Manchu/Lesson 2 - Nouns, Script

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Nouns
Manchu nouns have number and case but do not really have gender. Nouns can consist solely of a stem such as 〈ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ〉 (book), are formed by adding suffixes to other words, or be formed by adding two nouns together such as 〈ᠠᡥᡡᠨ ᡩᡝᠣ〉 (brothers).

The most common suffixes that can be added to words to form nouns include:

Note, there are three hyphens between the stem and suffix in these examples, as well as a single hyphen before all suffixes.

Nouns
Note: The examples below have three hyphens between the stem and suffix, where it applies, and one hyphen before all lone suffixes.

Manchu nouns have number and case but do not really have gender. Nouns can consist solely of a stem such as 〈ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ〉 (book), are formed by adding suffixes to other words, or be formed by adding two nouns together such as 〈ᠠᡥᡡᠨ ᡩᡝᠣ〉 (brothers).

The most common suffixes that can be added to words to form nouns include:

Note: of the above suffixes, the suffixes ᠊ᡴᡠ᠈ ᠊ᡴᡡ are used for instruments, the suffix ᠊ᠴᡠᠨ is used for abstract concepts, and the suffixes ᠊ᠰᡳ᠈ ᠊ᠴᡳ᠈ and ᠊ᠵᡳ are used to denote people by what they do (Gorelova, M. P.198). When adding suffixes to nouns, the final 〈᠊ᠨ〉 is often dropped.

Gender of Manchu Nouns
Nouns usually do not have gender, although some obviously masculine nouns have masculine vowels, while feminine nouns have feminine vowels, e.g. ᡥᠠᡥᠠ (man), ᡥᡝᡥᡝ (woman), ᠠᠮᠠ (father) and ᡝᠮᡝ (mother).

Number:
There are several ways to express the plural in Manchu:

Through the use of the suffix ᠊ᠰᠠ 〔᠊ᠰᡝ᠈ ᠊ᠰᠣ᠈ ᠊ᠰᡳ〕 Through use of one of the suffixes ᠊ᡨᠠ᠈ ᠊ᡨᡝ᠈ ᠊ᡵᡳ Through the use of adjectives
 * E.g. ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ᠊᠊᠊ᠰᠠ - Manchus
 * This is mostly used for family relationships (note final 〈᠊ᠨ〉 is often omitted).
 * E.g. ᠮᠠ᠊᠊᠊ᡨᠠ - fathers
 * The suffix '-ri' is only used with a few words. E.g. ᠮᠠᡶᠠ᠊᠊᠊ᡵᡳ - grandfathers/ancestors
 * like ᡤᡝᡵᡝᠨ (many/all), ᡝᡳᡨᡝᠨ (all), ᡨᡠᠮᡝᠨ (a myriad) or verbally with ᡤᡝᠮᡠ (all)
 * E.g. ᡨᡠᠮᡝᠨ ᠵᠠᡴᠠ - The myriad things

Case
Manchu has five different cases. Cases can be attached to the proceeding noun or written separately:

Nominative (no suffix).
 * This is the natural case and has no suffix.
 * E.g. ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ - book

Genitive 〔᠊ᡳ᠈ ᠊ᠨᡳ after ᠊ᠩ〕.
 * This case is used to show the possessive. The suffix ᠊ᡳ 〔᠊ᠨᡳ〕 can also be used for instrumental case which shows the means or cause of which something happens.
 * E.g. ᡝᡵᡝ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᡝᠮᡝ ᡳ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ - This is my mother's book (Possessive)
 * E.g. ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᡳ ᡳᠯᡥᠠ - The fatherland's flowers (Possessive)
 * E.g. ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᡳ ᠠᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ - To write by means of Manchu (Instrumental)

Dative/Locative 〔᠊ᡩᡝ〕.
 * This case is used to show location or direction (at/to).
 * E.g. Direction: ᡥᠠᡵᠪᡳᠨ ᡩᡝ ᡤᡝᠨᡝᡥᡝ - He went to Harbin (Dative)
 * E.g. Location: ᡥᠠᡵᠪᡳᠨ ᡩᡝ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠᠰᠠ ᠯᠠᠪᡩᡠ Harbin de manjusa labdu - There are many Manchus in Harbin (Locative)
 * E.g. ᡤᡝᠮᡠᠨ ᡥᡝᠴᡝᠨ (Beijing) ᡩᡝ ᠨᡳᠶᡝᠩᠨᡳᠶᡝᡵᡳ ᡳᠰᡳᠨᠠᡥᠠ - In Beijing spring has arrived

Accusative 〔᠊ᠪᡝ〕.
 * This case is used to make a noun the direct object of an action.
 * E.g. ᡳ ᡝᡵᡝ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ ᠪᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᡝᠮᡝ ᡩᡝ ᠪᡠᡥᠠ - He gave this book to my mother
 * E.g. ᡨᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᡝᠮᡝ ᡳᠨᡝᠩᡤᡳᡩᠠᡵᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᠴᡳᠮᠪᡳ - Now my mother studies Manchu everyday.
 * E.g. ᠪᡝ ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᠪᡝ ᡥᠠᡳᡵᠠᠮᠪᡳ - We love the fatherland

Ablative 〔᠊ᠴᡳ〕.
 * This case is used to show point of departure or for comparison.
 * E.g. ᠣᠩᡤᠣ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᠴᡳ ᠵᡳᡥᡝ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ - The people who came from Mongolia (Point of departure)
 * E.g. ᠨᡳᡴᠠᠨ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᠵᠠ - Manchu is easier than Chinese (Comparison)
 * E.g. ᡝᠮᡠ ᡳᠨᡝᠩᡤᡳ ᠴᡳ ᡝᠮᡠ ᡳᠨᡝᠩᡤᡳ ᡥᠠᠯᡠᡴᠠᠨ ᠣᡥᠣ - Each day is hotter than the one before (Comparison)

 Lesson 1 (Pronunciation) Contents  Lesson 3 (Pronouns)