Highlighting What Is Affected

Level 2

Object + ni + subject + verb, without repeating the object.

How It Works

In a neutral action clause, the object follows the verb. To select that object, place it before ni. The actor remains in the following clause, and the original object position is empty. The fronted phrase still identifies what the action affects.

The purchase frame demonstrates a tonal contrast: mid-tone ra precedes an overt noun object, while low-tone rà appears in the illustrated object-focus construction. Compare Fẹ́mi ra àga, “Fẹ́mi bought a chair”, with Àga ni Fẹ́mi rà, “It was a chair that Fẹ́mi bought”. Preserve that contrast without making every focused verb low-tone. Other verbs and aspect combinations require their own tonal patterns. Subject focus differs: a pronoun resumes the actor, and the noun object remains after the verb.

Examples (3)

  1. Àga ni Fẹ́mi rà.

    It was a chair that Fẹ́mi bought.

    The chair is the focused object.

  2. Ẹja ni Títí rà.

    It was fish that Títí bought.

    Rà has no following overt object.

  3. Bàtà ni Kẹ́mi rà.

    It was shoes that Kẹ́mi bought.

    Kẹ́mi remains the subject.

How It Connects

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

Highlighting What Is AffectedLevel 2

Learn This First

Front the object with ni and preserve the verb's surface tone.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.