Questions in Sindarin are pretty easy when you know that they don't play the messy verb game that we do in English. They have Interrogative Adverbs! This lesson will focus on these adverbs and how to use them.

The Interrogative Adverbs

For asking "Who? What? or Which?" we have (man).
For asking "When?" we have (mar).
For asking "Where?" we have (mas).
For asking "How?" we have (mannen).
For asking "Why?" we have (am man theled/man i theled), literally: "For what purpose" and "What is the purpose"

Of these, only (man) is attested. The rest are reconstructed.

Syntax with Interrogative Adverbs

The interrogative adverb goes at the beginning of the sentence, just like it does in English. The syntax of the rest of the sentence is not changed.
Examples:
What do you mean? -Literally: What you intend?- Man thelich?
When will you arrive at Minas Tirith? -Literally: When you will come to Minas Tirith?- Mar telithach am Minas Tirith?
Where have you been traveling? -Literally: Where you traveled?- Mas trevennich?
Why is that dog in a tree? -Literally: For what purpose that dog is in a tree?- Am man theled hû dan mi 'aladh?
Why clothe yourself in that? -Literally: What the purpose is of clothing yourself with that? - Man i theled le hammad a dan?

Answering the Question

This is fairly simple. When answering the question, include part of the question in the answer, except in "Why" and "how" questions, because there is no word for "because" or "by". The key to this is to always answer with complete sentences.
Examples:
Where are you going? - Mas bedich?
-->I'm going to my friend's house. - Bedin 'nin mbar mellon nîn.
Why did you run? - Am man theled nernich?
-->You told me to go. - Pennich enni "Ego!"
How did you build this house? - Mannen cernich gar hen?
-->My friends are carpenters. - Mellyn nîn thevryn.

Homework

Symbols that you may need:
áéíóúý
ÁÉÍÓÚÝ
âêîôûŷ
ÂÊÎÔÛŶ

Wordbank

There's no wordbank for this assignment. I expect you to look up the words using this dictionary.

Translate the following questions into English, then answer them in Sindarin and English where the arrow (-->) is. You don't have to be truthful in your answers; they just have to make sense.

Man le nûr: perian, edhel, adan, egor hadhod? - Which race are you: Hobbit, Elf, Man, or Dwarf?
-->
Man i theled awarthannech noss gîn? - Why did you abandon your family?
-->
Mas dorthal? - Where do you live?
-->

Translate the sentences into Sindarin,then answer them in Sindarin and English where the arrow (-->) is.

Why did you drink my miruvor? - Am man theled sungech viruvor nîn?
-->
When did you come to Minas Tirith? - Mar tellil am Minas Tirith?
-->
How did you hide your dagger? - Mannen deliannel higil lîn?
-->