-ao
Their with -ao
In Swahili, the stem -ao means their. It is used to show that something belongs to a group of people or animals.
How It Works
When multiple people or animals own something, we use the possessive stem -ao.
Like all possessives in Swahili, the word for 'their' must come after the noun it modifies (e.g., watoto wao, not wao watoto).
The full word for 'their' changes depending on the noun class of the item that is owned, not the owners. You create it by combining the possessive prefix of the possessed noun with -ao.
- w- + ao = wao (watoto wao - their children)
- vy- + ao = vyao (vitabu vyao - their books)
- z- + ao = zao (nyumba zao - their houses)
Inanimate Possessors: Traditionally, -ao is used for living possessors (people and animals). If you want to say 'The trees lost their leaves' (Miti ilipukutisha majani yake), standard grammar rules prefer the singular/inanimate stem -ake (which normally means his/her/its). Notice that in majani yake, the y- prefix agrees with the possessed item (majani, Class 6 leaves). However, in modern colloquial Swahili, you will frequently hear -ao used for inanimate plural objects as well.
Note on Animate Nouns: For plural animate nouns in Classes 9/10 (like mbwa or rafiki), standard Swahili frequently uses the Class 10 prefix z- (e.g., mbwa zao - their dogs, rafiki zao - their friends), rather than the human prefix w-.
Class 1 also uses w- with -ao: mtoto wao (their child), compared with watoto wao (their children). In a literal accident, a car can lose a wheel, but for a neutral possession example magurudumu ya magari hayo (the wheels of those cars) avoids suggesting that “lose” is a required possessive construction.
Examples (4)
- Wanafunzi wanasoma vitabu vyao.
The students are reading their books.
Word by Word: Students they-are-reading books their.
The possessed noun 'vitabu' (Class 8) takes the prefix 'vya-', making 'vyao'.
- Wazazi wanawapenda watoto wao.
Parents love their children.
Word by Word: Parents they-them-love children their.
The possessed noun 'watoto' (Class 2) takes the prefix 'wa-', making 'wao'.
- Familia ziliuza nyumba zao.
The families sold their houses.
Word by Word: Families they-sold houses their.
The possessed noun 'nyumba' (Class 10) takes the prefix 'za-', making 'zao'.
- Mbwa wanakula chakula chao.
The dogs are eating their food.
Word by Word: Dogs they-are-eating food their.
The possessed noun 'chakula' (Class 7) takes the prefix 'cha-', making 'chao'.
Common Mistakes
Making the possessive word agree with the owners instead of the item being owned.
Gari wao ni jipya.Gari lao ni jipya.The prefix must match the noun class of the possessed item ('gari', Class 5, takes 'la-'), not the possessors ('they', Class 2, 'wa-').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use the possessive '-ao' (their), you must understand how Swahili noun classes determine agreement prefixes. It is also helpful to be familiar with the third-person plural pronoun 'wao' and the general mechanics of possessive stems in Swahili.
- waoThird-Person Plural Pronoun
The possessive -ao is the possessive form of the third-person plural pronoun 'wao' (they).
Level 1 - -anguMy with -angu
Understanding the basic structure of possessive stems and how they attach to agreement prefixes is essential before learning specific person-based stems like -ao.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -akeHis or Her with -ake
Used instead of -ao to mean 'their' when the plural possessors are inanimate objects.
Level 1 - Agreement Across the Sentence
The prefix attached to -ao is determined by the noun class of the possessed object.
Foundations - -aOf and Association with -a
The possessive prefixes attached to -ao are built using the -a associative concord.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice -ao in Bubblegum
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