Language/Tigrinya/Grammar/Personal-Pronouns
Personal pronouns are an essential part of any language. They allow us to refer to people and things without repeating long or unnecessary names or descriptions. In Tigrinya, personal pronouns serve the same purpose.
In this lesson, you will learn about the Tigrinya personal pronouns, including their forms and their usage in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you will have gained the knowledge necessary to use Tigrinya pronouns like a native speaker.
Forms of Personal Pronouns
Tigrinya personal pronouns take different forms depending on the person and number being referred to. Below is a table that summarizes the various forms of Tigrinya personal pronouns.
| Person | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Person | እኔ | እኛ | ||
| Second Person (Informal) | ኢንተ | እልልታ | ||
| Second Person (Formal) | መልካም | መልክና | ||
| Third Person (Masculine) | የእኔ ሴት | የእኛ ሴት | እንደእኔ | እንደእኛ |
| Third Person (Feminine) | የእኔ ወንድ | የእኛ ወንድ | ቤተሰብ | ቤት |
Note that Tigrinya distinguishes between plural forms of the second person (informal), with እልልታ referring to a group that includes at least one female or ኢንተ referring to a group that only includes males.
Also, note that Tigrinya distinguishes between singular and plural forms of the third person. The third person has two forms of personal pronouns, one for the masculine gender and another for the feminine gender.
Usage of Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used in Tigrinya in much the same way as in English. They serve to replace a noun or a proper name that has already been used, and their usage can make sentences more concise and natural.
As with any language, the use of pronouns in Tigrinya depends on various factors, such as the grammatical case, tense, mood, and aspect of the sentence. Below are some of the most common ways Tigrinya pronouns are used in sentences:
Subject of the Verb
When the personal pronoun functions as the subject of the sentence, the pronoun typically comes before the verb. For example:
- እኔ ትንሽ ነኝ (I am happy)
- ኢንተ ተጠቅመንህ (You decided)
Object of the Verb
When a pronoun acts as the object of the verb, it comes after the verb. For example:
- እኔ የተከለከለ ቤት ያደረገውን እየጠቀሙ አለኝ (They told me what happened)
- ኢንተ ተኝታለሁ (I see you)
Possessive Pronouns
In Tigrinya, possessive pronouns are formed by adding the suffix "-na" to the end of the personal pronoun. For example:
- እኔንም የሚያስተምር የትምህርት ቤት የእርስዎ ነው (The education center that teaches me also belongs to you)
Reflexive Pronouns
Tigrinya reflexive pronouns are formed by adding the suffix "-nza" to the end of the personal pronoun. They are used when the subject also performs the action on oneself. For example:
- እኔም መቀበል አልቻልኝም (I cut myself, too)
- እርስዎም ሁለቱ ተናገሩ። እኔም ይላሉ (Both of you answered, and so did I)
Practice makes perfect
Learning a new language is not easy, and mastering all its nuances takes patience and practice. Here are some exercises to help you practice using Tigrinya personal pronouns:
- Exercise 1: Translate the following sentences into Tigrinya:
- I am tired.
- You (plural) are welcome.
- She saw them.
- Exercise 2: Use the correct Tigrinya personal pronoun to complete the sentence:
- እኔ ትንሹ በል. እንደምታገለ በተደብቀኝ ምክንያቱም ንግግሮች አያውቁም.
- ምንም አይመክሩም፣ ኢንተው ተሸማሽ.
- እርስዎም ይኸው ተናገሩ. እኔ ምናለች፣ ምንም አትደንም።
- Exercise 3: Using the personal pronouns, describe the people or things in the following sentences:
- ሃዘን ተባዕት ለውጥ ነበረ.
- ልጅን እንዴት ማየት እንችላለን?
- ተስፋ የተገጠምበት ቦታ ነው.
Congratulations! You have now covered the essentials of Tigrinya personal pronouns. Keep practicing, and you'll soon be on your way to speaking Tigrinya like a native!
Other Lessons
- Tigrinya Alphabet
- Adjectives
- How to Use Be
- Conditional Mood
- Subject Verb Object
- Descriptive Adjectives
- Future Tense
- Pronouns
- Noun Gender and Plurality