fi ... ṣe

Using Something to Act

Level 2

Subject + fi + item + ṣe + activity complement; fi ... ṣe àpẹẹrẹ means using something as an example.

How It Works

Place the item used after fi, followed by ṣe and the complement identifying the activity. The supplied morphology course directly supports fi … ṣe àpẹẹrẹ, using something as an example. The same participant uses the item and performs the activity.

Compare Mo ṣe àpẹẹrẹ, ‘I gave an example’, with Mo fi ìwé yìí ṣe àpẹẹrẹ, ‘I used this book as an example’. Adding the book phrase identifies what supplies the example. The noun after fi and the complement after ṣe have different roles. Neither verb takes person or number endings.

Fi also occurs with other following verbs in means constructions, including the supplied buying and arithmetic models. Those patterns do not establish unrestricted combinations with ṣe. Here, the examples practise the supported example-use construction. Translate the whole expression: English ‘with’ alone does not capture every use of fi, and accompaniment uses its own constructions.

Examples (3)

  1. Mo fi ìwé yìí ṣe àpẹẹrẹ.

    I used this book as an example.

    The book supplies the example.

  2. Adé fi àpò náà ṣe àpẹẹrẹ.

    Adé used that bag as an example.

    The bag is the item used in the activity named by ṣe àpẹẹrẹ.

  3. Ẹ fi aṣọ ṣe àpẹẹrẹ.

    Use cloth as an example.

    Ẹ addresses several people or one person respectfully.

How It Connects

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

fi ... ṣeLevel 2Using Something to Act

Learn This First

Fi introduces the item used; ṣe and its complement name the activity.