Language/Central-pashto/Grammar/Pronouns

Central Pashto Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Central Pashto learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be diving into the world of pronouns in Central Pashto grammar. Pronouns are an essential part of every language, and they allow us to communicate more efficiently. Without them, our language would be clunky, and it would be tough to express ourselves clearly.

What are Pronouns?

In Central Pashto, pronouns are the words that we use to replace nouns. These words are incredibly useful because they help us to shorten sentences while maintaining clarity, and they can help us to avoid continually repeating the same words, which can become tiresome and boring.

Types of Pronouns

In Pashto, there are several types of pronouns you need to familiarize yourself with:

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are what we use to refer to people when we want to replace their name. They come in different forms depending on the gender, number, and case. Here is a table to familiarize yourself.

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
زه	zə	I (singular)
ته	tə	You (singular)
یو	yəw	He/She (singular)
مونږ	məwəŋə	We (dual)
تاسو	tɑːsu	You (dual)
یو	yəw	They (dual)
زما	zmɑː	My/Mine
تاسوي	tɑːsuwə	Your/Yours
ستاسو	stɑːsuwə	Your/Yours (formal)
خپل	xəpl	His/Her
مونږ	məwəŋə	Our/Ours
ستاسونه	stɑːsunə	Your/Yours (plural formal)
خو	xow	Their/Theirs

Examples

• Person 1: کوم هیلید؟‎ (kum həleed?) (What is your name?)
• Person 2: زه د فرید هم ده‎ (zə də Fareed ham dah) (My name is Farid)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are words that end in the suffix "za," which adds emphasis to the subject. They are equivalent to words such as "myself," "ourselves," and "yourself." They are only used in certain situations when the emphasis is needed. Here is a table to familiarize yourself with these pronouns.

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
خپله	xəpləza	Oneself
زما خپله	zmɑː xəpləza	Myself
تاسوي خپله	tɑːsuwə xəpləza	Yourself
یو خپله	yəw xəpləza	Himself/Herself
مونږ خپله	məwəŋə xəpləza	Ourselves
تاسونه خپله	tɑːsunə xəpləza	Yourselves
خو خپله	xow xəpləza	Themselves

Examples

• Person 1: آیا تاسو خپله هیلیږ؟‎ (aya tɑːsu xəplə hayleej?) (Do you like yourself?)
• Person 2: زه خپله هیلیم‎ (zə xəplə həleem) (I like myself)

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are words that are used to indicate or demonstrate specific people, places, or things. In Pashto, the demonstrative pronouns are "دا‎," "ده‎," and "دغه‎." The best way to learn them is by using them in sentences. Here is a table to familiarize yourself.

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
دا / دې	dɑː/də	This / These
ده / دې	dah/de	That / Those
دغه	dəɣə	That (over there)

Examples

• Person 1: دا ټولو سندره کوو؟‎ (dɑː təlow sandarə koo?) (Whose sandals are these?)
• Person 2: زما دې سترګې دی‎ (zmɑː dey storɡe dey) (These sandals are mine.)

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are words that we use when asking a question. They usually start with "څه‎" or "څلا‎," which means "what" or "which." Here is a table to familiarize yourself with them.

Central Pashto	Pronunciation	English
څه	tʃə	What
څلونه	tʃulənə	Which
څه پوهېږي	tʃə powheyjə	Who
دلته پوهېږي	dəltə powheyjə	Whose
چې پوهېږي	tʃə powheyjə	What (as relative pronoun)

Examples

• Person 1: څه فکراتی؟‎ (tʃə fikrati?) (What are you thinking?)
• Person 2: زما پوهېږي مخ ده‎ (zmɑː powheyjə mix dah) (It's my brain which is thinking.)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have just learned the basics of Central Pashto pronouns. Remember, the best way to become comfortable with these pronouns is by practicing them in context. To improve your Central Pashto Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Pashto Language
• Pronoun
• Pashtun Culture