ku / ako / aipo

That Far Away: Ku, Ako and Aipo

Level 5

Ku and ako point to what both speakers know, and aipo points to what the speaker did not see.

How It Works

WordPoints toExample
kua person both speakers know, who is not hereku pombéro “that pombero we both know”
akoan event, or a person, that both speakers knowako karai Arce “that Mr. Arce we both know”
aiposomething the speaker has no first-hand knowledge ofaipo Papá Noel “that Santa Claus”

The pombero is a figure from old stories, the lord of the night. The speaker says ku because the pombero is common ground for the speaker and the listener.

Aipo often goes with something that was heard but not seen. A speaker hears a shot far away and says aipo mbokapu “that shot”.

If the listener has never heard of the person, use pe or upe. For more than one thing out of sight there is only umi.

Examples (3)

  1. Chemanduʼa nemichĩramo, pyhare ahendúramo ku pombéro opiã.

    I remember when you were little, when I would hear that pombero cheep at night.

    Ku points to the pombero, whom the speaker and the listener both know.

  2. Ojejuka guive ako karai Arce, ahendúvo mbokapu aimoʼãjevýma oime ojejukáva.

    Since Mr. Arce was killed, whenever I hear shots, I think again that someone is being killed.

    Ako points to Mr. Arce, a man both speakers know, and to what happened to him.

  3. Ndépa rerovia aipo Papá Noel?

    Do you believe in that Santa Claus guy?

    Aipo points to Santa Claus, whom the speaker knows only from hearsay.

How It Connects

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

ku / ako / aipoLevel 5That Far Away: Ku, Ako and Aipo

Learn This First

Ku and ako point farther than ko, pe, upe and amo.

Words in This Pattern

kuakoaipo