Language/Tswana/Grammar/Subject-Pronouns

Tswana → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Sentence Structure → Subject Pronouns

Introduction

Welcome to the Tswana Grammar lesson on Subject Pronouns. In this lesson, you will learn about subject pronouns in Tswana and how they are used in sentences to indicate the subject of the verb. This lesson is part of the “Complete 0 to A1 Tswana Course” and is intended for complete beginners who wish to learn the Tswana language.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns in Tswana are used to indicate who or what performs the action of the verb. In Tswana, the subject pronouns are:

Tswana	Pronunciation	English
Ke	Kay	I
O	Oh	You (singular)
A	Ah	He/She/It/They

Here are some examples of sentences using subject pronouns:

• Ke bone sengwe se se tla (I will see something later).
• O tlhokafala gonne o na le tlhabo (You are in trouble because you have a problem).
• A sa tshwanetse go itewa fa re tsena mo botlhokwa jwa batho (It is not advisable to be insulted when we enter important places of people).

Note that the Tswana subject pronouns do not distinguish between gender in the third-person singular or plural. Moreover, subject pronouns are usually omitted when it is clear who the subject of the verb is.

Usage

The subject pronoun usually comes before the verb. However, in conversational Tswana, the subject pronoun can be omitted if the context makes it clear what is being referred to. Let's look at some examples:

• Ke dumellwe ke letsatsi la gago la tswang tseo (I was surprised by your ideas). Here, the subject pronoun "ke" comes before the verb "dumellwe."
• Bana ba nthusa ka ga ke bone bao ba tlhokomelwang (Children help me when I see them in need). Here, the subject pronoun "ke" is omitted because it is clear from the preceding context that the speaker is talking about himself or herself.
• A o tshela thipa ka bohaleng (Are you setting the spear among the shields?). Here, the subject pronoun "o" comes before the verb "tshela".

In Tswana, subject pronouns can also be used for emphasis or to clarify who the subject is. For example:

• Ke na le wena, ga ke na le yeye (I have you, I don't have someone else).
• Ba tlhoka ba jaanong ba se bidiwe ba na le malwetse (They really need now, they were not given anything and they have nothing).

Summary

In this lesson, you learned about subject pronouns in Tswana and how they are used in sentences to indicate the subject of the verb. You also learned that subject pronouns are usually omitted when the context makes it clear who the subject is. Remember to practice these subject pronouns when forming simple sentences. Good luck!

Table of Contents - Tswana Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Basic Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Polite Expressions

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Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Verb Conjugation

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Numbers

• Counting 1-10
• Ordinal Numbers

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Days of the Week and Months

• Days of the Week
• Months of the Year

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Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plural Nouns

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Common Objects and Places

• Household Items
• Places in Town

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs

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Food and Drink

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Dining

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions of Place
• Prepositions of Time
• Conjunctions

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Possessives and Demonstratives

• Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
• Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

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Tswana Traditions and Customs

• Traditional Clothing
• Tswana Cuisine

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Tswana Holidays and Celebrations

• National Holidays
• Traditional Celebrations

Other Lessons

• Prepositions of Place
• Verb Conjugation
• How to Use Be
• Plurals
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Pronouns
• Gender
• How to Use Have
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives