Jamaican Patois Grammar

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Plurals

Plurality is mentioned first in numeral or similar word and secondly by using pluralizing word “dem” which means “them”.

Numeral

I have ten sweets in that bag at the corner: Mi hab ten swiit eena dat-de baig pon di kaana

Put those three cups on the table: Put dem-de chrii kop pan di tiebl.

Similar Words

Many girls are playing today: Nof gyal a plié tide. My brother has many children: Mi breda hab nof pikni

John and Eric are enemies and they don’t talk to each other: Jan anh Erik a enimi anh dem kip malis pan awan hada

Plurasing Word “Dem”

Example

The girls: Di gyal-dem

Proper Nouns Personal Names

Example Sarah: Siera, Mary: Mieri, Jane: Jien,John:Jan, Joe: Juo and Paul: Paal

Pronouns Personal, Possessive and Reflective

The word “fi” which has been reduced from “for” is prefixed to the pronoun to form a possessive pronoun (Table 1).

Table 1: Personal, possessive and reflective pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Here (Ya) and there (De) are added to the simple demonstratives pronoun to create dis-ya, dem-de and dem-de (Table 2)

Some relative pronounce such as “whose” and “whom” has not been included. Whose in patwa “huufaa” and “whom” can be used to refer to “who-huu”.

Indefinite Pronouns

Somebody mean “Smadi” and becomes a noun to mean a “Person” and “Human being” (Table 4).

Verbs Tense of Verbs Present Tense

Stative verbs can be used alone without change in the present tense

Example They are fine: Dem a haati

Present Progressive Tense This is when an action is ongoing. The present progressive tense uses one of the auxiliary verbs “de” “da” or “a” and it is used before the verb.

Example They are playing: Dem a plié

Habitual Present Tense The habitual marker “a” is used

Example That space behind the house is where the children play: Dat-de spies baka di hous a we di pikni-dem a plie

Past Tense Dynamic verbs can be used alone without any changes in the past perfective tense

Example Darah came with his friends today: Darah kom wid fi im fren tide

Progressive Past Tense The past tense marker “ben”, “en” or “wen” is used.

Example He was running: Im en a ron

Past Perfect Tense The tense marker “en” is used. In the mesolect the anterior marker “did” is used.

Example Even his father went to the concert: Iibn fi im faada did guh tu di kansot

Future Tense It is formed using “a guh”, “gwain”, “gwai”, or “de guh”.

Example She will be going to London next week: Shi de guh a London neks wiik.

Conjunctions, Prepositions and Adverbs Conjunctions

Because and Since (Afta or Aata) Because Because you didn’t send her an invitation letter, she remained home: Afta yuh nuh sen im a invitieshan leta, im stie pan a yaad

Since I have love John since I saw him: Mi lob Jan aata mi did si im

Since I have loved John since I saw him: Mi lob Jan aata mi did si im

Instead of and rather than: Bifuo Instead of Instead of you playing, go to the school: Bifuo yuh a plié, guh tu a skuul.

Rather than Rather than you thanking him, you are wasting time taking ill about him:Bifuo yuh a tengk im, yuh a wies taim siitful pan im

“Even as” and “And” or “And thus”: So “Even as” Even as they knew that i am poor, they never gave me some money: So dem en nuo se mi puo, dem nebba gi mi sohn moni.

“And” or “And thus” Mix the ginger with hot water and drink it to feel the good taste on your tongue: Mixop di jinja wid at waata so jink i tu fiil di gud ties pan yu tong.

Preposition Because of: Sake of( “Siek a” or “Sieka”) Because of the rain we nearly missed the exam: Sieka di rien wi nierli mis di egzam.

Comparison: “No” and “Siem laik” As: No Hot as red pepper: At no peppa

Siem Laik The girl’s shape is same to a man: Di gyal siem laik a man.

Immediately: Siem taim Immediately the criminal stepped out of the door the policeman caught him: Siem taim di bandulu tep outa di duor di poliisman ketch im.

Nevertheless: Siem taim Yukan and Rmar are enemies, nevertheless they are working together to bring peace in our country: Yukan anh Rmar a enimi, siem taim dem a wuk tigeda tu bring peace eena fi-wi kontri.

All the same: Siem taim They can’t manage to fight but all the same they don’t fear fighting: Dem kyaahn manij tu fait bot siem taim dem nuh fier fi fait.

As usual: Siem wie He is good as usual: Im a gud siem wie

As long as: So lang As long as we are in the government, you will get much money: So lang wi a eeena di gobament, yu a guh get nof moni.

No matter: Kya(Kya is from the sentence “I don’t care”) No matter how much we try to love them, they will not like us: Kya humoch wi trai tu lob dem, dem nebba a guh laik wi

On purpose: Fi purpose They left that money on the table on purpose to know whether you were going to steal it: Dem liiv dat-de moni pan di tiebl fi purpose fi nuo weda yu a guh tiif i

As usual: Siem wie He is good as usual: Im a gud siem wie

Really and truly: Fitruu  To and for: Fi Check it in the dictionary for more examples: Chek i pan di dikshanieri faar muor egzampl

Words below are worth knowing: You don’t say die but dead (Ded).

You don’t fill a basket but you full up (Fulop)

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