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.
Since the articles of nouns vary significantly, it is 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, however, a few generalizations can be made.
The plural articles ɓen, ɗin, and ɗen correspond to ɓe, ɗi, and ɗe in other varieties of Fula, respectively. Pular pronunciation tends to nasalize these words, which is represented by the trailing letter "n."
Please see the tables below for examples that demonstrate these systematic patterns.
| Pular | English | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|بْۛرࣾوࢻٜسٜيرْ'''جࣾ عࣾࢽ''' proofeseerjo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|بْۛرࣾوࢻٜسٜيرْ'''بٜۛ بٜۛࢽ''' proofeseerɓe ɓen | the school teacher | the school teachers | |
| ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|مِࢽِسْتِرْ'''جࣾ عࣾࢽ''' ministirjo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|مِࢽِسْتِرْ'''بٜۛ بٜۛࢽ''' ministirɓe ɓen | the cabinet minister | the cabinet ministers | |
| ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|شࣾفٜيرْ'''جࣾ عࣾࢽ''' sofeerjo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|شࣾفٜيرْ'''بٜۛ بٜۛࢽ''' sofeerɓe ɓen | the driver | the drivers | |
| ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|مٜکَِسِيَࢽ'''جࣾ عࣾࢽ''' mekanisienjo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|مٜکَِسِيَࢽ'''بٜۛ بٜۛࢽ''' mekanisienɓe ɓen | the mechanic | the mechanics | |
| ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|دࣾکْتٜيرْ'''جࣾ عࣾࢽ''' dokteerjo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|دࣾکْتٜيرْ'''بٜۛ بٜۛࢽ''' dokteerɓe ɓen | the doctor | the doctors | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|لِمِيٜيرْ''' عࣾࢽ''' limiyeer on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|لِمِيٜيرْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' limiyeerji ɗin | the light | the lights | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|عࣾرْدِࢽَتٜيرْ''' عࣾࢽ''' ordinateer on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|عࣾرْدِࢽَتٜيرْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' ordinateerji ɗin | the computer | the computers | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|ࢻْرِࢼُو''' عࣾࢽ''' frigoo on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|ࢻْرِࢼُو'''جِ طِࢽ''' frigooji ɗin | the refrigerator | the refirigerators | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|کَيٜي''' عࣾࢽ''' kayee on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|کَيٜي'''جِ طِࢽ''' kayeeji ɗin | the notebook | the notebooks | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|بِکْ''' عࣾࢽ''' bik on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|بِکْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' bikji ɗin | the pen | the pens | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|وَࢽْتِلَتٜيرْ''' عࣾࢽ''' vantilateer on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|وَࢽْتِلَتٜيرْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' vantilateerji ɗin | the fan | the fans | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|تٜلٜي''' عࣾࢽ''' telee on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|تٜلٜي'''جِ طِࢽ''' teleeji ɗin | the TV | the TV's | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|لَمْبُۛ''' عࣾࢽ''' lampu on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|لَمْبُۛو'''جِ طِࢽ''' lampuuji ɗin | the lamp | the lamps | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|تࣾرْسࣾ''' عࣾࢽ''' torso on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|تࣾرْسࣾو'''جِ طِࢽ''' torsooji ɗin | the flashlight | the flashlights | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|تَاسِ''' عࣾࢽ''' taasi on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|تَاسِي'''جِ طِࢽ''' taasiiji ɗin | the coffee cup | the coffee cups | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|ࢼُوٜرْࢽٜمَࢽ''' عࣾࢽ''' guverneman on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|ࢼُوٜرْࢽٜمَࢽْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' guvernemanji ɗin | the government | the governments | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|لٜکّࣾلْ''' عࣾࢽ''' lekkol on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|لٜکّࣾلْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' lekkolji ɗin | the school | the schools | |
| '''''' {{script/Arabic|سٜيلْࢻࣾوْࢽ''' عࣾࢽ''' seelfown on | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|سٜيلْࢻࣾوْࢽْ'''جِ طِࢽ''' seelfownji ɗin | the cell phone | the cell phones | |
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 created by adding Fulah: '''''' re to the root, and Fulah: ''''''' nden is usually the definitive article. By contrast, the plural form is obtained by adding Fulah: '''''' je to the root, and Fulah: '''''' ɗen is the definitive article for the plural form. The table below provides examples to demonstrate this pattern.
