Ruwish is an isolating language: words never change their form, and there are no particles or endings that mark a word’s role in the sentence, such as subject or object. That makes the order in which words are placed the most important clue to a sentence’s meaning.
This page explains what goes where in a Ruwish sentence.
1. The framework of a sentence
A Ruwish sentence follows the order subject → verb → object (SVO).
“I eat an apple.”
What follows the verb depends on the verb. Ruwish sentences fall into the following four patterns.
① Subject + verb
A sentence in which nothing follows the verb.
“I walk.”
② Subject + verb + object
A sentence in which the verb is followed by the target of the action (the object).
“I eat an apple.”
③ Subject + verb + complement
A sentence that describes a quality or state of the subject. 很 is a copular verb. It is followed by an adjective and shows what state the subject is in.
“This apple is big.”
④ Subject + verb + object + complement
A sentence meaning “the subject brings the object into the state of the complement”.
Sentences about handing something to someone, such as “give someone something” (giving sentences), are treated in many languages as sentences with two objects (“her” and “an apple”).
Ruwish, however, does not set up a separate pattern with two objects. Instead, one of them is treated as a complement. Ruwish expresses a wide range of things with pattern ④, so it is easier to explain giving sentences as one of its uses (more on this in a later chapter).
“I give an apple to her.”
This sentence means “the ownership of the apple (object) becomes hers (complement)”, and is loosely translated as “I give an apple to her”. The receiver is a complement, not an object, so “apple” comes first and “her” comes after.
2. Words attached to nouns
Adjectives
Adjectives are placed before the noun.
“I eat a big apple.”
Possession
To show the owner, place 的 between the owner and the noun.
“our house”
When it is clear who the owner is, 的 may be left out.
“His wife eats an apple every day.”
Numbers
Numbers are also placed before the noun.
“There are three apples.”
3. Words attached to verbs
Adverbs that modify a verb, and auxiliary verbs, are placed directly before the verb.
“I ate an apple.”
“I can eat a mandarin orange.”
4. Where other words go
Words of time are placed after the subject. (“His wife eats an apple every day” in section 2 has the same form.)
“He ate an apple yesterday.”
To ask a yes-or-no question, place 嗎 at the end of the sentence.
“Do you eat mandarin oranges?”