ni / ka / ki / shi / ta

Direct Object Pronouns

Level 3

Ni = me; ka = male you; ki = female you; shi = him/masculine it; ta = her/feminine it.

How It Works

A short direct-object pronoun follows the verb's pronoun-object form. Ka and ki distinguish male and female singular listeners. Shi and ta refer to people or grammatically masculine and feminine things.

In Ka kama shi., You caught him, initial ka marks the subject and final shi the object. Verb morphology depends on class: variable-vowel taimake ka has final -e before a pronoun object.

Pronoun tone normally opposes the preceding syllable. Regular -a/-e verbs of three syllables, and regular -a/-e imperatives, instead have High tone on both the final verb syllable and object. Boko spelling leaves tone unmarked. Non-wa verbal nouns use possessive object morphology. Independent pronouns after prepositions and dative pronouns follow different construction rules.

Examples (4)

  1. Aisha ta kama ni.

    Aisha caught me.

    Ni is the direct object; preverbal ta marks the subject.

  2. Zan taimake ka.

    I will help you. (one male listener)

    Ka follows the pronoun-object form taimake.

  3. Mun gaishe ki.

    We greeted you. (one female listener)

    Ki identifies the singular female object.

  4. Na rufe ta.

    I closed it. (a feminine item, such as a window)

    Ta refers to a grammatically feminine object.

How It Connects

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

ni / ka / ki / shi / taLevel 3Direct Object Pronouns

Learn This First

Recognize completed and future finite participant frames before selecting short direct-object participants. Zan in Zan taimake ka is contracted za plus first-person future marking; ka follows the pronoun-object form of the verb.

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Words in This Pattern

tanishi