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Tok Pisin/Adjectives

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Tok Pisin > Tok Pisin Adjectives

Main types of adjectives

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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

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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.

More about numerals

Quantifiers

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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.

More about quantifiers