ní / ni Contrast

Possession, Location and Focus

Level 3

Ó ní… means ‘she/he has…’; wà ní… locates something. Ni follows an identified or focused expression.

How It Works

High-tone ní is the possession verb in subject + ní + possessed noun. It also introduces locations and settings after predicates such as wà ‘be present’. Mid-tone ni participates in nominal identification and follows a fronted focused constituent.

Compare Ó ní ọkọ̀ ‘She/he has a vehicle’ with Awakọ̀ ni òun ‘She/he is a driver’. The possession frame accepts a short subject pronoun; the identification example uses an independent pronoun. Neither marker has number or gender agreement endings. Subject focus retains a pronoun in the following clause: Bísí ni ó wá ‘It was Bísí who came’. Location and focus can occur together, and established contractions can obscure boundaries. Preserve high tone on possession and location ní and mid tone on identification and focus ni; similar letters do not make these constructions interchangeable.

Examples (4)

  1. Ó ní àpò tuntun.

    She/he has a new bag.

    High-tone ní is the possession verb.

  2. Àpò náà wà ní yàrá.

    The bag is in the room.

    High-tone ní introduces a location after wà.

  3. Awakọ̀ ni òun.

    She/he is a driver.

    Mid-tone ni participates in nominal identification with an independent pronoun.

  4. Bísí ni ó wá.

    It was Bísí who came.

    Mid-tone ni marks subject focus, with ó retained in the following clause.

How It Connects

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

ní / ni ContrastLevel 3Possession, Location and Focus

Learn This First

High-tone ní marks possession or a setting; mid-tone ni marks identification or focus.