Adjectives

A modifier is a word that adds a particular quality or description, such as good, bad, big, and fast, to another word. In Pandunia, there is only one class of modifiers. The same word can modify nouns and verbs, whereas in English only adjectives can modify nouns and only adverbs can modify verbs. For example, the word mei ('beautiful' or 'beautifully') modifies a noun in sentence A and a verb in sentence B.

A. vo es mei kitab. – That is a beautiful writing.
B. tu mei li kitab. – You write beautifully.

Modifying nouns

In Pandunia, adjectives are modifiers that are placed before the noun that they modify.

un nova gar – a new car
un rapid gar – a fast car
multi dai meza – big tables
multi gao meza – high tables
un hao jan – a good person

Two or more modifiers can modify the same noun.

un lit nova gar – a little new car

Modifying verbs

A modifier that modifies a verb is placed immediately before the verb.

tu rapid loge. – You talk fast.
homen hao kitab. – They write well.

It is common to put the modifying particle li between the modifier and the verb. It makes the structure of the verb phrase clearer.

tu mei li kitab. – You write beautifully.
homen rapid li marce. – They walk fast.

Modifying other modifiers

The particle li is used also when a modifier modifies another one.

un dai li hao buk – a greatly good book
bala li lovente jen – strongly loving people

Degree words

Degree words tell us about the intensity of something.

ver – very
bas – quite, sufficiently, enough
max – more
min – less

Degree words are placed before the word that they modify.

un dai man – a big man
un ver dai man – a very big man
un bas dai man – a big enough man / a sufficiently big man

A degree word together with a modifier forms a compound adverb that can modify a verb or a sentence. The compound adverb is placed immediately before the verb that it modifies.

ver multi – very much
mi ver multi voli loge. – I want very much to talk.
mi voli ver multi loge. – I want to talk very much.

It is also possible to place the compound adverb very last in the sentence, and then it modifies the sentence as a whole. The meaning is the same like when the compound adverb modifies the main verb.

mi voli loge ver multi. – I want to talk very much.
sual tu sona bas hao? – Did you sleep well enough?

Adverbs of comparison

Adjectives can be compared with the adverbs of comparison.

max ('more') indicates comparison of superiority
maxim ('most') indicates the superlative of superiority
min ('less') indicates comparison of inferiority
minim (least) indicates the superlative of inferiority
par ('as' or 'equally') indicates the comparison of equality

The particle ka relates the adverbs of comparison to the object of comparison.

aple es max hao ka aranja. – Apples are better than oranges.
aranja es min hao ka aple. – Oranges are less good than apples.
tu loge par hao ka mi. – You talk as well as me.