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Dialog Vocab
- k'à kalan
- to study/read sth
- kalan
- studies/reading
- ka kalan kɛ
- to study/read [Lit. "to do studies/reading"]
- k'à sɛbɛn
- to write sth
- sɛbɛnni
- writing; instance of writing
- ka sɛbɛnni kɛ
- to write [Lit. "to do writing"]
- gɛlɛn/gwɛlɛn
- difficult
- nɔgɔn/nɔgɔ
- easy
Dialog
Audio file
CONTEXT: Abi is doing some self-guided Bambara study in the courtyard. Her cousin Sita is curious about Abi's studies and comes over.
SITA: I bɛ ka kalan kɛ? [1]
ABI: Ɔwɔ. Kalan don. N bɛ ka bamanankan kalan. [2]
SITA: Bamanankan?!
ABI: Ɔnhɔn kɛ! [3]
SITA: I bɛ à sɛbɛnni dɔn? [4]
ABI: Dɔɔnin. I bɛ à sɛbɛn?
SITA: Ayi. N m'à kalan.
ABI: À kalan man gɛlɛn.
SITA: K'à sɛbɛn, o ka nɔgɔn? [5]
ABI: Kosɛbɛ! À filɛ! N bɛ sɛbɛnni kɛ. [She writes a few words in Bambara]
SITA: Ka kalan kɛ, o ka di dɛ!
ABI: Tiɲɛ don. Kalan ka ɲi.
SITA: Are you studying? [1]
ABI: Yes. It's studies. I am studying Bambara. [2]
SITA: Bambara?!
ABI: Yes, of course! [3]
SITA: You know its writing? [4]
ABI: A little bit. Do you write it?
SITA: No. I haven't studied it.
ABI: Its study isn't difficult.
SITA: To write it, is that easy? [5]
ABI: Very! Look (at it)! I write. [She writes a few words in Bambara]
SITA: To study, that is really nice!
ABI: That's the truth. Studies are good.
ABI: Yes. It's studies. I am studying Bambara. [2]
SITA: Bambara?!
ABI: Yes, of course! [3]
SITA: You know its writing? [4]
ABI: A little bit. Do you write it?
SITA: No. I haven't studied it.
ABI: Its study isn't difficult.
SITA: To write it, is that easy? [5]
ABI: Very! Look (at it)! I write. [She writes a few words in Bambara]
SITA: To study, that is really nice!
ABI: That's the truth. Studies are good.
Grammar Points
- 1) Light-verb constructions
- 2) Verbs converting to nouns
- 3) The particle
kɛ - 4) Making action nouns with
-li/ni - 5) Verbal citation forms and topicalization (with
o)
Lesson
[Video coming soon!]