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Published: Dec. 22, 2018, 5:04 p.m.

Introductory Exchange

• Ifunanya: Nno- welcome 
• Victor: Kee ka izu gị si aga? - How is your week going? (week is izu in igbo) 
• Ifunanya: Izu m gara ọfụma. Ebidoro m semester ọhụrụ - My week went well, I started a new semester. (“new”-ọhụrụ many dialectal variations)
• Ifunanya: Kee maka izu gi?- what about your week? 
• Victor: Mee nke mee nke a, ekweghi nwata zuuru ike (igbo proverb: do this do that, wont allow the child to rest.” 

Pronouns are known as Nnọchi Aha in Igbo, which translates to “to be in the place of a name” At the very basic sentence structure level, Igbo follows a similar pattern with English in that sentences are also constructed in the “subject verb object” format. When addressing pronouns, we thus will look at the pronouns used as the subject of a sentence and as an object of the sentence.  

Take this sentence:

•  Chijioke plays ball. “Chijioke” is the subject here, “plays” the verb, and “ball” the object. 

Victor: Gwa m onye na gba bọọlụ?- Tell me who plays ball? 

Ifunanya: Ọ na- gba bọọlụ- He plays ball. 

• Chijioke reads a book -Ọ na-agụ akwụkwọ 

Chijioke rides a bike -Ọ na-agba igwe- He rides it. Ọ na-agba ya

Pronouns in their categories broken down:

Subject pronouns

English- Igbo

• I =M/Mụ
• You (singular)=I /Ị
• He/She/It =O/Ọ
• We=Anyi
• You (plural) =Ụnụ
• They =Ha

When you need to use an object pronoun, most of them stay the same as the above list except for with “you and now, him/her/it” see the difference in the list below where

•  "you" becomes “gi”
•  "him/her/it" becomes “ya.”

Also for what will now be “me” is most properly just “M” but sometimes heard and said as “Mụ” especially for emphasis.

See list below.

Object pronouns

• Me -M
• You (singular)- Gi
• Him/Her/It- Ya
• Us- Anyi
• You (plural)- Ụnụ
• Them - Ha

Examples after categories listing

Subject:

• He is going- Ọ na-aga
• They draw well- Ha na-ese nke ọma (Ha na-ese ọfụma )
• She is the boss- Ọ bụ onye isi

Object

•  Chijioke has it - O ji ya
• They called you- Ha kpọrọ gi
•  Chijioke is talking to her - Ọ na-ekwu ya okwu ** *(this one is more complex the verb and complement here is ikwu okwu to be covered later*

Note: Igbo pronouns do not have gender as seen with he/she and even “it” which are all said as either “O/Ọ” when a subject and him/her/it said as “ya” when an object.  The difference displaced of I or Ị for you and O or Ọ are a result of vowel harmony and will be better explained in the next episode on vowels.

For now, just focus on being able to better identify and use the correct pronoun to formulate your sentences and as you advance you can add on the extra layer of making sure you are following the correct vowel harmony.

Exercise 1

Using the verb “imere - to do” formulate different sentences using the different pronouns given

1. Subject “they”and object “it”

• “They did it” = Ha mere ya

2. Subject “you (singular”) and object “me” and verb “called”—

• You called me = i kpọrọ m

3. Subject “you” and verb “going” and object school.

• You are going to school = ị na-aga ụlọ akwụkwọ

Exercise 2

 Music: Na Kwa Echeki by Dr Sir Warrior and Oriental Brothers

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