People or Things: poro- and mbaʼe-
Poro- is for people and mbaʼe- is for things: roporomboʼe “we teach people”.
How It Works
| Prefix | The object is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| poro- | people in general | roporomboʼe “we teach people” |
| mbaʼe- | things or animals in general | pembaʼejogua “you all buy things” |
Order matters: the person prefix comes first, then poro- or mbaʼe-, then the verb. Some speakers say po- for poro-.
These prefixes work only with verbs that take a direct object. A verb that needs rehe, ndive or gui cannot use them.
Use them when you speak of teaching, buying or telling stories in general. When you name what the action is about, use the plain verb with its object.
Examples (5)
- Roporomboʼe.
We teach people.
Ro- is “we”, poro- is “people”, and mboʼe is “teach”.
- Pembaʼejogua.
You all are shopping.
Pe- is “you all”, mbaʼe- is “things”, and jogua is “buy”.
- Aju aporomboʼévo.
I came to teach people.
A- is “I”, poro- is “people”, and -vo says what I came to do.
- Peñepyrũ pembaʼemombeʼu.
Start telling stories.
Mbaʼe- is “things” and mombeʼu is “tell”. The book translates it “Begin to write stories”.
- Ambaʼeporandusemi ndéve.
I would like to ask you something.
Mbaʼe- stands for the unnamed thing asked, and -se and -mi make it a polite wish.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The prefix mbaʼe- is the word mbaʼe placed before a verb.
Related Patterns
- Verbs With a Fixed Small Word
Verbs that need rehe, ndive or gui cannot take poro- or mbaʼe-.
Level 3 - Feelings With mbaʼe-
A later mbaʼe- makes nouns for feelings, such as mbaʼepota “desire”.
Level 5 - Making Someone Do It: mbo- / mo-Making Someone Do It: Mbo-
Mbo- is another prefix that goes before the verb root.
Level 3
Practice People or Things: poro- and mbaʼe- in Bubblegum
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