| Pular | English | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| Fulah: putee | Fulah: ''' '''' puteere nden | Fulah: ''' ''' puteeje ɗen | the sweet potato | the sweet potatoes | |
| Fulah: jaabere | Fulah: ''' '''' jaabereere nden | Fulah: ''' ''' jaabereeje ɗen | "A kind of vegetable" | "A kind of vegetable" | |
| Fulah: piya | Fulah: ''' '''' piyaare nden | Fulah: ''' ''' piyaaje ɗen | the avocado | the avocados | |
| Fulah: leemunne | Fulah: ''' '''' leemunneere nden | Fulah: ''' ''' leemunneeje ɗen | the orange | the oranges | |
| caccu | caccuure nden | caccuuje ɗen | the lime/lemon | the lime/lemons | |
| kobokobo | kobokoboore nden | kobokobooje ɗen | the egg plant | the egg plants | |
| pompiteeri | pompiteeriire nden | pompiteeriije ɗen | the potato | the potatoes | |
| mango | mangoore nden | mangooje ɗen | the mango | the mangoes | |
| ɲamaku | ɲamakuure nden | ɲamakuuje ɗen | the pepper | the peppers | |
| putee | puteere nden | puteeje ɗen | the sweet potato | the sweet potatoes | |
| ɓohe | ɓoheere nden | ɓoheeje ɗen | the fruit of the baobab | the fruits of the baobab | |
| booto | bootoore nden | bootooje ɗen | "A guinean fruit" | "A guinean fruit" | |
| nete | neteere nden | neteeje ɗen | the fruits (pods) of the African locust-bean | ||
| poore | pooreere nden | pooreeje ɗen | "A guinean fruit" | "A guinean fruit" | |
| cappe | cappeere nden | cappeeje ɗen | "A vegetable similar to cassava roots" | "A vegetable similar to cassava roots" | |
| Pular | English | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| Fulah: koyngal ngal | Fulah: koyɗe ɗen | the foot | the feet | |
| Fulah: ' leggal ngal | Fulah: leɗɗe ɗen | the stick (or branch) | the sticks | |
| Fulah: ' baafal ngal | Fulah: baafe ɗen | the door | the doors | |
| Fulah: ' dammugal ngal | Fulah: dammuɗe ɗen | the gate | the gates | |
| busal ngal | buse ɗen | the thigh | the thighs | |
| avionwal ngal | avionje ɗen | the airplane | the airplanes | |
| paɗal ngal | paɗe ɗen | the shoe | the shoes | |
| otowal ngal | otooje ɗen | the vehicle | the vehicles | |
| yiitere nden | gite ɗen | the eye | the eyes | |
| jullere nden | julle ɗen | the carved piece of wood for sitting | the carved pieces of wood for sitting | |
| jungo ngon | juuɗe ɗen | the hand (or arm) | the hands | |
| gorko on | worɓe ɓen | the man | the men | |
| debbo on | rewɓe ɓen | the woman | the women | |
| aadenjo on | aadenɓe ɓen | the human being | the human beings | |
| karamokoojo on | karamokooɓe ɓen | the teacher | the teachers | |
| jangoowo on | jangooɓe ɓen | the reader (or student) | the readers (or students) | |
| hoore nden | koe ɗen | the head | the heads | |
| tuuba nban | tuube ɗen | the trouser | the trousers | |
| pantalon on | pantalonji ɗin | xxx | the pants | |
| telefon on | telefonji ɗin | the phone | the phones | |
| roobu on | roobuuji ɗin | the dress | the dresses | |
| bareeru ndun | bareeji ɗin | the dog | the dogs | |
| ɲaariiru ndun | ɲaariiji ɗin | the cat | the cats | |
| kerooru ndun | kerooji ɗin | the monkey | the monkeys | |
| motooru ndun | motooji ɗin | the motorcycle | the motorcycles | |
| Term | Pular Example | English Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| an | jungo am | my hand | |
| maa | jungo maa | your hand | |
| makko | jungo makko | his/her hand | |
| amen | juuɗe amen | our hands (excluding you) | |
| men | juuɗe men | our hands (inclusive) | |
| mon | juuɗe mon | your hands | |
| maɓɓe | juuɗe maɓɓe | their hands |
The singular possessive in Pular – an – corresponds exactly with the am used in other varieties of Fula. Again, the pronunciation is more nasalized in Pular.
