Adjectives

33 phrases · Romansh with romanization, English and audio

  1. grond

    Big

    Usage

    The basic adjective for size. The feminine form is gronda

    Grammar Note

    Adjectives agree with the noun (grond / gronda / gronds / grondas). They usually follow the noun, but grond can also stand before it

  2. pitschen

    Small

    Usage

    The basic adjective for small size. The feminine form is pitschna

    Grammar Note

    The ending changes: feminine singular pitschna, plurals pitschens / pitschnas

  3. grev

    Heavy

    Usage

    Used for weight. It can also mean hard or burdensome. The feminine form is greva

    Grammar Note

    Agrees in gender and number: grev / greva / grevs / grevas

  4. lev

    Light (weight)

    Usage

    Describes low weight. It also means easy, so rely on context

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as lev / leva / levs / levas. It is the opposite of grev (heavy)

  5. char

    Expensive

    Usage

    Describes a high price. It also means dear, so in shops it appears in sentences like Quai è char (this is expensive)

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as char / chara / chars / charas. The opposite is bunmartgà

  6. bunmartgà

    Cheap

    Usage

    Describes a low price. It is built from bun (good) and martgà (market)

    Grammar Note

    The final à carries an accent. The feminine form is bunmartgada. The opposite is char

  7. fraid

    Cold

    Usage

    Describes low temperature. As a noun it also means cold or frost

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as fraid / fraida / fraids / fraidas

  8. nov

    New

    Usage

    Means new. Note that nov is also the number nine, so rely on context

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as nov / nova / novs / novas. The numeral nine does not change

  9. vegl

    Old (thing)

    Usage

    Describes old objects and buildings. For people use attempà, which is more polite

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as vegl / veglia / vegls / veglias. The opposite is nov

  10. giuven

    Young

    Usage

    Describes young age

    Grammar Note

    Feminine giuvna, plurals giuvens / giuvnas

  11. attempà

    Old (person)

    Usage

    A gentle word for elderly people, softer than using vegl for a person

    Grammar Note

    The final à carries an accent. The feminine form is attempada. It also works as a noun meaning an elderly person

  12. net

    Clean

    Usage

    Describes cleanliness. The feminine form is netta

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as net / netta / nets / nettas. The opposite is malnet

  13. malnet

    Dirty

    Usage

    Describes something dirty. It is built from mal (bad) and net (clean) and suits complaints about rooms or dishes

    Grammar Note

    The feminine form is malnetta. The word tschuf also exists but has coarse senses, so avoid it

  14. bun

    Good

    Usage

    The basic word for good. It also appears in the greeting Bun di

    Grammar Note

    The feminine is buna (as in Buna saira): bun / buna / buns / bunas

  15. mal

    Bad

    Usage

    Describes bad quality or condition. As a noun it also means evil or pain

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as mal / mala / mals / malas. The opposite is bun

  16. damanaivel

    Near

    Usage

    Means near or close by, as in Quai è damanaivel (it is close)

    Grammar Note

    The form stays the same and can be used like an adverb. The opposite is lunsch

  17. lunsch

    Far

    Usage

    Means far. "Far from here" is lunsch davent da qua

    Grammar Note

    It is an adverb, so the form does not change. The opposite is damanaivel

  18. tempriv

    Early

    Usage

    Means early in time, for example arriving early

    Grammar Note

    The opposite is tard (late)

  19. tard

    Late

    Usage

    Means late. Memia tard means too late

    Grammar Note

    As an adjective: tard / tarda / tards / tardas; the adverb has the same form

  20. blers

    Many

    Usage

    Means many. It goes before the noun, as in blers uras (many hours)

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as bler / blera / blers / bleras. Blers is masculine plural, bleras feminine plural

  21. paucs

    Few

    Usage

    Means few. It is used as in paucs dis (a few days)

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as pauc / pauca / paucs / paucas. Paucs is masculine plural

  22. Igl è chaud.

    It is hot (weather)

    Usage

    The basic sentence for hot weather. I fa chaud is another way to say it. Chaud can be taken in another sense when said of people, so use it for weather only

    Grammar Note

    Weather is expressed with igl è plus an adjective. Chaud stays unchanged here

  23. Igl è fraid.

    It is cold (weather)

    Usage

    The basic sentence for cold weather. I fa fraid is another way to say it

    Grammar Note

    Weather is expressed with igl è plus an adjective. Fraid stays unchanged here

  24. charin

    Cute

    Usage

    Used to praise small things, children or animals. The feminine form is charina

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as charin / charina / charins / charinas. Bel (beautiful) can also be used

  25. cool

    Cool

    Usage

    A loanword from English, spelled as in English. It is informal and used mostly by young people

    Grammar Note

    As a loanword it does not change its ending

  26. squisit

    Delicious

    Usage

    Used for very tasty food. The feminine form is squisita

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as squisit / squisita / squisits / squisitas. Exquisit has the same meaning

  27. incredibel

    Incredible

    Usage

    Expresses disbelief or wonder, for example about scenery or events

    Grammar Note

    The feminine form is incredibla: incredibel / incredibla / incredibels / incrediblas

  28. divertent

    Fun

    Usage

    Describes something fun or entertaining

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as divertent / divertenta / divertents / divertentas

  29. dapli

    More

    Usage

    An adverb for asking for more, as in giving me a bit more

    Grammar Note

    An adverb, so the form does not change. Pli is also used for "more" in comparisons

  30. mo in zichel

    Just a little

    Usage

    Used to ask for a small amount, for example when food or a drink is served

    Grammar Note

    Mo means only and in zichel means a little. In pau is another way to say it

  31. mez

    Half

    Usage

    Means half. The feminine form is mesa

    Grammar Note

    Changes as mez / mesa. As a noun it can also mean the middle

  32. tut

    All of it

    Usage

    Means all or everything and is used to indicate an amount

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as tut / tutta / tuts / tuttas

  33. Quai basta.

    That is enough

    Usage

    Used to say that is enough. The short Basta! also exists but sounds more forceful

    Grammar Note

    Basta is the third person singular of bastar (to suffice). Quai means this or that

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