Possessor wa / yín / wọn

Our, Your and Their

Level 1

Place wa, yín, or wọn after the possessed noun.

How It Works

Wa identifies a group including the speaker; yín identifies an addressed group; wọn identifies a third-person group. The noun does not gain a plural agreement ending. Preserve high-tone yín and mid-tone wọn.

The textbook also licenses yín for respectful address to one person and wọn for respectful reference to one person. Context determines these readings. Compare àpò wọn, ‘their bag’ in a shared-bag context, with àwọn àpò wọn, ‘their bags’. A bare noun can also have plural reference. The textbook records noun-final lengthening in connected possessive phrases. This lengthening does not mark plural agreement.

Examples (3)

  1. àpò wa

    Our bag (noun-phrase fragment).

    Wa includes the speaker among the possessors.

  2. fìlà yín

    Your cap or caps, addressing a group or one person respectfully (noun-phrase fragment).

    Yín permits plural or respectful singular address.

  3. àwọn àpò wọn

    Their bags, or his/her bags respectfully (noun-phrase fragment).

    Àwọn marks multiple bags; wọn identifies the possessor or possessors.

How It Connects

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

Possessor wa / yín / wọnLevel 1Our, Your and Their

Learn This First

After a noun: wa = our, yín = your, wọn = their.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.