Some Malagasy articles, determiners and quantifiers
Articles NY, I, RA-, ILAY, IKALA...
ny=a/an/the/0 : definite or indefinite articles for common nouns
i/ra-+name/ilay/ry/ikala/ilai- demonstratives for individual persons
Raiso ny harona.
Take the bag.
I Rabe no mpitondra fiara.
Rabe is the driver.
Rakoto no mpandeha.
Rakoto is the passenger.
Tsy niteny ilay vehivavy.
The woman didn’t say anything.
Ikala Brigitte no manasa vilia androany (Ikala=vulgar for i, only for female )
It is Brigitte who is doing the washing up today.
Sasao ny lamba ry Bodo a.
Wash the clothes, (you) Bodo.
Maditra Ilaity, hendry ilairoa. (ilaity : for males only)
This boy is naughty, the other one is nice.
MALAGASY QUANTIFIERS
Tsy misy mihitsy (no/none of)
tsy misy boky mihitsy= no books.
=> tsisy /tsy nisy na iray aza = no = none
tsy misy boky na iray aza= tsisy boky na iray aza.
=>kely / kelikely (few of)
boky kely, boky kelikely
=>Vitsy kely (few of)
boky vitsy kely.
=> Vitsy (few of)
boky vitsy.
=>vitsivitsy (a few of)
boky vitsivitsy.
=>maromaro (a few)
boky maromaro
=>sasany (several )
boky sasany
=>ankabeazany (most of )
ny ankabeazan'ny boky
=>maro (some of)
boky maro, (ny) maro amin'ny boky
=>be ( some of)
boky be, (=betsaka amin'ny boky)
=>betsaka ( several)
boky betsaka
=>maro be (a lot of )
boky maro be
=> be dia be (lots of)
boky be dia be= boky betsaka be (familiar)
=> rehetra (all /all of)
(ny) boky rehetra,
=>sesehene (plenty of)
boky sesehena
=>tsy hita isa (plenty of)
boky tsy hita isa
Examples: countable nouns
Many books= boky maro
Mamaky boky maro ny mpianatra. The pupils are reading many books.
A few books= boky maromaro
Mamaky boky maromaro ny mpianatra
Few books : boky vitsivitsy
Mamaky boky vitsivitsy ny mpianatra.
Several books= boky betsaka
Mamaky boky betsaka ny mpianatra
None of the books= tsy nisy na boky iray aza, tsisy boky na iray aza.
Tsy mamaky na boky iray aza ny mpianatra.
More: uncountable nouns:
Not much dancing=tsy nisy fandihizana firy
A little dancing= fandihizana kely
A good deal of /a great deal of dancing= fandihizana be
No dancing= tsy fandihizana mihitsy
Countable and uncountable nouns=
All of the books /dancing= ny boky rehetra, ny fandihizana rehetra
Some books /dancing: ny sasany amin’ireo boky, ny sasany amin’ny fandihizana
Most of the books/ dancing = ny ankamaroan’ny /ankabeazan’ny boky/ ny fandihizana sasany
A lot of books/ dancing = boky maro be /boky betsaka; fandihizana be
Lots of books /dancing = boky be dia be (familiar= boky betsaka be)/fandihizana be (dia be)
Plenty of books/dancing =boky tsy hita isa; boky maro be, boky sesehena =fandihizana be
A lack of books/dancing= tsisy boky, tsisy fandihizana
