"Sȳri azantyssy issi."

Translation: They are good knights.

[KPatrickWV]

How do you distinguish between a copula connecting a noun and an adjective, and adjective simply modifying a noun if the language tends to be verb final?
- The swordswomen are good
vs
- They are good swordswomen

?

[fischerfs]

From the Basics 1 notes

"Vala issa. Translated simply, it could mean "The man is", but that's not a very useful sentence. A better translation would be "He is a man", where "he" is simply not necessary."

From this I could assume that this sentence can mean both 'They are good knights' and 'The knights are good'. But I reckon if you stuck a pronoun in you could specify that it is indeed 'They are good knights' if you really needed to specify, but I'm guessing there's no difference and that they mean the same thing.

[Radiolaria]

Well, it doesn't accept "The knights are good". So I guess if you want to say that, it would be "Azantyssy syyri issi", but it's just my guess, maybe it's explained later.

[jamesgg616]

i haven't gotten very far in this yet, but i would assume that it has to do with word case. presumably "they are good swordsmen" uses the object case for swordsmen, but in "the swordsmen are good" you'd use the subject case for swordsmen. although i'm not sure what those cases look like in High Valyrian

[JamesTWils]

Does syyz mean good in the sense of prowess, of morality, or both?

[elilla.b]

In the corpus we find "Gods be good!" (Jaehossas sȳris sātās!), and also "There is good wine in Volantis" (Sȳrior averilla Volantī ilza), so I guess both.

[Dr.Zalost3]

So the translation "The knights are good" would not be correct in this case? If that is so then can someone explain, please.

[Anarhi]

The adjective placement seems to be fluid in most cases, but I would assume the placement in this case is purposeful to differentiate between good knights and being good.

[JamesTWils]

I believe the adjective comes before the noun it modifies, so that would be "Azantyssy syyri issi."

[KPatrickWV]

I thought adjective placement was fluid, either before or after the noun. Although in the course, it seems to always come before.

[Eromeon]

From another reply from loboiko in kirine vala and my understanding of the notes. The adjectives are indeed fluid, and the course has already shown that with the word kirine.
https://www.duolingo.com/comment/23501391

[JamesTWils]

So, then, KPatrickWV would be right that these sentences with the copula are always ambiguous, right? After all, this could not only mean "They are good knights," but also "The good ones are knights" and maybe "The knights are good."

[Eromeon]

You're right. They are ambiguous