Greenlandic Gender

Welcome to the fifth Greenlandic lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Greenlandic to help you practice your daily phrases.

man arnaq

woman angut

husband uisoq

wife suiikkutaq

boy nukappiaraq

girl niviarsiaraq

father ataata

mother anaana

Gender Grammar Rules

In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.

Grammar + Rules - Greenlandic
my son is a student [masculine + noun] Ernera ilinniartuvoq
her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] Pania ilinniartuuvoq
he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] Angummik angisuumik qatannguteqarpoq
she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] Qatanngutaa arnaq angivoq
his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] Qatanngutai angutit inuusupputtut
his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] Qatanngutai arnat inuusuppuuttut

The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.

son erneq

daughter panik

brother qatanngut

sister qatanngut

grandfather aatak

grandmother aanaq

child meeraq

children meeqqat

Expressions in Greenlandic

Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Greenlandic, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.

English - Greenlandic
What do you mean? Qanoq isumaqarpit?
I don't understand Paasinngilara
I don't know Nalunarpunga
What is that called in Greenlandic? Qanoq Kalaallisut oqartapisi?
What is this? Sunaana?
What does that word mean in English? Qanoq Tuluttut oqartapisi?
Sorry (if you made a mistake) Utoqqatserpunga

I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Greenlandic. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.