We With You or Without You

Level 1

Ñande means we including you, and ore means we without you.

How It Works

WordWho is in the groupVerb prefix
ñandeyou and I, and maybe othersja- (ña- before a nasal word)
oreI and others, but not youro-

A Guarani grammar shows the difference. A Paraguayan writing for other Paraguayans asks Mbaʼerã jayʼu terere ñande Paraguaigua? “Why do we Paraguayans drink terere?” A Paraguayan writing for readers in another country would ask Mbaʼerã royʼu terere ore Paraguaigua? The meaning is the same, but ñande counts the reader in, and ore leaves the reader out.

The inactive set has the same split: ñande- includes you, and ore- leaves you out.

Examples (5)

  1. Ñande jaha.

    We are going, and you come too.

    Ñande counts the listener in, and the prefix is ja-.

  2. Ore roho.

    We are going, without you.

    Ore leaves the listener out, and the prefix is ro-.

  3. Mbaʼerã jayʼu terere ñande Paraguaigua?

    Why do we Paraguayans drink terere?

    Said to other Paraguayans: ñande counts them in.

  4. Mbaʼerã royʼu terere ore Paraguaigua?

    Why do we Paraguayans drink terere?

    Said to people from another country: ore leaves them out.

  5. Ñande ñañomongetáta.

    We will talk together, you and I.

    Ja- becomes ña- before the nasal root ñomongeta.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing the pronoun and the prefix.

    Ñande roho
    Ñande jaha

    Ñande goes with ja-, and ore goes with ro-.

How It Connects

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

We With You or Without YouLevel 1

Learn This First

Choosing between the two kinds of we needs the list of pronouns first.

Words in This Pattern

ñandeore