Yoruba Pronouns and its Usages (L2)
PRONOUNS
4.1 Vocabulary for use:
come - wá
eat - jẹ
know - mọ
write – kọ
read – kà
clap – patẹwọ
bring - mú….wá
to leave - fi……sílẹ
sleep - sùn
4.2 Pronouns are words used instead of a noun.
E.g. (i) Charles comes - He comes
(ii) Charles wa –Ó wá.
‘Ó’ is used instead of ‘Charles’ therefore ‘Ó’ is a pronoun.
Note:
‘Ó’ is used as the pronoun for he, she and it.
Below are the first set of pronoun:
Pronoun Usage
(i) I – Mo e.g. I sleep - Mo sùn
(ii) You - O e.g. You sleep - O sùn
(iii) He/She/It – Ó e.g. He/She/It sleep - Ó sùn
IV) They – Wọn e.g. They sleep - Wọn sùn
(v) We – A e.g. We sleep - A sùn
(IV) You (plural) - Ẹ e.g. You sleep - Ẹ sùn.
The second sets of pronoun are still on the use of I, you, he, she,it and they e.t.c. They can take another forms when:
i When Laying Emphasis on Person/s.
For instance:
It is I – Èmi ni
It is you - Ìwọ ni.
It is they - Àwọn ni
It is we - Àwa ni
It is she/he - Òun ni
It is you {plural} - Ẹyin ni
It is Meg – Meg ni
ii. Making a Negative Statement
It is not I - Èmi kọ.
It is not you - Ìwọ kọ.
It is not they - Àwọn kọ.
It is not Bonnke - Bonnke kọ.
iii. When Introducing Oneself
E.g. I am Francis - Èmi ni Francis
I am not Gerald - Èmi kọ ni Gerald.
He is not Usman - Òun kọ ni Usman
We are Chinwe and Silvia – Àwa ni Chinwe ati Silvia.
ETC
In summary, these pronouns have two forms each:
I - Mo or Èmi
You - O or Ìwọ
They - Wọn or Àwọn
We - A or Àwa
He/She/It - Ò or Òun
You [pl.] = Ẹ, or Ẹyin
BRAINWORK
1. It is they - …………….
2. Ìwọ kọ ni Tunde - ………………
3. Àwa ni, ìwọ kọ - ……………………..
4. They are Liverpool FC - ……………………
5. We are not Chinwe and Silvia - …………………
6. I am not Sola - ……………………….
7. It is not Ghana - ………………..
8. It is not Physics, it is Chemistry - ………………
9. I am Auwa Ahmed - …………………..
4.2 The Third Set of Pronoun are as Follows:
my - mi
your - rẹ
his/her - rè
our - wa
their - wọn
your [all or both] - yin
USAGE - LÍLÒ
My book - Ìwé mi [not mi ìwé]
Not my book - Ìwé mi kọ
Your chair - Àga rẹ.
Not your chair - Àga rẹ kọ
His/Her chair - Àga rè
Their house - Ilé wọn
Our teacher - Olùkọ wa
Not our teacher - Olùkọ wa kọ
Your [pl.] teacher - Olùkọ yin
BRAINWORK
b. olùkọ mi - ……………
c. olùkọ mi kọ - ……………
d. our house - ……………..
e. orí mi - ….. head
ẹ. ọmọ rè - her child
f. their chair - ………………..
g. our book - ………………….
h. ilé yin - …………………
i. àga rẹ - …………………….
j. ọmọ rè kọ - ….... her child
4.3 In forming fairly long sentences, the first set and the third set of the pronouns can be combined and used as below.
We know - A mọ
NOTE:
“not” = kọ
“do not/does not/did not” = kò
our = wa
come = wá
We do not know - Awa kò mọ.
I see my book - Mo rí ìwé mi
They see your chair - Wọn rí àga rẹ
He enters his house - Ó wọ ilé rè
He does not enter his house - Òun kò wọ ilé rè
She enters her house - O wọ ilé rè
They see their house - Wọn rí ile wọn.
