Adjective Shift
Description:
The adjective modifies or describes the noun. The adjective could be placed after (predicative) or before (attributive) the noun. In Afrikaans the adjective often gets modified if it is placed in the before (attributive) position. If the adjective is after (predicative) position, it is unchanged. In the before position it often is modified. Look at the table below to see the word endings that are modified. Description:
The adjective modifies or describes the noun. The adjective could be placed after (predicative) or before (attributive) the noun. In Afrikaans the adjective often gets modified if it is placed in the before (attributive) position. If the adjective is after (predicative) position, it is unchanged. In the before position it often is modified. Look at the table below to see the word endings that are modified.
e.g. Die blompot is goud. > Die goue blompot.
The vase is gold. > The golden vase.
D ENDING: [1] 2 Vowels > Drop D Add -E | [2] 2 Consonants/Short Vowel > Add -E |
[1] koud > koue cold oud > ou(e) old wyd > wye wide dood > dooie dead goed > goeie good | [2] gereeld > gereelde frequent glad > gladde smooth hard > harde hard rond > ronde round vreemd > vreemde strange wild > wilde wild |
G ENDING: [1] Two Vowels > Drop G add -E | [2] Short Vowel > Add -TE |
[1] hoog > hoë high laag > lae low leeg > leë empty moeg > moeë tired vroeg > vroeë early droog > droë dry | [2] eg > egte genuine lig > ligte light reg > regte right/real sleg > slegte bad sag > sagte soft |
S ENDING: Add -E | NK ENDING: Changes to -NG |
dwaas > dwase foolish fiks > fikse fit fluks > flukse dexterous snaaks > snaakse funny trots > trotse proud vals > valse false | lank > langlong/tall jonk > jong young |
NATIONALITIES: Add E | SUFFIXES: Add E[e.g. -end; -tig; -(e)rig; -baar; -lik] |
Turks (-e) Turkish Grieks (-e) Greek Russies (-e) Russian Hongaars (-e) Hungarian Sweeds (-e) Swedish Afrikaans (-e) Afrikaans Arabies (-e) Arabic Brasiliaans (-e) Brazilian | werkend (-e) working pragtig (-e) beautiful reënerig (-e) rainy draagbaar (-e) portable eerbaar (-e) honorable sieklik (-e) sickly |
Examples
Die dag is goed | > | Die goeie dag. |
Die land is vreemd. | > | Die vreemde land. |
Die brug is laag. | > | Die lae brug. |
Die man is oud. | > | Die ou man. |
Die skoene is Turks. | > | Die Turkse skoene. |
Die dokument is vals. | > | Die valse dokument. |
Die pos is vroeg. | > | Die vroeë pos. |
Die gebou is skeef. | > | Die skewe gebou. |
>Die land is droog. | > | Die droë land. |
Ons hond is dood. | > | Die dooie hond. |
Die meisie is pragtig. | > | Die pragtige meisie. |
Die baba is sieklik. | > | Die sieklike baba. |
Die musiek is sag. | > | Die sagte musiek. |
Die diamant is hard. | > | Die harde diamant. |
Die winter is koud. | > | Die koue winter. |
Die pakkie is lig. | > | Die ligte pakkie. |
Die tv is draagbaar. | > | Die draagbare tv. |
Sy hande is grof. | > | Sy growwe hande. |
Die vloer is glad. | > | Die gladde vloer. |
Die gesin is aangenaam. | > | Die aangename gesin. |
Die student is fluks. | > | Die flukse student. |
Die hanswors is snaaks. | > | Die snaakse hanswors. |
Die pad is wyd. | > | Die wye pad. |
Die leier is trots. | > | Die trotse leier. |
LISTING OF SOME UNCHANGEABLES:
swak, sterk, donker, beter, kort (and any color, except blond)
Die argument is swak. | > | Die swak argument. |
Die hare is kort. | > | Die kort hare. |
Die nag is donker. | > | Die donker nag. |
Die kind is slim. | > | Die slim kind. |
Die kat is swart. | > | Die swart kat. |