Mouse over individual Wolof words for definitions.

 

Naka la mel? – What is he/she/it like?

This question can refer to both physical and moral descriptions.

 

The term dafa is usually used to answer this question:

Dafa njool. – He/she is tall.
Suma xarit bi dafa em. – My friend is medium sized.
Kër gi dafa réy. – The compound (home) is big.

 

For plurality you can use deñu:

Deñu gaata. – They/we are short.

 

You can also substitute dafa with a relative pronoun:

Dafa njool./Ku njool la. – He/she is tall./He is a tall person.

 

For deñu:

Deñu gaata./Ñu gaata leñu. – They are short.

 

Source: Wollof Grammar Manual, Peace Corps, The Gambia.