Pronouns

In the previous section on greeting, you used some pronouns (he, she, it, we, they).

There are direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns. No noun is specifically assigned the pronouns heshe/it.

 

Direct Object Pronouns: A direct object answers the question what? or whom? For example: Dr. Abunku treats patients. The direct object is patients. Another example is: Claudia roasted chicken. Claudia roasted what? Answer is chicken (the direct object). A direct pronoun can replace the direct object. For example:

Dr. Abunku ser mbauangev = Dr. Abunku treats patients.

Un  (Dr. Abunku) ser ve = He (Dr. Abunku) treats them.

Claudia kaa ikegh = Claudia roasted chicken.

Un (Claudia) kaa i = She (Claudia) roasted it.

Paseto nyen yila Daniel = The Pastor called Daniel yesterday.

Paseto nyen yila m = The Pastor called me yesterday.

Riga wou ande = Your shirt is torn.

I ande = It is torm

Akôv ne taver ishe gande = These shoes are too expensive.

De yamen a ga = Do not buy them.

Ka an nan tee itiakeda ve? Who took their book?

Ka i yen ga; ka i yase. = It is not yours (pl) ; it is ours.

Tica na ne ibo = The teacher blamed you (pl).

A va hen ya wase. = He/she came to our home.

 

 

Indirect Object Pronouns: They follow and are attached to affirmative commands; may follow and be attached to infinitives and present participles. For example:

1. Shie gen ka u (sing., pl) nder fere ga. = You (sing., pl) sometimes wake up late.
2. We a rumun yo tile sha heen = Stand up here, please. (If you agree stand up here.)
3. Za heera za too shebul la = Go there and grab that shovel.
4. Mbayev kasev mba tilen sha hegen = The girls are standing up now.
5. De tem inya ga = Do not sit down.

 

Independent possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns show possession of a noun by replacing it. They must stand alone and be used without a noun. The independent possessive pronouns are mine (am/wam/agh), ours (ase), yours (a en, u wen, plural), yours (u wou, singular), his or hers or its (u/i na), theirs (u/i ve, mba vev), and ours (wase, mba asev). Possessive pronouns make construction of sentences simpler and clearer. For example, it would be awkward to say: The points per game Sesugh made were more than my points per game (Ako a Sesugh a ye bol iyange imom hemba ako a m ye bol iyange imom).

U kaan er “bol iyange imom” kwa har doo ungwan ga (To say “points per game” twice does not sound good). Rewriting with a possessive pronoun solves the problem like this:

 Ako a Sesugh a ye bol iyange imom hemba ako am = The points per game Sesugh made were more than mine.

 

More examples of possessive pronoun

Mato wam vihi. Mtôô u wou we? = My car is stalled. May I use yours?

Wegh ku Asôngo Nor hemba ku agh = Asôngo Nor’s arm is longer than mine.

Ukrani ngu nôngon num u ngohol tar ve = Ukraine is fighting to reclaim the land that is theirs.

Ya u sha 65 Alder Drive ka u wase = The house on 65 alder drive is ours.

 

These independent possessive pronouns often come at the ends of clauses or phrases.

 

Summary of pronouns:

 

m = I (as in m mough sha/I stood up)                 

m, mo = me as in dem/leave me or

ka mo/it’s me).

i = it

kwagh (thing) = it

se = we, us

ne = you (plural)

ven = you (plural)                                 

we = you (singular)

ve = they, them

 

Pronouns—short sentences and phrases:

m ngu = I am                            

ne mba = you (plural) are

kwagh ngu = there is something

ka kwagh = it is something

ka kwagh ga = it is nothing

u ngu = you (singular)

m ngu = I am

un ngu = he/she is

ne mba = you (plural) are

ve mba = they are

se mba = we are                                                                                               

 

i hide = it returned (came back)

i yem = it went (away)

a = he/she

a hide = he/she returned

se ya kwagh = we ate something

ve  tema = they sat

kwagh er = something happened

kwagh er  ga = nothing happened

 

 

Pronoun-Veb Practice

 

De

(Let)

 

m

(me)

se

(us)

ve

(them)

un

(him/her)

i/un (“i” if starts with an i; “un” if starts with any other letter)

(it)

yevese

(run)

yem

(go)

tema

(sit)

vaa

(weep)

lam

(speak)

ulugh

(pull)

 

Exercise 3

One way to understand pronouns well is to practice using them in conversations. This exercise will help you in furthering your understanding.

 

1. A tema inya.
2. Ve mough sha.
3. Se hide fere.
4. Ne nyôr vee?
5. U nam ga.
6. A via dedo.
7. Se mba a nyor mato.
8. Wankwase yevese;

a vôr.

9. Wankwaor dugh itiough

tsemberee.

10. Se na ve kwagh ve.
11. M fa ayenge dedo.
12. M soo u man ve cii.
13. Un fa kwagh u (a)tindi(gh).
14. I yevese (i) yem.
15. Ve na se iwua.
16. A nav e injô.