| {"rule_id": 1, "category": "Pronouns", "subcategory": "Personal Pronouns", "description": "Personal pronouns in Zarma are invariable across nominative, objective, and possessive cases.", "examples": [{"zarma": "ay", "english": "I, me, my"}, {"zarma": "ni", "english": "you, your (singular)"}, {"zarma": "a (nga)", "english": "he, she, it; his, her, its"}, {"zarma": "iri (ir)", "english": "we, us, our"}, {"zarma": "araΕ", "english": "you (plural), your"}, {"zarma": "i (ngey, ey)", "english": "they, them, their"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 2, "category": "Pronouns", "subcategory": "Demonstrative Pronouns", "description": "Demonstrative pronouns indicate specific items; 'din' suffix can be added to nouns for specificity.", "examples": [{"zarma": "wo", "english": "this, that"}, {"zarma": "wey", "english": "these, those"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 3, "category": "Pronouns", "subcategory": "Indefinite Pronouns", "description": "Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific entities.", "examples": [{"zarma": "boro", "english": "someone, one (person)"}, {"zarma": "hay kulu", "english": "everything"}, {"zarma": "hay fo", "english": "something"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 4, "category": "Nouns", "subcategory": "Definite Article", "description": "Definite articles are expressed by adding 'a' or 'o' to the noun based on its ending.", "patterns": [{"ending": "a", "rule": "add 'a' (e.g., zanka β zankaa)", "exceptions": "Pre-1999 texts may not change"}, {"ending": "o", "rule": "change to 'a' or add 'a' (e.g., wayboro β waybora)"}, {"ending": "ko", "rule": "change to 'kwa' (e.g., darbayko β darbaykwa)"}, {"ending": "e, i, u, consonant", "rule": "change to 'o' or add 'o' (e.g., wande β wando)"}, {"ending": "ay", "rule": "change 'ay' to 'a' or add 'o' (e.g., farkay β farka or farkayo)"}], "examples": [{"zarma": "zanka β zankaa", "english": "a child β the child"}, {"zarma": "wayboro β waybora", "english": "a woman β the woman"}, {"zarma": "darbayko β darbaykwa", "english": "a fisherman β the fisherman"}, {"zarma": "hansi β hanso", "english": "a dog β the dog"}, {"zarma": "farkay β farka", "english": "a donkey β the donkey"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 5, "category": "Nouns", "subcategory": "Definite Plural", "description": "Definite plural is formed by replacing the definite singular vowel with 'ey'.", "pattern": "Replace final vowel with 'ey' (e.g., zankaa β zankey)", "examples": [{"zarma": "zankaa β zankey", "english": "the child β the children"}, {"zarma": "hanso β hansey", "english": "the dog β the dogs"}, {"zarma": "farka β farkey", "english": "the donkey β the donkeys"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 6, "category": "Nouns", "subcategory": "Indefinite Article", "description": "No explicit indefinite article; 'fo' (one) is used to specify 'a certain' or 'one'.", "pattern": "Add 'fo' after noun for specificity (e.g., musu β musu fo)", "examples": [{"zarma": "musu", "english": "a cat"}, {"zarma": "musu fo", "english": "a (certain) cat, one cat"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 7, "category": "Nouns", "subcategory": "Gender", "description": "No grammatical gender; specific words indicate male/female for living beings.", "examples": [{"zarma": "alboro", "english": "man"}, {"zarma": "wayboro", "english": "woman"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 8, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Completed Action (Past Tense)", "description": "Verbs without auxiliaries indicate completed actions (past tense).", "pattern": "Subject + Verb (e.g., ay neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "ay neera", "english": "I sold"}, {"zarma": "a neera", "english": "he/she sold"}, {"zarma": "zankaa kani", "english": "the child went to bed"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 9, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Uncompleted Action (Future Tense)", "description": "Future tense uses auxiliary 'ga' before the verb.", "pattern": "Subject + ga + Verb (e.g., ay ga neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "ay ga neera", "english": "I will sell"}, {"zarma": "i ga neera", "english": "they will sell"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 10, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Continuous Aspect", "description": "Continuous aspect uses 'go no ga' before the verb for ongoing actions.", "pattern": "Subject + go no ga + Verb (e.g., ay go no ga neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "ay go no ga neera", "english": "I am selling"}, {"zarma": "a go no ga neera", "english": "he/she is selling"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 11, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Subjunctive", "description": "Subjunctive uses 'ma' to indicate possible actions.", "pattern": "Subject + ma + Verb (e.g., ay ma neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "ay ma neera", "english": "I should sell"}, {"zarma": "ni ma neera", "english": "you should sell"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 12, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Imperative", "description": "Imperative uses 'ma' or 'wa' before the verb, or just the verb alone.", "pattern": "[Ma/Wa] + Verb or Verb alone (e.g., Ma haΕ or HaΕ)", "examples": [{"zarma": "HaΕ!", "english": "Drink!"}, {"zarma": "Ma haΕ!", "english": "Drink!"}, {"zarma": "AraΕ ma di!", "english": "You (plural) see!"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 13, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "To Be", "description": "The verb 'to be' varies by context: 'go', 'ya...no', or 'ga ti'.", "examples": [{"zarma": "A go fu", "english": "He/she is at home"}, {"zarma": "Ay ya alfa no", "english": "I am a teacher"}, {"zarma": "Nga ga ti wayboro", "english": "She is a woman"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 14, "category": "Verbs", "subcategory": "Irregular Verbs", "description": "Some verbs place objects unusually (e.g., direct object before verb without 'na').", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay di a", "english": "I saw him/her"}, {"zarma": "A ne ay se", "english": "He/she said to me"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 15, "category": "Adjectives", "subcategory": "Qualifying Adjectives", "description": "Adjectives follow the noun they modify.", "pattern": "Noun + Adjective (e.g., fu beeri)", "examples": [{"zarma": "fu beeri", "english": "a big house"}, {"zarma": "hansi kayna", "english": "a small dog"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 16, "category": "Sentence Structure", "subcategory": "Basic Order", "description": "Basic sentence order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).", "pattern": "S + V + O (e.g., Ay neera bari)", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay neera bari", "english": "I sold a horse"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 17, "category": "Sentence Structure", "subcategory": "Direct Object", "description": "Direct object before verb requires 'na' in past positive.", "pattern": "S + na + O + V (e.g., Ay na bari neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay na bari neera", "english": "I sold a horse"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 18, "category": "Sentence Structure", "subcategory": "Indirect Object", "description": "Indirect object is marked with 'se' after the object.", "pattern": "S + V + O + IO + se (e.g., Ay no bari wayboro se)", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay no bari wayboro se", "english": "I gave a horse to the woman"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 19, "category": "Negation", "subcategory": "Past Negative", "description": "Past negative uses 'mana' after the subject.", "pattern": "S + mana + V (e.g., Ay mana neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay mana neera", "english": "I did not sell"}]} | |
| {"rule_id": 20, "category": "Negation", "subcategory": "Present/Future Negative", "description": "Present/future negative uses 'si' instead of 'ga'.", "pattern": "S + si + V (e.g., Ay si neera)", "examples": [{"zarma": "Ay si neera", "english": "I do not/will not sell"}]} | |