Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Pronouns

Xhosa Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Xhosa learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Xhosa pronouns, a crucial part of Xhosa grammar. Pronouns are an essential component of language that allows us to communicate more efficiently by replacing nouns in a sentence. This not only makes sentences shorter but also easier to comprehend. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to use Xhosa pronouns correctly and effectively.

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Negation, Questions & Plurals.

Overview

Pronouns are words that take the place of a noun in a sentence. They can refer to people, places, things, or ideas. In Xhosa, pronouns come in various forms, including personal, possessive, and reflexive. Personal pronouns replace the name of the person, while possessive pronouns express ownership, and reflexive pronouns refer to the subject of the sentence. Once you master Xhosa pronouns, you'll be able to communicate more efficiently and with ease.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Xhosa are words that replace the name of a person or an item in a sentence. Xhosa personal pronouns distinguish between singular and plural, and their different grammatical cases (subjective, objective, and possessive). Personal pronouns in Xhosa are as follows:

	Singular	Plural
Mna (I) | Sisi (We)	Wena (You) | Nina (You all)	U (He/She) | Bo (They)

Here are some examples of how to use personal pronouns in Xhosa in different cases:

Subjective case:

• Uthando lwami (His/Her love) → Lwam (My love)
• Kuba wena ulapha xa ndikufikile (When you are here when I arrive) → Ndifika ndikubona (I arrive and see you)

Objective case:

• Umfundi wemfundo (Learner of knowledge) → Mfundi (Learner)
• Ubani ke abafileyo bendicela (Who are the dead that I'm requesting)? → Wena lona (You)

Possessive case:

• Inkomo yam (My cow) → Yokwam (My one)
• Ndinokukhumbula (I remember you) → Kukho kwakho (Yours is there)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Xhosa are used to demonstrate ownership. In other words, they show that something belongs to someone. In Xhosa, the possessive pronoun agrees with the noun being possessed in both gender and number. Here's how these pronouns work in Xhosa:

	Singular	Plural
Yam (Mine) | Yethu (Ours)	Yakho (Yours) | Yenu (Yours all)	Yakhe/Yayo/ Lakhe/Layo (His/Hers) | Yabo (Theirs)

Here are some examples of how to use possessive pronouns in Xhosa:

• Umtwanami (My boy) → Utata wam (My father)
• Umsebenzi wabo (Their work) → Ke wena (It's you)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Xhosa are words that refer to the subject of a sentence. In other words, they are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. Reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the action of the subject is being performed upon itself. Here are some examples of reflexive pronouns in Xhosa:

	Xhosa	Pronunciation	English
Ndiphupha kamnandi ngam (I enjoyed myself in the dream) | /ⁿdiˈpʰupʰa kaʰmnaːndi ŋam/ | Myself	Uzibukile zakhe (She's beautiful reflecting herself) | /uzibukile zaːkhɛ/ | Yourself	Wanguwonwabe (Singular) (They enjoyed themselves) | /waŋug͡ʁuˈnwabe/ | Herself/Himself

Dialogue

Person 1: Baba wangowamuhla beza kwakhona? (Did my father come there today?) Person 2: Ewe, kufikele wena ngokuwa. (Yes, he arrived there now)

Person 1: Umsebenzi wethu ubungakanani? (What is our work?) Person 2: Ngokuba Sekela (By being Sekela)

Person 1: Wena usujongile njani xa usithi "Ngoku ndakufikelwe qha!"? (How are you feeling when you say "I have just arrived now"?) Person 2: Ndijongile Kamnandi, kodwa yenzeke into yokuba ndikhumbula ukhuselo lwam. (I feel well, but it happens that I forget my bag.)

Conclusion

Pronouns are essential in every language, including Xhosa. They help us communicate more efficiently and allow us to express ourselves with greater accuracy. In this lesson, we have explored the basics of personal, possessive, and reflexive pronouns in Xhosa. Practice these pronouns as much as you can, and don't be afraid to ask questions if you're having any difficulty. To improve your Xhosa Grammar, you can also use Polyglot Club website Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Xhosa Grammar | LEARN101.ORG
• The Grammar of isiXhosa on JSTOR

Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Conditional Mood, Give Your Opinion.

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Questions
• Negation
• How to Use Have
• Future Tense
• Conditional Mood
• Adjectives
• Plurals