Malagasy Rules

Piero and I are building this as a knowledge base for our attempt at learning Malagasy, and maybe you'll get some feeling for the language as well :)

Vowels:

• A => short, German A, like in ambulance
• E => short, German E, like in escape
• I => German I, like in evaluate
• O => German U, like in ultra
• Y => English E, like in key

Word Pronunciation

• Emphasize the first vowel
• Shallow middle vowels
• Omit final vowel
• Pronounce 2 or 3 characters at a time
• Z => s
• tr => tsch
• dr => dsch
• Both depend on the region you're in, the previous pronunciation is the official one

Sentence Structure

1. Negation comes first (Tsy)
2. Verb
3. Object
4. Adjective
5. Subject

Verbs

• Most verbs start with m
• Past tense: exchange m with n
• Future: exchange m with h (This is like the best thing ever)

Personal Pronouns

Special Rules

• Pronounce final vowel if the word ends with:

  - ka
  - tra/tro

• Object + Possession

  - rano => water
  - rano*ko* => my water
  - rano*nao* => your water
  - rano*ny* => his/her water
  - ranon*tsika* => our water incl.
  - ranon*ay* => our water excl.
  - ranon*areo* => your water
  - rano*n'isy reo* => their water

• There is a distinction between an all-encompassing we & the we in opposition to another group.

Common Phrases

Greetings

Conversation starters