Tok Pisin/Adjectives

Tok Pisin > Tok Pisin Adjectives

Main types of adjectives
There are basically four types of adjectives in Tok Pisin:

Class 1 adjectives They have the suffix -pela in attributive position, and also when they follow the copula. Example:
 * bikpela, big. Bikpela haus, A big building, Haus i bikpela, The building is big.

Class 2 adjectives They have the suffix -pela in attributive position, but they usually lose it when they follow the copula. Example:
 * kolpela, cold. Kolpela wara, Cold water but Wara i kol, The water is cold.

Class 3 adjectives They do not have the suffix -pela. Example:
 * liklik, small. Liklik haus, A small building, Haus i liklik, The building is small.

Class 4 adjectives They do not have the suffix -pela either. Unlike other adjectives, they stand after the noun in attributive position. Example:
 * nogut, bad. Tok nogut, bad words, insults.

Numerals
Numerals belong to class 1 (they have -pela in all positions), or to class 3 (they never have -pela, and stand before the noun in attributive position). Examples: More about numerals
 * tripela, three. Tripela man o meri, Three persons.
 * tupela ten or twenti, 20. Tupela ten pikinini or Twenti pikinini, 20 children.
 * nambatri, third. Bilong nambatri kain, Of the third type.

Quantifiers
Quantifiers also belong to class 1 (they have -pela in all positions), or to class 3 (they never have -pela, and stand before the noun in attributive position). Examples:
 * sampela, some. Sampela buk, Some books.
 * planti, many. Planti buk, Many books.

More about quantifiers