A Pronoun After the Noun: m, gị, ya

Showing the Owner: A Pronoun After the Noun

Level 1

Noun first, owner second: ụlọ m, nne ya.

How It Works

OwnerExampleMeaning
mụlọ mmy house
gịụlọ gịyour house
yaụlọ yahis, her or its house
anyịụlọ anyịour house
unuụlọ unuyour house (many)
haụlọ hatheir house

The same rule works for names: ụlọ Ada is “Ada's house”. Family words use it all the time: nne m “my mother”, nna ya “his or her father”.

The pronoun is a separate word, written apart from the noun.

To say “mine”, use nke m.

Examples (5)

  1. nne m

    my mother

    M follows the noun.

  2. akwụkwọ gị

    your book

    Gị follows the noun.

  3. nna ya

    his or her father

    Ya shows the owner.

  4. obodo anyị

    our town

    Anyị works the same way.

  5. ụlọ ha

    their house

    Ha at the end.

How It Connects

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A Pronoun After the Noun: m, gị, yaLevel 1Showing the Owner: A Pronoun After the Noun

Learn This First

The same short forms also follow a noun to show the owner, so learners need the pronouns after a verb first.

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Words in This Pattern

mgịya