We greet our teacher - A kí olùkọ wa.
We do not greet our teacher - Àwa kò kí olùkọ wa
You see your teacher - Ẹ rí olùkọ yín
You do not see your teacher - Ẹyin kò rí olùkọ yin.
It enters our house – Ó wọ ilé wa
It does not enter our house – Òun kò wọ ilé wa
4.4 Pronouns as Objects in Sentences:
E.g. me, them, us, you, him, her, it, e.t.c
The sentence;
I saw Francis and Louis.
Can be rewritten as:
I saw them
‘them’ is the object of the sentence ‘I saw them’
I saw them = Mo rí wọn.
“wọn” is the object in the sentence, ‘Mo rí wọn’
as
“them” is the object of the sentence, ‘I saw them’
All the pronouns in this category are:
me - mi
them - wọn
us - wa
you - ọ
yin – you [plural] i.e. ‘you both’ or ‘you all’
We see them - A rí wọn.
We do not see them - Àwa kò rí wọn.
He knows me - Ó mọ mi.
I know you [all] – Mo mọ yin.
I do not know you all - Èmi kò mọ yin.
They see you - Wọn rí ọ.
They do not see you - Awọn kò rí ọ
‘Fi…sílè’ and ‘Mú…wá are examples of split verbs in Yoruba
Leave me - Fi mi sílẹ
Do not leave me - Má fi mi sílẹ
Bring them - Mú wọn wá
Do not bring them - Má mú wọn wá
BRAINWORK
1. Jackson saw them – Jackson rí …………..
2. We know you [all] - A mọ …….
3. We do not know them – Àwa kò mọ ………
4. Tami greeted us – Tami kí ………………….
5. You do not know me - Ìwọ kò ………….
6. Leave us – Fi …… sílẹ
7. Má fi mi sílè - ………………………
8. I do not see you - Èmi ………………………………..
The object pronouns; him, her or it, are treated differently.
It has two forms namely:
i. him/her/it = rè
“rè” is used for non-two letter verbs:
Examples of such verbs are:
To enjoy – gbádùn e.g. enjoy him – gbádùn rè
To overcome – borí e.g. overcome it – borí rè
To love - féràn e.g. love her - féràn rè
To hate – kòrira e.g. hate him – kòrira rè
To speak [of] – sòrò e.g. speak [of] him - sòrò rè
To envy – ṣèlara ETC.
To pursue – lépa
To announce – kéde
For instance:
Femi enjoys Indomie – Fémi gbádùn Indomie.
Femi enjoys it – Fémi gbádùn rè.
Stephanie hates him – Stephanie kòrira rè
We spoke of her – A sòrò rè.
Vishwas loves her – Vishwas féràn rè
Usage:
Sandra enjoys him – Sandra gbádùn rè
Jemilat overcame it - Jemilat borí rè
You all love her - Ẹ féràn rè
Akin did not speak of him – Akin kò sòrò rè
Don’t envy her - Má ṣèlara rè
Examples of such verbs are:
To like [want] – fẹ e.g. like [want] it – fẹ ẹ
To eat – jẹ e.g. eat it – jẹ ẹ
To drink – mu e.g. drink it – mu u
To bring – mú …… wá e.g. bring her – mú u wá
To kill – pa e.g. kill him – pa a
To see – rí e.g. see him – rí i
To know – mò e.g. know it – mò ọ
To write – kọ e.g. write it – kọ ọ
To carry – gbè e.g. carry her – gbè e
To collect – gbà e.g. collect it – gbà a
To use – lò
To do – ṣe
To sell – tà
To buy - rà
ETC
For instance:
She wants [likes] Indomie - Ò fé Indomie.
She wants [likes] it - Ò fẹ ẹ
She doesn’t want [like] it – Òun kò fẹ ẹ
Bashir saw `Laide – Bashir rí `Laide.
Bashir saw him - Bashir rí i.
They know Sharon - Wọn mò Sharon.
