indicated by the suffix .
• ergative case - used for ergative and instrumental functions. There are 3 ergative suffixes in written Dzongkha:
  • - after words ending in,,, .
  • - after words ending in, or a vowel.
  • - ater words ending in,, .

Derivation

As in other Tibetic languages, compounding is the most common method for deriving new nouns in Dzongkha. A compound usually consists of two (or, less commonly, more) monossyllabic roots, which can be either free or bound.

Root 1	Root 2	Compound noun	Notes
(praise)		(praise)	is a bound morpheme with no meaning of its own.
(cover)	(top)	(lid)	is a bound morpheme and means something like "top" in most (though not all) compounds.
(stone)	(black)	(graphite)

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	(I)	(we)
2nd	(you)	(you all)
3rd (m)	(he)	(they)
3rd (f)	(she)
honorific	(he; she; you)	(they; you all)

• The honorific pronoun and its plural form are used when one wants to show respect to the person being addressed or to a 3rd person of either gender.

Verbs

Copula

In Dzongkha, there are 5 copular verbs that can be translated as "to be" in English:,,, and .

Adjectives

Comparison

The comparative is indicated by the suffix ("than") while the superlative is indicated by the suffix ("the most", "-est").

Numerals

See main article: Dzongkha numerals.

Hindu-Arabic numerals	Dzongkha numerals	Spelling	Roman Dzongkha
1			ci
2			’nyî
3			sum
4			zhi
5			'nga
6			dr°u
7			dün
8			gä
9			gu
10			cuthâm

References

• Book: Driem, George van. George van Driem

. George van Driem. The Grammar of Dzongkha. Thimphu, Bhutan . Dzongkha Development Commission of the Royal Government of Bhutan. 1992.

• Watters . Stephen A. . 2018 . A grammar of Dzongkha (dzo): phonology, words, and simple clauses. Rice University .
  • Book: English-Dzongkha Dictionary 2023. Thimphu, Bhutan . Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development. 2023. 978-99936-765-8-4.