Colors & Adjectives
Describe the world around you with colors and simple adjectives.
Adjectives in Mara typically follow the noun they describe.
Colors (Colour)
| Color | Mara |
|---|---|
| White | Nâ |
| Black | Vaw |
| Red | Sâ |
| Green | Hnaw |
| Yellow | Vavâ |
| Blue | Dypa |
Common Adjectives
| English | Mara |
|---|---|
| Good | Pha |
| Bad | Pha-lei / Vaw (evil/bad) |
| Big | Lai |
| Small | Chy |
| Hot | Sâ (also Red/Heat) |
| Cold | Vaw (context depends) / Chaka |
| Beautiful | Ngia / Pha |
Sentence Structure
Noun + Adjective
- Pâ (Flower) + Sâ (Red) -> Pâ sâ (Red flower)
- O (House) + Lai (Big) -> O lai (Big house)
Noun + Subject Marker + Adjective
- He pâ he a sâ. (This flower is red.)
- Ei o a lai. (My house is big.)
Note: “A” often functions as a subject marker or part of the verb phrase.
Practice
- Point to a white object and say: “He he a nâ.”
- Describe your shirt color.
- Say “Good morning” (Morning Good) -> “Mydi pha”.