They know her – Wọn mò ọ.
Leave Bingo - Fi Bingo sílẹ
Leave it - Fi i sílẹ
Don’t leave it - Má fi i sílẹ
Come and do it – Wá, ṣe e
Go and carry it - Lọ gbé e
He brings Bingo - Ò mú Bingo wa
He brings it - Ò mú u wa
He does not bring it - Òun kò mú u wá
Don’t bring it - Má mú u wa
They cooked it - Wọn ṣè e.
They did not cook it - Àwọn ko ṣè e.
Don’t cook it – Má ṣè e.
Look at it - Wò o
Don’t look at it - Má wò o
You did not look at it - Ìwọ kò wò o.
Use it - Lò o
BRAINWORK
Fill in the gaps below
1 It is you - -----------------------------
2 My teacher - ----------------------------
3 ----------------------------- - Mo mò
4 Their chair - ----------------------------
5 His father - -------------------------------
6 Your teacher - --------------------------------
7 --------------------------------------- - Ilé wa
8 He sees it - ---------------------------------
9 Look at her - -----------------------------------
10 Our teacher knows it - --------------------------------------
11 Amaka enters their house - -------------------------------------
12 We greet our father - -------------------------------------------
13 Leave us - ---------------------------------
14 Don’t leave us - -----------------------
15 Ìwọ kò mò o - -------------------------
16 Má ṣè e - -----------------
17 Àwọn ko ṣè e - -----------------------
18 ----------------------- - Fi wọn sílẹ.
19 Don’t leave it - …………………………
20 We did not see it - ………………………….
21 Mo fẹ ẹ - ……………………….
22 Don’t use him - ……………………………..
23. Come and carry it - ……………………………..
4.7 Remember the Third Set of Pronoun namely:
my – mi
your - rẹ
his/her/it
our - wa
their - wọn
your - yin
Hence Possessive Pronouns are:
mine – témi
yours - tìrẹ
his/ hers/its - tirè
ours - tiwa
theirs - tiwọn
yours {pl.} - tiyin
Usage – Lilo:
1. It is mine – Tèmi ni
2. It is not mine – Tèmi kọ
3. That book is yours – Ìwé yẹn tirẹ ni
4. That book is not yours – Ìwé yẹn tirẹ kọ
5. That is yours - Tirẹ ni yẹn
6. That is his – Tirè ni yẹn
7. This is his - Tirè ni yìí
8. Ours is ours – Tiwa ni tiwa
9. Those are hers - Tirè ni awọn yẹn
10. These are hers – Tirè ni àwọn yìí
11. Those oranges are hers - Tirè ni awọn ọsàn yẹn
12. Those oranges are not hers - Tirè kọ ni awọn ọsàn yẹn
13. This school is yours [pl.] – Tiyín ni ilé ìwé yìí
14. Look at it, it’s ours – Wò o, tiwa ni
BRAINWORK - IṢÉ ỌPỌLỌ
1 This book is mine - --------------------------------------
2 It is not yours - ---------------------------------------------
3 Those are his - ---------------------------------------------
4 Mo rí i, tirè ni - I see it, -----------------------
5 It is theirs -----------------------------------------
6 Wò o, tiwa kọ --------------------------------------------
7 This child is his ------------------------------------------
8 That house is not ours ------------------------------------
9 They saw it, it is not mine --------------------------------
10 Leave me, it is not yours ---------------------------------
11 Ọmọ wa, tiwa ni - Our child ----------------------------
12. It is mine, use it - ………………………………….
13. Temi ni yẹn - …………………………………..
14. Tiwa ni, mu u wa - ………………………………
15. Tirè ni ọsàn yẹn - ……………………………..
16. These are his – …………………………………
Asking of Questions. [Interrogative Pronouns]
These are pronouns used to ask questions or are used instead of a noun. E.g. Who, Whose, Which, What, Do/Does, How, e.t.c
What - Kíni
Who? –Tani?
Whose? – Titani?
