LibreLingo

Conjugation of to be

Welcome to the course!

This grammar explanation will be quite thorough, which is essential for understanding the Upper Sorbian language, especially if you do not speak any Slavic language, as you might not easily grasp the logic behind certain grammatical structures otherwise.

However, if you are already familiar with a Slavic language and understand how to use the verb "to be," determine noun gender, and other fundamental concepts explained here, feel free to skip ahead.

Conjugation of 'być' (To Be)

The verb "to be" (być) is essential for talking about existence or identity. Its present tense forms are used to say "I am," "you are," "he is," etc., or to indicate where something is located. Upper Sorbian has singular, dual (for two), and plural forms.

  • Singular:

    • Ja sym (I am)
    • Ty sy (You are, singular informal)
    • Wón/Wona/Wono je (He/She/It is)
  • Dual:

    • Mydwě smy (We two are)
    • Wudwě staj (You two are)
    • Wobaj/Wobě/Wonej stej (They two are - masc/fem/neuter)
  • Plural:

    • My smy (We are)
    • Wy sće (You are)
    • Woni/Wone su (They are)
  • Examples: Ja sym student (I am a student). Moja sotra je dobra (My sister is good). Mydwě smy dobrej přećelej (We two are good friends). Woni su tu (They are here).

How to Determine the Gender of a Word

Upper Sorbian nouns belong to one of three genders: Masculine, Feminine, or Neuter. Knowing the gender is crucial because it affects the endings of adjectives and other words used with the noun. Generally, the gender is evident from the noun's ending in its basic form (nominative singular):

  • Masculine: Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine (e.g., dom - house, stól - table, učer - teacher).
  • Feminine: Most nouns ending in -a or -ja are feminine (e.g., žona - woman, kniha - book, zemja - earth/land).
  • Neuter: Most nouns ending in -o or -e are neuter (e.g., wokno - window, pole - field).
  • Keep in mind: There are some exceptions to these rules, but they apply to the majority of words.

The Nominative Case: The Subject and Naming

The Nominative case is the basic form of a noun or adjective, primarily used for the subject of a sentence (who or what performs the action) or simply to name things. This is the form you will find words in dictionaries.

  • Nouns: Singular, dual, and plural forms vary based on gender.

    • Masculine Examples: Sg: dom. Du: domaj. Pl: domy.
    • Feminine Examples: Sg: žona. Du: žonje. Pl: žony.
    • Neuter Examples: Sg: wokno. Du: woknjej. Pl: wokna.
  • Adjectives: Agree in gender, number (singular, dual, plural), and case with the noun they describe. Adjectives have different endings for hard and soft stems.

    • Hard Stem Examples: Singular: dobry (m), dobra (f), dobre (n). Dual: dobrej (m/n), dobrej (f). Plural: dobri (m), dobre (f/n).
    • Soft Stem Examples: Singular: cyzy (m), cyza (f), cyze (n). Dual: cyzej (m/n), cyzej (f). Plural: cyzi (m), cyze (f/n).
  • Examples: Dobry dom je stary (A good house is old). Cyze kraje su zajimawe (Foreign countries are interesting). Rjane žony rěča (Beautiful women are speaking).

Demonstrative Pronouns (Nominative) and Why Use Them

Demonstrative pronouns help us specify particular nouns, similar to using "this" or "that" in English. In the Nominative case, they also match the gender and number (singular, dual, plural) of the noun they refer to. Using them helps you specify exactly which item you mean from a group.

  • Singular: tutón (m), tuta (f), tute (n) - (this) / tón (m), ta (f), to (n) - (that)
  • Dual: tutajšej (m), tutej (f), tutej (n) - (these two) / tajšej (m), tej (f), tej (n) - (those two)
  • Plural: tuto (m), tute (f/n) - (these) / to (m), te (f/n) - (those)
  • Examples: Tutón dom je wulki (This house is big). Ta kniha je moja (That book is mine). Tute je naše město (This is our city). To ludźo su wjaseli (These people are cheerful).