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Present Tense

Lesson 1: Basics

In Nuuko-Torontonian Creole, the present tense is formed by dropping the "-æn" ending of a verb, and adding a conjugated suffix. There are fifteen different ways to conjugate a verb in the present tense, all depending on which pronoun is being used!

Lesson 2: Plurality & Formality

NTC distinguishes between 3 levels of plurality: singular, paucal, and plural. Singular means exactly "one" paucal means "a few", and plural means "many. NTC also distinguishes between formal and informal in both the 2nd and 3rd persons. 

In this language, there are no separate male and female pronouns! 

Singular Pronouns

1st Person

2nd Person (Intimate)

2nd Person (Formal)

3rd Person (Intimate)

3rd Person (Formal)

[mæn]

[təˈtʌ]

[tə]

[ɪˈʂʌn]

[ʊ]

Verb Endings

[-ʊnˈɟʌ]

[-ʊtɪˈʔɪt]

[-ʊˈtɪt]

[-əˈʔʌq]

[-ʌq]

Examples

[dɪdʊnˈɟʌ]

[dɪdʊtɪˈʔɪt]

[dɪdʊˈtɪt]

[dɪdəˈʔʌq]

[dɪˈdʌq]

Translation

"I say"

"You say"

"You say"

"He/she says"

"He/she says"

Paucal Pronouns

1st Person

2nd Person (Intimate)

2nd Person (Formal)

3rd Person (Intimate)

3rd Person (Formal)

[mænˈmʌ]

[təˈtʌʂə]

[təˈʂʌ]

[ɪʂʌˈnʌn]

[ʊˈʔʌn]

[-ʊnɟʌˈʔʊ]

[-ʊtɪʔɪˈtʊ]

[-ʊtɪˈtʊ]

[-əʔəˈqʊ]

[-əˈqʊt]

[dʊnɟʌˈʔʊ]

[dɪdʊtɪʔɪˈtʊ]

[dʊtɪˈtʊ]

[dəʔəˈqʊ]

[dəˈqʊt]

"We say"

"You say"

"You say"

"He/she says"

"He/she says"

Paucal Pronouns

1st Person

2nd Person (Intimate)

2nd Person (Formal)

3rd Person (Intimate)

3rd Person (Formal)

[mʌ]

[ʂəmʌˈmʌ]

[ʂəˈmʌ]

[ʌnhʌˈhʌ]

[ʌnˈhʌ]

[-ʊˈɟʊt]

[-ʊsɪˈʔɪ]

[-ʊˈsɪ]

[-ʊˈʔʊt]

[-ʊt]

[dʊˈɟʊt]

[dʊsɪˈʔɪ]

[dʊˈsɪ]

[dʊˈʔʊt]

[ˈdʊt]

"We say"

"You say"

"You say"

"He/she says"

"He/she says"

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