Where? – Nibo?
Why? - Kíni ìdí/Nítorí Kíni?
When? – Nígbàwo?
How? – Báwo?
Do/Does/Did - Ṣé
Let’s now treat them deeper:
A. When? - Nigbàwo?
When is it? - Nigbàwo ni?
When do you sleep? - Nigbàwo ni o sùn?
B Where? – Níbo?
Where is it/he/she? - Níbo ni ó wà?
Where am I - Níbo ni mo wà?
Where are you? - Níbo ni o wà?
Where is your book? - Níbo ni ìwè rẹ wà?
Where are they living? - Níbo ni wọn n gbé?
Where are they sleeping? - Níbo ni wọn n sùn?
C What? - Kíni?
What is that? - Kíni yẹn?
What is your name? - Kíni oruko rẹ?
What do you want? – Kíni o fẹ?
What happened? - Kini o sẹlẹ?
D Which? - Èwo?
Which is ours? - Èwo ni tiwa?
Which does he want – Èwo ni ó fẹ?
Which cloth? - Aṣọ èwo?
Which cloth do you want? - Aṣọ èwo ni o fẹ
E. How? - Báwo
How is it? – Báwo ni?
How is mine? - Báwo ni tèmi?
How about mine? - Báwo ni tèmi?
How is her health? - Báwo ni àlàáfíà rè?
N.B.
‘How many’ means‘mèló ni?’
While
‘how much?’ is translated as ‘èló ni?’
E.g. How many books? - Àwọn ìwé mèló ni?
How much food? - Oúnjẹ èló ni?
How much is mine? - Èló ni tèmi?
How many are mine? – Mèló ni tèmi?
F. Do/Does/Did - Ṣé
Do you know? - Ṣé o mọ?
Do they come? - Ṣé wọn wá?
Does he want? - Ṣé ó wá?
BRAINWORK – IṢÉ ỌPỌLỌ
1. Nigbàwo ni o sùn - _________________________
2. Nigbàwo ni o lọ ilè ìwé - ________________
3. Níbo ni wọn wà? - _______________
4. Where are you going? - ___________________
5. Kíni èyí? - ______
6. What does he want? – Kíni ___ fẹ?
7. Which is his? - __________tirè?
8. Ọmọ èwo? - ____________
9. Which food do you all want? - Oúnjẹ èwo ni __ fẹ?
10. How is her school?
11. Báwo ni tiwa? - __________________
12. How many houses – _____________
13. Mèló ni tìrẹ? - _________________
14. Does she know? - ________________
15. Ṣé tèmi ni? - ________________
16. Did you eat? - ________________
We can now continue with the remaining
F. Why? - Nítorí kini?
N.B.
‘Why’ means ‘because of what’, hence,
Why? = Nítorí kíni?
Why is that? = Nítorí kíni èyí?
Why are these? = Nítorí kíni àwọn èyí?
Why are those? = Nítorí kíni àwọn yẹn?
G. Who? – Tani?
Who is this – Tani èyí?
Who are these? – Tani àwọn èyí?
Who knows? – Tani ó mọ?
Who does not know? – Tani kò mọ
Who is going? – Tani ó n lọ?
H. Whose? – Titani?
Whose is it? – Titani?
Whose is that? – Titani yẹn?
Whose house is that? – Titani ilé yẹn?
BRAINWORK - IṢÉ ỌPỌLỌ
Fill in the gaps below:
1 Who is that? - ------------------------------
2 Who is Kemi? - -----------------------------
3 Whose book is that? - ---------------------------------
4 Where are you going? - ------------------------------------
5 ------------------------------ - Níbo ni a n lọ?
6. Kíni wọn fẹ? - …………………….
7. What is my name? - ----------------------?
8. -------------------------? - Kíni ó rí?
9. ------------------------? - Kíni a fẹ?
10. Which is mine? - ---------------------------- ?
11. ------------------------? - Báwo ni olùkọ yin?