lan, ma, te, mo, men, en, on, ɓe.
| n | rank | Pular | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st sing. | Ɓe wallay lan. | They will help me. |
| 2 | 2nd sing. (future) | Ɓe walle te. | They will help you. |
| 3 | 2nd sing. (past) | Ɓe wallii ma. | They have helped you. |
| 4 | 3rd sing. | Ɓe wallay mo. | They will help him/her. |
| 5 | 1st plu. excl. | Ɓe wallay men. | They will help us (excluding you). |
| 6 | 1st plu. incl. | Ɓe wallay en. | They will help us (including you). |
| 7 | 2nd plu. | Ɓe wallay on. | They will help you (plural). |
| 8 | 3rd plu. | O wallay ɓe. | He/she will help them. |
ko hombo, ko honɗun, ko homɓe, ko honno, ko honto, ko ... honɗi, ko ... njelo, ko ... jelu
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ko hombo nii? | Who is this? | |
| 2 | Ko homɓe nii? | Who are these people? | |
| 3 | Ko honɗun nii? | What (object) is this? | |
| 4 | Ko dolokaaji honɗi jeyuɗaa? | Which shirts belong to you? | |
| 5 | Ko honno inneteɗaa? | What is your name? | |
| 6 | Ko honno o innetee? | What is his/her name? | |
| 7 | Ko honto yahataa? | Where are you going? | |
| 8 | Ko cuuɗi honɗi jeyuɗaa? | Which houses do you own? | |
| 9 | Ko yimɓe njelo ataakunomaa? | How many people attacked you? | |
| 10 | Ko biiniiji jelu heddi ka frigoo? | How many bottles remain in the refrigerator? |
mi, a, o, men, en, on, ɓe, ɗe, ɗi
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''مِ'''ࢻَامِي Mi faamii. | I understand. | |
| 2 | '''''' {{script/Arabic|'''عَ'''ࢻَامِي A faamii. | You understand. | |
| 3 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''عࣾ'''ࢻَامِي O faamii. | He/She understands. | |
| 4 | '''''' {{script/Arabic|'''مٜࢽْ'''ࢻَامِي Men faamii. | We understand (excluding you). | |
| 5 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''عٜࢽْ'''ࢻَامِي En faamii. | We understand (including you). | |
| 6 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''عࣾࢽْ'''ࢻَامِي On faamii. | You understand (plural). | |
| 7 | '''''' {{script/Arabic|'''بٜۛ'''ࢻَامِي Ɓe faamii. | They understand (people). | |
| 8 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''طِ'''تُونِي Ɗi tuunii. | They have gotten dirty (objects or animals). | |
| 9 | ''' ''' {{script/Arabic|'''طٜ'''تُونِي Ɗe tuunii. | They have gotten dirty (objects or animals). |
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, ɓee (plural = these people), ɗii(plural), ɗee(plural), [ngal, ngol, ngii, ngoo, nguu, nduu, ndee, ndii, ɗan, mbaa, kun, etc...]The English equivalent of these adjective demonstratives are: this, these, that, and those.
Note that this is a partial list.
See the table below for some expressions using indefinite pronouns.
