NounClass: noun class
Tswana uses the Noun class system where all Nouns are assigned to one of 23 possible nouns classes. The class system is also used with adjectives, and subject and object concords, which also agree with the class of the Noun they are associated with.
Tswana uses 18 of these classes, with classes 12, 13 and 21-23 not in use. The noun class is primarily determined by the prefix associated with the noun, and is indicative of singular or plural. Odd numbered classes (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) indicate singular forms and even numbered classes (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) generally indicate the associated plural forms of the odd numbered classes.
| Values: | Bantu1 | Bantu2 | Bantu3 | Bantu4 | Bantu5 | Bantu6 | Bantu7 | Bantu8 | Bantu9 | Bantu10 |
| Bantu11 | Bantu14 | Bantu15 | Bantu16 | Bantu17 | Bantu18 | Bantu19 | Bantu20 |
Bantu1: singular, persons, proper nouns, terms of kinship and personified names
The corresponding plural class is Bantu2.
Examples
- monna “man”
Bantu2: plural, persons, proper nouns, terms of kinship and personified names
The corresponding singular class is Bantu1.
Examples
- banna “men”
Bantu3: singular, impersonal nouns, body parts, tools, instruments, trees, and plants
The corresponding plural class is Bantu4.
Examples
- mofuta “type”
Bantu4: plural, impersonal nouns, body parts, tools, instruments, trees, and plants
The corresponding singular class is Bantu3.
Examples
- mefuta “types”
Bantu5: singular, body parts, some animals, plants, collective nouns, strangers, regions, natural phenomena, and a few personal nouns
The corresponding plural class is Bantu6.
Examples
- lelapa “homestead, dwelling”
Bantu6: plural, body parts, some animals, plants, collective nouns, strangers, regions, natural phenomena, and a few personal nouns
The corresponding singular class is Bantu5, also Bantu14.
Examples
- malapa “homesteads, dwellings”
Bantu7: singular, body parts, tools, instruments, some animals, languages, characteristics, and some personal nouns
The corresponding plural class is Bantu8.
Examples
- sediriswa “tool”
Bantu8: plural, body parts, tools, instruments, some animals, languages, characteristics, and some personal nouns
The corresponding singular class is Bantu7.
Examples
- didiriswa “tools”
Bantu9: singular, animals, body parts, tools, instruments, and a few personal nouns
The corresponding plural class is Bantu10.
Examples
- tau “lion”
Bantu10: plural, animals, body parts, tools, instruments, and a few personal nouns
The corresponding singular class is Bantu9, also Bantu11.
Examples
- ditau “lions”
Bantu11: singular limited nouns – body parts, tools, instruments, collective nouns
The corresponding plural class is Bantu10.
Examples
- lonao “foot”
Bantu14: singular, collective, abstract, and locative nouns
The corresponding plural class is Bantu6, although some nouns in this class do not have plurals.
Examples
- bodilo “floor”
Bantu15: verbal nouns, infinitives
Examples
- dira “work” → go dira “working; to work”
Bantu16: place or locality
Examples
- fatshe “on the ground”
Bantu17: place or locality
Examples
- godimo “above/behind”
Bantu18: place or locality
Examples
- morago “after”
Bantu19: place or locality
Examples
- gaufi “near, nearby”
Bantu20: place or locality
Examples
- teng “here”
NounClass in other languages: [nci] [tn] [u]