Tok Pisin/Adjectives
Tok Pisin > Tok Pisin Adjectives
Main types of adjectives
[edit | edit source]There are basically four types of adjectives in Tok Pisin:
Class 1 adjectives
They have the suffix -pela in attributive position, and also when they follow the copula.
Example:
- bikpela, big. Bikpela haus, A big building, Haus i bikpela, The building is big.
Class 2 adjectives
They have the suffix -pela in attributive position, but they usually lose it when they follow the copula.
Example:
- kolpela, cold. Kolpela wara, Cold water but Wara i kol, The water is cold.
Class 3 adjectives
They do not have the suffix -pela.
Example:
- liklik, small. Liklik haus, A small building, Haus i liklik, The building is small.
Class 4 adjectives
They do not have the suffix -pela either. Unlike other adjectives, they stand after the noun in attributive position.
Example:
- nogut, bad. Tok nogut, bad words, insults.
Numerals
[edit | edit source]Numerals belong to class 1 (they have -pela in all positions), or to class 3 (they never have -pela, and stand before the noun in attributive position).
Examples:
- tripela, three. Tripela man o meri, Three persons.
- tupela ten or twenti, 20. Tupela ten pikinini or Twenti pikinini, 20 children.
- nambatri, third. Bilong nambatri kain, Of the third type.
Quantifiers
[edit | edit source]Quantifiers also belong to class 1 (they have -pela in all positions), or to class 3 (they never have -pela, and stand before the noun in attributive position).
Examples:
- sampela, some. Sampela buk, Some books.
- planti, many. Planti buk, Many books.