Language/Lingala/Grammar/POSSESSIVES

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS IN LINGALA

Lingala possessive pronouns and adjectives are the same; And they derived from personal pronouns. In lingala, we literally say "noun + of+possessor". The preposition "of" is "ya" or "na".

*Let's review personal pronouns first!

   1. I/me = nga(i)

   2. You/you = yo

   3. He/him = ye

   4. She/her = ye

   5. It/it = e

   6. We/us = biso

   7. You/you = bino (many people)

   8. They/them = bango

*Then let's learn possessive adjectives

   1. My= noun + (na) nga

     Do you know my name? = Oyebi kombo na ngai?

   2. Your= noun + (na) yo

     I saw your brother yesterday. = namonaki ndeko nayo lobi.

   3. His = noun + (na) ye

     His phone is broken = Telefoni naye ekufi.

   4. Her = noun + (na) ye

     Her husband is sick = Mobali naye azo bela.

   5. Its = *noun + (na) ngo

     Here's the guest room, but its bed isn't good = Oyo eza chambre ya bapaya, kasi mbetu nango eza malumu te.

   6. Our = noun + (na) biso

     Our house isn't big, but it's beautiful = Ndaku na biso eza munene te, kasi eza kitoko.

   7. Your = noun + (na) bino (belonging to many people)

     Your children are very clever = bana na bino baza mayele mingi.

   8. Their = noun + (na) bango

      Their parents got to Kinshasa last week = baboti na bango bakomaki na Kinshasa poso eleki.

*Finally, we have to conclude by making sentences with possessive pronouns as we have already learned their adjectives(determiners).

   1. Mine = yanga

     This is my phone, it's mine = oyo eza telefoni nanga, eza yanga.

   2. Yours = yayo

     Is your handbag? > No. It isn't my handbag. It's yours. = Oyo eza saki nayo? > Te. Eza saki nanga te. Eza yayo.

   3. His = yaye

     Your shoes are clean, but his are dirty = Basapatu nayo eza pete kasi yaye eza mbindo.

   4. Hers = Yaye

     Your parents speak French and Lingala, but hers speak only Lingala. = Baboti nayo balobaka lopoto(falanse) na lingala kasi yaye balobaka kaka lingala.

   5. Its = *na yango (not common)

   6. Ours = ya biso

     That big house is ours = Ndaku ya munene wana eza ya biso.

   7. Yours = Ya bino (belonging to many people)

    Our country is rich and yours is rich, too. = Mboka na biso eza na bozui, ya bino pe eza na bozui.

   8. Theirs = Ya bango

     My children are all here, but theirs live abroad = Bana nanga nionso baza awa kasi ya bango bavandaka na mboka mopaya.