12. Whose house is this? -----------------------------?
13. What is today? - -----------------------------?
14. Where is ours? - ------------------------------?
15. How is it, Kunle? - -----------------------?
16. ------------------------- - Èwo ni wọn fẹ?
17. ------------------------ - Ọmọ titani yẹn?
18. Which orange is yours? - ----------------------------?
19. Where is your house? - -------------------------?
20. -------------------------? – Kíni ó rí?
21. Níbo ni ẹ n lọ? - ...............................
22. Where are they? - ………………………………
23. What is his name? - ……………………………..
24. When do you come? - ………………………
25. Which is hers? - …………… tirè
4.7 Other forms of pronouns are these:
myself – arami
yourself – ararẹ
ourselves – arawa
himself/herself – ararè
themselves - arawọn
yourselves - arayín
Usages:
i. I know myself – Mo mọ arami
ii. Mind yourselves - Ẹ sọ arayin
iii. Mind yourself - Sọ ararẹ.
iv. They see themselves - Wọn ri arawọn.
v. We love ourselves - A ní fẹ arawa.
vi. He likes himself - Ó fẹràn araré.
vii. I went by myself - Mo lọ fún arami.
BRAINWORK - IṢÉ ỌPỌLỌ
1 You {all} know yourselves - Ẹ ------------------------------------?
2 She likes herself - ---------------------------------------------------
3 Who knows himself - -----------------------------------------------
4 We see ourselves - --------------------------------------------------
5 ---------------------------------------------- - Wọn nífẹẹ arawọn
6 ----------------------------------------------- - Sọ ararẹ.
7 I mind myself - ------------------------------------
8 Where is theirs? - ---------------------------------?
9. I love my school - ---------------------------------------
10. Which book do you want? - ----------------------------?
12 ------------------------------------------ - Tani olùkọ rẹ?
13 -------------------------------------------- - Kíni orúkọ bàbá wọn?
14 --------------------------------------------------- - Àga titani yẹn?
15 Look at me - -------------------------------------
16 They go by themselves - -----------------------------------------
4.8 Demonstrative Pronouns/Adjective
Demonstrative pronouns usually comprise of ‘this’, ‘these’, ‘that’ and ‘those’.
Singular Plural
This – èyí these – àwọn èyí or àwọn yìí
That – ìyẹn those – àwọn ìyẹn or àwọn yẹn
Therefore:
A child – ọmọ ọkan
Children -àwọn ọmọ
Two children - àwọn ọmọ méjì
Five men - àwọn ọkùnrin mẹwaa
Ten boys - àwọn ọmọkùnrin mẹwaa
Three girls – àwọn ọmọbìnrin mẹta. e.t.c.
Lets go back to the demonstrative pronoun/instances:
Singular Plural
see this - wò èyí. see these - Wò àwọn èyí.
eat that - jẹ ìyẹn. eat those - Jẹ àwọn ìyẹn.
see this woman - wò obìnrin èyí. see these women - Wò àwọn obìnrin èyí.
BRAINWORK - IṢÉ ỌPỌLỌ
1. olùkọ ọkan - _______________
2. Two legs - __________________
3. Ten heads - _________________
4. Four people - _______________
5. Àwọn ilé yẹn - _______________
6. See these children - ___________
7. Ilé yẹn tiwa ni - _______________
8. Whose book is that? - ____________
9. I like those bananas - _______________
10. _____________ - A mọ àwọn ọkùnrin màrùn yẹn.
11. They love these schools - ______________________
12. These five men know those ten boys - ________________
13. What is this? - ___________________________________
14. He wants that girl - _____________________________
15. Who is that child? - ___________________________
16. These are ours - ________________________________
17. This is ours - ___________________________________
18. How is your child? - _____________________________
19. How________________ - Mèlòó ni àwọn ọsàn yẹn?
20. Which is theirs? - ___________________
21. Know yourself - _____________________
ii. him/her/it = duplicating the vowel that ends a two-letter Yoruba verb that comes before a pronoun: