The Object Marker i

Level 2

After the verb and the subject, i introduces the thing acted on.

How It Works

In a verb-first sentence the doer comes right after the verb. Then i marks the thing that gets the action, as in Ua heluhelu ʻo Leilani i ka puke.

VerbDoerObject
Ke inu neiaui ka wai
Ua kākauʻo Kalai ka leka

Poppy teaches that the same word i also points to a place after a verb, as in hele i ke kula, and marks a time. In all of these it comes before a noun phrase. Learn the object use by asking who or what receives the action.

Before a name or a pronoun the object marker is iā, not i. Elbert and Pukui, quoted in the Reference Grammar, note that some sentence types leave the marker out, so expect a few exceptions.

Examples (5)

  1. ʻAi ke keiki i ka palaoa.

    The child eats the bread.

    I comes before the object ka palaoa.

  2. Ke inu nei au i ka wai.

    I am drinking water.

    The doer au comes before i.

  3. Ua heluhelu ʻo Leilani i ka puke.

    Leilani read the book.

    ʻO belongs to the name Leilani, and i belongs to the book.

  4. E kūʻai ana ka makuahine i ka ʻuala.

    Mother will buy the sweet potatoes.

    I follows the whole e ... ana group and the subject.

  5. Ke kākau nei ʻoe i ka leka.

    You are writing the letter.

    Ke ... nei wraps the verb, and i marks the letter.

Common Mistakes

  • Using iā before an ordinary noun.

    ʻIke au iā ke keiki.
    ʻIke au i ke keiki.

    Iā is for names and pronouns. An ordinary noun takes i.

How It Connects

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

The Object Marker iLevel 2

Learn This First

I marks the thing acted on, and it follows the doer.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

i