Leaving Out the Subject

Level 1

The verb already shows who acts, so you add a pronoun only to stress the person.

How It Works

In English you must say “I”, “you” or “she”. In Guarani, the prefix on the verb is enough. Apuka is a full sentence: “I laugh”. People leave out the subject all the time, and the object too, when everyone knows it.

Without a pronounWith a pronoun
Apurahéi. I sing.Che apurahéi. I sing (it is me).
Repurahéi. You sing.Nde repurahéi. You sing (it is you).
Opurahéi. He or she sings.Haʼe opurahéi. He or she sings.

Add the pronoun when you compare people or want to stress one of them: Nde reñomongetáta hendive “You (not me) will talk it over with him”. Leave it out when the verb is clear enough.

The same holds for objects. Ahecháma means “I already saw it”. Nobody needs to say what “it” is when the speakers already know.

Examples (5)

  1. Apuka.

    I laugh.

    The prefix a- already means I.

  2. Che apuka.

    I am the one laughing.

    The pronoun che stresses who laughs.

  3. Aha mboʼehaópe.

    I go to school.

    No pronoun is needed, because a- means I.

  4. Nde reñomongetáta hendive.

    You (not me) will talk it over with him.

    The pronoun nde stresses that it is you and not me.

  5. Ahecháma.

    I already saw it.

    Both the subject and the object are left out.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Leaving Out the SubjectLevel 1

Learn This First

Pronouns are optional because the verb marks the person, so this follows the pronouns and the word order.

Words in This Pattern

chende