Possession With ní

A noun subject or subject pronoun precedes ní; the possessed expression follows it. That expression can contain a numeral or modifier. The verb takes no person, number or gender ending.

• Mo ní àpò méjì. — I have two bags.
• Kẹ́mi ní ẹ̀gbọ́n kan. — Kẹ́mi has an older sibling.
• A ní ààyè. — We have room.
• Wọ́n kò ní bàtà. — They do not have shoes.

The second example states a family relationship rather than ownership of a person. The third concerns available space. Ordinary kò precedes the possession predicate in the fourth.

A possession clause asserts that someone has something. A noun + possessor phrase simply names an item through its owner or associated person and can function inside another clause.

Preserve the high tone in ní, contrasting with identification or focus ni. High-tone ní also introduces locations in another construction. After wà, a ní phrase commonly names a place; as the possession predicate, ní takes the possessed item.