"mesdent" looks like a verb, but in the english "sharp" is an object,please explain, tnemmirt
Thank you for this question.
Yes, "mesdent" is a verb and it means "they are sharp".
Actually and for descriptions, Amazigh (Berber) uses rather verbs while English and other European languages use adjectives.
Therefore, concepts like "big, small, wide, flat, etc." are most of the time expressed with verbs in Amazigh (Berber), and it's only recently that some writers and journalists have started to use "adjectives" in their modern writings. Yet, for a learner of Amazigh, it's really necessary to learn those "static" or "state" verbs.
"Static" or "state verbs" are those verbs which describe a state, give a description (not an action).
For example, "ecc" (to eat) describes an action:
Cciɣ tamellalt.
I ate an egg.
However, a verb like "cbeḥ" (to BE beautiful) describes a state:
Tecbeḥ weltma.
My sister is beautiful.
Tecbeḥ tqendurt-nni.
The dress is beautiful. (Notice the construct state of "taqendurt" which indicates that the noun is the subject - what's beautiful [what is doing the 'action of being beautiful'?] It's the "taqendurt" [dress]).
Cebḥeɣ.
I'm beautiful.
Etc.
Many of these verbs have a corresponding "adjective". For example, "cbeḥ" (to be beautiful) has "ucbiḥ" (beautiful), however, and in order to sound more natural, we often use the verbs to describe things.
"Cebḥent tiṭṭawin-nnes" (Her eyes are beautiful [She has beautiful eyes]) is more natural than "Tiṭṭawin-nnes d tucbiḥin".
Other examples of these verbs:
Ames - to be dirty.
Yumes uḍebsi-a.
This plate is dirty.
Aɣlay - to be expensive.
Ɣlayet tkebbuḍt-nni.
That jacket is expensive.
Aẓay - to be heavy.
Ẓẓayet tculliḍt-a.
This bag is heavy.
Aẓay - to be slow.
Ẓẓay ukamyun-a.
This truck is slow.
Ḥdeq - to be kind.
Yeḥdeq wergaz-nni.
That man is kind.
Ḥfu - to get blunt.
Teḥfa tefrut-nni.
The knife got blunt.
Ḥmu - to be hot.
Yeḥma watay-a.
This tea is hot.
Ḥṛec - to be smart, intelligent.
Yeḥṛec weqcic-a.
This boy is smart.
Ifsus - to be easy.
Fessus ulaɣmu-a.
This exercise is easy.
Ifsus - to be light.
Fessuset tbalizt-a.
This suitcase is light.
Imɣur - To be big.
Meɣɣer wexxam-a.
This house is big.
Imɣur - to be old.
Meɣɣer baba.
My father is (too) old.
Imẓiy - To be small.
Meẓẓiyet tkeṛṛust-a.
This car is small.
Imẓiy - To be young.
Meẓẓiyet weltma.
My sister is (too) young.
Iɣzif - To be long.
Ɣezzif wemrar-a.
This rope is long.
Iɣzif - To be tall.
Ɣezzif weqcic-a.
This boy is tall.
Irxis - to be cheap.
Rxiset tkeṛṛust-nni.
That car is cheap.
Irẓig - to be bitter.
Rẓag watay-a.
This tea is bitter.
Ismiḍ - to be cold.
Semmeḍ ubuyun-a.
This soup is cold.
Izdig - to be clean.
Zeddig lkas-a.
This glass is clean.
Iẓid - to be sweet.
Ẓidet tcinat-a.
This orange is sweet.
Iẓid - to be tasty, delicious.
Ẓid weɣrum-a.
This bread is delicious.
Msed - to be sharp.
Yemsed ugestur-nni.
The sword is sharp.
Rfu - To be angry.
Terfa yemma.
My mother is angry.
Wɛeṛ - to be difficult.
Tewɛeṛ temsirt-a.
This lesson is difficult.
Ɛyu - to be tired.
Teɛya tqeddact-nni.
The waitress is tired.
Ɛẓeg - to be deaf.
Teɛẓeg temɣart-a.
This old lady is deaf.
Tanemmirt
Akemmel (continued):
Aḍen - to be sick.
Tuḍen tnelmadt-a.
This (female) student is sick.
Cab - to be grey (hair).
Icab ucebbub-nnes.
His hair is grey.
Cmet - to be bad.
Yecmet wawal-a.
This word is bad.
Cmet - to be ugly.
Yecmet wergaz-nni.
That man is ugly.
Ḍɛef - to be weak, to be too skinny.
Yeḍɛef wemɣar-a.
This old man is weak.
Ffad - to be thirsty.
Teffud tfunast-nni.
The cow is thirsty.
Ḥṛes - to be narrow.
Yeḥṛes wezrug-a.
This passage is narrow.
Ḥṛes - to be tight (clothes).
Teḥṛes tqendurt-a.
This dress is tight.
Ibrik - to be black.
Berrikit tiṭṭawin-nnes.
Her eyes are black.
Ihriw - to be wide.
Hraw wegnir-a.
This corridor is wide.
Imlul - to be white.
Mellulit tuɣmas-nnes.
Her teeth are white.
Iqriḥ - to be hot (taste).
Qerreḥ aṭas yifelfel-a.
This pepper is too hot.
Irqiq - to be thin.
Rqiqet tmeṭṭut-a.
This woman is thin.
Rqiq ccac-a.
This fabric is thin.
Iwzil - to be short.
Wezzilet tsafa-a.
This skirt is short.
Izwiɣ - to be red.
Zewwaɣit yimuyag-nnes.
His cheeks are red.
Jhed - to be strong.
Yejhed wergaz-a.
This man is strong.
Jreḥ - to be injured, wounded.
Yewreḥ yetbir-a.
This pigeon is wounded.
Llaẓ - to be hungry.
Yelluẓ weydi-nni.
The dog is hungry.
Qqar - to be hard.
Yeqqur wesɣar-a.
This wood is hard.
Rreẓ - to be broken (glass, plate, branch, etc.)
Yerreẓ ufenjal-nni.
That cup is broken.
Sleb - to be mad.
Tesleb tmeṭṭut-nni.
That woman is mad.
Ṣeḥḥi - to be healthy.
Tṣeḥḥa tfunast-a.
This cow is healthy.
Uzur - to be fat.
Zur wergaz-nnes.
Her husband is fat.
Uzur - to be thick.
Zur lkaɣeḍ-a.
This paper is thick.
Xṣer - to be broken, to have a breakdown.
Yexṣer usawal-nni.
The phone is broken.
Zleg - to be distorted, twisted, crooked.
Zelgen yiḍarren-nnes.
His legs are crooked
Tanemmirt
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License: CC BY 2.0 FRLogs
This sentence was initially added as a translation of sentence #1254301
added by Amastan, July 30, 2012
linked by Amastan, July 30, 2012
linked by Amastan, April 7, 2019