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goɗɗo no ka hurgo. | Someone is in the bathroom. | |
| 2 | Goɗɗun luuɓay. | Something will smell. | |
| 3 | Woɓɓe no arude. | Some people are coming. | |
| 4 | Goɗɗun muncoto. | 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. |
ɗoo, gaa, ɗaa, too, gaɗa, gaanin
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aru ɗoo. | Come here (where I am standing). | |
| 2 | Aru gaa. | Come over here (In the area where I am). | |
| 3 | Yahu ɗaa. | Go over there (not too far from me). | |
| 4 | Yahu too. | Go way over there (far away from me). | |
| 5 | Himo darii ka ɠaɗa caangol. | He is standing across the river (the river is between the speaker and the person his is standing). | |
| 6 | Himo darii ka gaanin caangol. | He is standing on this side of the river (the speaker is on the same side of the river where the person is standing). |
Pular verbs – like those in other varieties of Fula (with the exception of Adamawa) – fall into one of three "voices": active, middle, and passive. Infinitives in Pular are formed with -gol rather than -de as in other varieties of Fula. The endings are:
Verbal extensions (sometimes dubbed "infixes") can be added between the root and the (active) verb ending to change meaning. Examples of verb endings with this adfixes include: angol, ingol, orgol and others. Please see the table below for examples.
| Verb ending | Pular verb | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ugol | defugol | to cook | |
| ugol | ɲaamugol | to eat | |
| ugol | yarugol | to drink | |
| ugol | windugol | to write | |
| ugol | ronkugol | to get tired | |
| ugol | wallugol | to help | |
| agol | jooɗagol | to sit down | |
| agol | immagol | to get up | |
| agol | sulmagol | to wash one's face | |
| agol | fubbagol | to swim | |
| agol | luɓagol | 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 "circumcise" someone | |
| ingol | yaggingol | to make someone regret | |
| ingol | aaningol | to make someone worried | |
| orgol | addorgol | to bring along | |
| orgol | naɓorgol | to take someone or something along; to give someone a ride | |
| orgol | okkorgol | to give a gift to someone |
1) Active voice 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 | |
| Ɓe | sooday | They (referring to people) will buy |
| 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 | ɓe | He/she will help them(referring to people). |
Verbs with "infixes" (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.
2) Middle voice verbs (ending in "agol"): To express the affirmative form of agol verbs in the future, simply replace the agol ending with oto. For example, fubbagol turns 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 | |
| Ɓe | fubboto | They (referring to people) will swim |
3) Passive voice 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 | |
| Ɓe | weelete | They (referring to people) will be hungry |
1) Verbs ending in -ugol makes either -u 2nd pers. sing. or -en 1st pers. plur. or -ee 2nd pers. plur.
okkugol: to give makes Okku : Give; Okken: Let us give and Okkee: Let you give
2) Verbs ending in -agol makes either -o 2nd pers. sing. or -oɗen 1st pers. plur. or -ee 2nd pers. plur.
Jooɗagol: to sit makes Jooɗo gaa : Sit here ; Jooɗoɗen : Let us sit ; Jooɗee : Let you sit.
3) Verbs ending in -egol do not have an imperative forms though an imperative construction is possible.
Rules when the verb has an infix:
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 | |
| Ɓe | sooduno | They (referring to people) bought |
| 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 | ƴettuno | lekki kin | Yesterday he/she took the medicine. | |
| Hande mbimbi | ɓe | yahuno | ka lekkol | This morning they went to school. | |
| Hanki jemma | a | hiruno | moƴƴa. | Last night you snored a lot. |
| 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, jooɗagol turns into jooɗino. 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 | |
| Ɓe | immino | They (referring to people) got up |
| Time reference | Subject | Terminated Past form of "ugol" verb | Object | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanki | mi | gosino | laaɓi tati. | Yesterday I brushed my teeth three times. | |
| Rowani | ɓe | waajino | lan moƴƴa. | Last year they gave me good advice (well). | |
| Hanki | o | janfino | miɲan an | Yesterday he/she cheated my younger sibling. |
3) 7Verbs 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 | |
| Ɓe | 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 | moƴƴa. | Yesterday I was hungry a lot. | |
| Rowani | ɓe | jattano | otowal maɓɓe ngal. | [litt. Last year they were rubbed their vehicle.] | |
| Hanki | o | ɲawlano | dolaarji sappo. | Yesterday he/she was loaned ten dollars. |
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 "ɲaamugol", which means to eat.
