Shipibo Foundations · Module 2: Describing the World · Lesson 2 of 5

The core adjectives

By the end you can describe something as good, bad, big or small.

6 new words · about 10 minutes

Kikín metsá! Very beautiful! — Kaná is with you for Module 2.

Six adjectives carry most of daily description: áni big, máxko small, jakón good, jakóma bad, mátsi cold, kóshi strong. Notice jakóma is just jakón + -ma, the negation suffix — 'not-good'. Word order is flexible: Ja ríki áni tári and Ja tári ríki áni both work.
The six
ánibig
máxkosmall
jakóngood
jakómabadjakón + -ma
mátsicold
kóshistrong
Culture note. The suffix -ma flips meaning on adjectives across the whole language — learn it once, use it everywhere.
✓ sourced Module 1-1 Adjectives deck slides 5–7 · nothing invented

The words

Read each one. The next screen hides the meaning so you can test yourself.

ánibig
máxkosmall
jakóngood
jakómabad
mátsicold
kóshistrong

Cover the meaning

Say it before you flip. Be honest — "again" brings it back.

tap to reveal
tap to flip back

Match the pairs

Tap a Shipibo word, then its meaning.

In a sentence

Try translating each line yourself before you tap.

Ja tári ríki áni.
tap to translate
That tunic is big.
Ja yóra ríki kóshi.
tap to translate
That body is strong.
Náto néte ríki jakóma.
tap to translate
This day is bad.
Try it. Describe your house, your body, and today using three different adjectives.

Build the sentence

Tap the words into order.

Say:

Now you write it

Accents optional while you learn — jakon = jakón.

Check yourself

jakóma is built from…
'strong' is…
'That tunic is big' can be said…
Kaná
✓

Lesson complete

Kaná approves — Jakonshaman!

You can now describe something as good, bad, big or small.

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