onye: A Person Who

Level 2

onye + noun: a person of that kind.

How It Works

Onye means “person”. With a noun after it, it names someone by a job or role.

WordMeaning
onye nkuziteacher
onye ọrụworker
onye ahịatrader, customer

Plural: ndị nkuzi “teachers”. Use it after bụ: Obi bụ onye ahịa “Obi is a trader”. Also onye Igbo “an Igbo person” and onye Naịjirịa “a Nigerian”. The noun after onye names the activity or place, and it does not change.

Examples (4)

  1. onye nkuzi

    teacher

    Nkuzi follows onye.

  2. onye ọrụ

    worker

    Ọrụ is work.

  3. Obi bụ onye ahịa.

    Obi is a trader.

    Onye ahịa after bụ.

  4. Nne m bụ onye nkuzi.

    My mother is a teacher.

    A family word as subject.

How It Connects

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

onye: A Person WhoLevel 2

Learn This First

Onye plus a noun names a person, so onye and noun plus noun come first.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

onyeọrụahịaonye ahịaonye ọrụ