| Subject | Simple Past form | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi | ɲaamii | I have eaten. | |
| A | ɲaamii | You (singular) have eaten. | |
| O | ɲaamii | he/she has eaten. | |
| En | ɲaamii | We (including you) have eaten. | |
| Men | ɲaamii | We (excluding you) have eaten. | |
| On | ɲaamii | You (plural) have eaten. | |
| Ɓe | ɲaamii | They (referring to people) have eaten. |
| 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. | |
| Ɓe | ronkii. | – | They have gotten tired. | |
| A | tampii | moƴƴa. | 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, jooɗagol turns into jooɗike. 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 | |
| Ɓe | immike | They (referring to people) got up |
| Subject | Simple Past form of "agol" verb | Object | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | ɓortike | dolokke maa on. | I have taken off your shirt. | |
| mi | ɲawlike | 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 | ɓornike | dolokke tuunu-ɗo. | 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. | |
| Ɓe | 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. |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miɗo | ronki | I am tired. | |
| Hiɗa | ronki | You (singular) are tired. | |
| Himo | ronki | He/she is tired. | |
| Hiɗen | ronki | We (including you) are tired. | |
| Meɗen | ronki | We (excluding you) are tired. | |
| Hiɗon | ronki | You (plural) are tired. | |
| Hiɓe | ronki | They (referring to people) are tired. |
| Verb to be | Simple Past form of "ugol" verb | Object | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miɗo | juuti | – | I am tall. | |
| Hiɗa | raɓɓidi | – | You are short. | |
| Veloo-an on no | boni. | – | My bicycle is broken down. | |
| Lekkol-an on no | woɗɗi | – | My school is too far. | |
| Hiɓe | 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, jooɗagol turns into jooɗike. 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 | |
| Ɓe | immike | They (referring to people) got up |
| Subject | Simple Past form of "agol" verb | Object | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi | ɓortike | dolokke maa on. | I have taken off your shirt. | |
| mi | ɲawlike | 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 | ɓornike | dolokke tuunu-ɗo. | 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. | |
| Ɓe | 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. |
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 | |
| Ɓe | 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 | |
| Ɓe | 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 | |
| Ɓe | janfataake | They (referring to people) will not be cheated |
The word "very" in English takes many different forms in Pular depending on what adjective is being emphasized. Here are a few examples:
However, in general, most of these Pular adverbs could be replaced with moƴƴa to emphasize the adjective. But the style would be lost. The table below contains additional examples with their appropriate adverbs.
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | luuɓi dus | smells very bad | |
| 2 | ɲaaɗi ɲas | very mean person (or very rough surface) | |
| 3 | rawni pen | very white (color) | |
| 4 | ɓawli 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 ɲila | very thin |
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veloo an on no tuuni ɓuri veloo maa on. | My bicycle is dirtier than your bicycle. | |
| 2 | salon maɓɓe on no yaaji ɓuri salon men on. | Their living room is wider than our living room. | |
| 3 | Binɗi maa ɗin no jangoo ɓuri binɗi an ɗin. | Your hand writing is more legible than mine. | |
| 4 | Faransee no satti ɓuri matematik. | French is more complicated than Math. | |
| 5 | Hanki hari hiɓe ronki ɓuri ko woowi kon. | Yesterday they were more tired than usual. | |
| 6 | Ko arata mi antereenoto ɓuri ko mi antereenii rowani kon. | Next year I will train more than I did last year. | |
| 7 | Miɗo faalaa soodude ɓuri killooji tati teewu. | I want to buy more than three kilos of meat. | |
| 7 | Seppugol soondowoo no wondi e cellal ɓuri dogugol wondewonde. | Walking often is more healthy than running occasionally. |
| Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Kotoo an no juuti, kono jaaja an no raɓɓiɗi. | My older brother is tall, but my older sister is short. | |
| Himo weelaa, kono o sali ɲaamude. | He/she is hungry, but he/she refuses to eat. | |
| Hiɓe jogii jawdi, kono ɓe wallataa tampuɗo | They are rich, but they don't help poor people. | |
| Mi waɗii duuɓi joy ameriki, kono mi ronku waawude ingiliisi. | I have lived in America for five years, but I can't speak English. |
| Pular | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ɓayru a moƴƴaa, hay e gooto wallataa ma. | Because you are not nice, no one will help you. | |
| 2 | Ɓe inni: "O naatataa ɓayru doloke makko on no kaani." | They said: "He/she will not come in because his/her shirt is ugly." | |
| 3 | Ɓayru 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 | Ɓayru o jangaano, o paasaano. | Since he/she did not study, he/she did not pass. | |
| 5 | Ɓayru ɓe juulataa, ɓe naatataa aljanna. | Since they don't pray, they will not go to heaven. | |
| 6 | Ɓayru a fiimay, a waɗataa 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. |
| Pular | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuma reedu maa ndun fetti, a accay ɲaamugol haa feƴƴintina. | 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 fuɗɗitoto gollude. | After (when) I get better, I will go back to work [litt. restart working]. | |
| 4 | Tuma boobooɓe ɓen waawi wowlude, ɓe jentataako | After (when) the babies learn to speak, they will not be quite. | |
| 5 | Tuma fenoowo wowli goonga, lagine gaɲay Cup-Dafrik. | 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. |
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jiwo on jombataake haa o heɓa duuɓi 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 ɗen ɓuuti. | 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 ɲalaande (ɲande) 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 ɲande mi huluno. Ɓayru gayuurindin jokkiilan, mi doguno haa koythe an ɗen acci meemude leydi. | That day I was really terrified. When the lion chased me, I ran until my legs stopped touching the ground. [Note that "ɓayru", which usually mean because, is used here to mean when] |
| 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 ɓe ɓen 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 feƴƴaynoo ɗoo 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 miɗo Pari. | Last year, during the summer vacations, I was in Paris. |
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.[2] They are often associated with the following relative pronouns:
Please see the table below for examples that demonstrate the use of relative clauses.
| n | Pular | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miɗo jogii ɓibbe ɗiɗo hoɗu ɓe Pari. | I have two children who live in Paris. | |
| 2 | Suka an hoɗu ɗo Niw york on no nawni. | My son who lives in New York is sick. | |
| 3 | Miɗo andi mawɗo mo suka mun jogii otooje tati. | I know an old man whose son has three vehicles. | |
| 4 | Ko hombo jeyi ɗii vellooji ɗi pineeji mun haajitoraa hendu. | Who owns these bicycles whose tires don't need air? | |
| 5 | Meɗen yewtude fii worɓe ɓe ɓeynguuli mun dogi sabu angal kaalisi. | We are talking about men whose wives left because of a lack of money. | |
| 6 | Mi faalaaka gorko mo maraa jawdi. | I don't want a man who does not have money. | |
| 7 | Mi yiɗaa ɲaamugol maafe ko waɗaaka ɲamaku. | I don't like any sauce that doesn't have pepper. | |
| 8 | Miɗo andi hiɗa seytini. | I know that you are upset. Note that the relative pronoun is omitted here. | |
| 9 | Mi nanii wondema hanki hari hiɓe nawni. | I heard that they were sick yesterday. | |
| 10 | Mi jangii e deftere wondema leydi ndin no murliɗiri wa balonre. | I read in a book that the earth is round like a soccer ball. | |
| 11 | Ɓe hoolaaki wondema wakkilaare ɓeyday arsike gorko. | They don't believe that hardwork can increase a man's luck. | |
| 12 | Miɗo sikki tun o alaa e yeetaade en ngoonga on. | I just think that he/she is not telling us the truth. | |
| 13 | Mi nanuno ka radioo hanki woo (wondema) gere on ɓuttii. | I heard on the radio yesterday that the war has ended. |