kayo / da
Plural and Respectful Subjects
Kayo is plural or respectful “you.” Subject da is “they.”
How It Works
In the simple affirmative examples, the dependent subject follows an actor-focus predicate. Kayo can address several listeners. In polite or formal speech, it can also address one person respectfully; its reference is therefore not always numerically plural. Independent dakayo is used when the pronoun stands alone or is highlighted.
Third-person plural subject da refers to a group outside the speaker–addressee roles. Its independent counterpart is isuda. Compare Nagawidkayo idi kalman, “You went home yesterday,” with Nagawidda idi kalman, “They went home yesterday.”
Modern writing joins these dependent subject pronouns to their licensed hosts. Older teaching materials may separate the forms to make their grammatical parts visible. The label -da marks dependency. After a noun, da instead identifies possessors; before a name, da Rosa marks Rosa and associates.
Examples (3)
- Nagawidkayo idi kalman.
You went home yesterday.
Kayo can address a group or one person respectfully.
- Nagawidda idi kalman.
They went home yesterday.
Da is the dependent third-person plural subject.
- Nanganda ti innapoy.
They ate cooked rice.
The actor-focus predicate identifies da as its subject.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Kayo addresses several people or one respectfully; subject -da means they.
Related Patterns
- kami / tayoTwo Kinds of We
Completes the assigned plural subject contrasts.
Level 1 - ni / daMarking Personal Names
Explains da as a personal-name marker.
Level 1 - -mi / -tayo / -yo / -daOur, Your and Their
Contrasts subject kayo with possessor yo and subject da with possessor da.
Level 1 - Choosing Respectful Reference
Develops the social use of respectful plural address.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice kayo / da in Bubblegum
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