Dzongkha grammar

Dzongkha grammar describes the morphology and syntax of Dzongkha, a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Bhutan. This article uses Roman Dzongkha to indicate pronunciation.

Number
Dzongkha nouns distinguish between singular (unmarked) and plural, with the plural either unmarked or suffixed with. The use of the plural suffix is not obligatory and is used mainly for emphasis.

Case
Dzongkha nouns are marked for 5 cases: genitive, locative, ablative, dative and ergative.


 * genitive case: marks possession and is often translated as "of". There are 4 genitive suffixes in written Dzongkha:
 * - after words ending in, , ,.
 * - after words ending in, and certain words ending a vowel.
 * - ater words ending in, ,.
 * after certain words ending in a vowel.
 * locative case - marks location or destination and is often translated as "in", "at" or "on". It's indicated by the suffix.
 * ablative case - marks direction away from the noun and is often translated as "from". It's indicated by the suffix.
 * dative case - marks the goal or where an activity takes place and is often translated as "to", "for" or "at". It's indicated by the suffix.
 * ergative case - used for ergative and instrumental functions. There are 3 ergative suffixes in written Dzongkha:
 * - after words ending in, , ,.
 * - after words ending in, or a vowel.
 * - ater words ending in, ,.

Derivation
As in other Tibetic languages, compounding is the most common method for deriving new nouns in Dzongkha. A compound usually consists of two (or, less commonly, more) monossyllabic roots, which can be either free or bound.

Personal pronouns

 * The honorific pronoun  and its plural form are used when one wants to show respect to the person being addressed or to a 3rd person of either gender.

Copula
In Dzongkha, there are 5 copular verbs that can be translated as "to be" in English:,  ,  ,   and.

Comparison
The comparative is indicated by the suffix   ("than") while the superlative is indicated by the suffix   ("the most", "-est").