Lesson 3: Pronouns & Concords – Subject, Object & Possessive

Fun Fact:
In Shona, pronouns and their concords adapt to match the noun class of the
words they refer to, ensuring harmony within the sentence structure. This
adaptation makes sentences feel "musical" as they flow seamlessly. For
instance, the possessive pronoun for "my" changes depending on whether
the noun is singular or plural and its class, emphasizing Shona's unique
linguistic harmony.
Main Lesson:
Pronouns in Shona play a vital role in sentence construction, aligning with
the noun classes to ensure agreement in meaning and flow. These pronouns
are categorized into three types: subject, object, and possessive.
1. Personal Pronouns and Subject Prefixes
Personal pronouns in Shona are paired with subject prefixes to indicate the
subject of a sentence, forming the basis for constructing sentences with
appropriate verb conjugation, following the formula: [Shona Pronoun] +
[Subject Prefix] + [Verb Stem] + [Optional Object/Complement].

Table 1: Personal Pronouns and Subject Prefixes

English Shona Subject Example
Translation
Pronoun Pronoun Prefix Sentence
I Ini Ndi- Ini ndi-ri kufara. I am happy.
You
Iwe U- Iwe u-ri kudzidza. You are learning.
(singular)
Iye a-ri kudya He/She is eating
He/She Iye A-
sadza. sadza.
We Isu Ti- Isu ti-ri kutamba. We are playing.
You all are
You (plural) Imi Mu- Imi mu-ri kufamba.
walking.
Ivo va-ri kuenda They are going
They Ivo Va-
kumba. home.

2. Noun Classes and Subject Prefixes

Shona nouns are grouped into classes, and the subject prefix changes based
on the noun class. The formula for subject prefix assignment is:
Subject Prefix = Class Prefix + Verb Concord
Here’s a table of noun classes and their corresponding subject prefixes:
Example Subject
Class Translation Example Sentence Translation
Noun Prefix
1 Mwana Child A- Mwana a-ri kurara. The child is sleeping.
2 Vanhu People Va- Vanhu va-ri kutamba. The people are playing.
5 Shumba Lion i- Shumba i-ri kuvhima. The lion is hunting.
 The books are on the
6 Mabhuku Books A- Mabhuku a-ri pabhenji.
bench.
Chikoro chi-ri The school is being
7 Chikoro School Chi-
kuvhurwa. opened.
8 Zvibereko Fruits Zvi- Zvibereko zvi-ri kuibva. The fruits are ripening.

3. Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives indicate ownership or possession. The possessor
determines the second part of the possessive adjective, while the possessed
object determines the prefix based on its noun class. The formula for forming
possessive adjectives is:
Possessive Adjective = Possessor Pronoun + Object Prefix
Step 1: Determine the Possessor
Shona Possessiv
English Example Translation
Pronoun e Pronoun
My Ini -ngu Bhuku rangu. My book.
Your
Iwe -ko Mombe yako. Your cow.
(singular)
His/Her Iye -ke Imba yake. His/Her house.
Our Isu -du Ngoma yedu. Our drum.
Your Dzimba Your (plural)
Imi -nyu
(plural) dzenyu. houses.
Bhasikoro
Their Ivo -vo Their bicycle.
ravo.

The possessive adjective is formed by combining the possessor's pronoun

with the appropriate prefix for the possessed object based on its noun class.
Step 2: Identify the Possessed Object
The possessed object determines the prefix of the possessive adjective.
Possessive
Clas Example Translatio Translati
Prefix Adjective
s Noun n on
Example
1 Mwana Child Wa- Mwana wangu. My child.
Our
2 Vanhu People Va- Vanhu vedu.
people.
5 Shumba Lion Ya- Shumba yavo. Their lion.
Your
6 Mabhuku Books A- Mabhuku ako.
books.
My
7 Chikoro School Cha- Chikoro changu.
school.
8 Zvibereko Fruits Zva- Zvibereko zvedu. Our fruits.
Complete Examples
Exam Personal Subject Possess Sentence Translation
ple Pronoun/N Prefix ive
oun Class Adjectiv
e
1 I (Ini) Ndi- - Ini ndi-ri kufara. I am happy.
2 Chikoro Chi- Changu Chikoro changu chi-ri My school is
(school) kuvhurwa. being opened.
3 Mabhuku A- Edu Mabhuku edu a-ri Our books are
(books) patafura. on the table.

Object Suffixes in Shona

Shona has object suffixes, which are attached to verbs to indicate the object
of an action. These suffixes replace explicit object nouns in a sentence when
the object is implied. They are used to make sentences shorter and more
fluid.
1. Object Suffixes for Personal Pronouns
English Shona Object Example in Translation
Pronoun Suffix Use
Me -ndi- Anondi-ona. He/She sees me.
You (singular) -ku- Ndiri kuku- I am helping you.
batsira.
Him/Her -mu- Tiri kumu- We are teaching
dzidzisa. him/her.
Us -ti- Vari kuti- They are helping us.
batsira.
You (plural) -ku- Ndiri kuku- I am thanking you
tendai. all.
Them -va- Tiri kuva-ona. We are seeing them.

2. Object Suffixes for Noun Classes

Noun Exampl Object Example Translation
Class e Noun Suffix Sentence
Class 1 Mwana -mu- Ndiri kumu- I am helping the child.
batsira.
Class 2 Vanhu -va- Tiri kuva-tenda. We are thanking the
people.
Class 5 Shumba -ri- Ndiri kuryi-ona. I am seeing the lion.
Class 6 Mabhuk -a- Tiri ku-a- We are reading the
u verenga. books.
Class 7 Chikoro -chi- Ndiri kuchi- I am entering the
pinda. school.
Class 8 Zvibere -zvi- Tiri kuzvi-dya. We are eating the
ko fruits.

How to Use Object Suffixes

1. Identify the object of the verb (Who or what is receiving the action).
2. Attach the appropriate object suffix to the verb root.
Formula: Subject Prefix + Verb Root + Object Suffix

Examples of Object Suffix Usage:

For Personal Pronouns:
Sentence Subject Verb Root Object Suffix Translation
Prefix
Ndiri Ndi- (I) -batsira -ku- (you) I am helping you.
kukubatsira
Anondiona Ano- -ona -ndi- (me) He/She sees me.
(He/She)
Vari Va- (They) -batsira -ti- (us) They are helping
kutibatsira us.

For Noun Classes:

Sentence Subject Verb Object Translation
Prefix Root Suffix
Ndiri kumubatsira Ndi- (I) -batsira -mu- I am helping the
mwana (child) child.
Tiri kuaverenga Ti- (We) -verenga -a- (books) We are reading the
mabhuku books.
Ndiri kuzvidya Ndi- (I) -dya -zvi- I am eating the
zvibereko (fruits) fruits.
Quizzes:

1. Which of the following is the correct subject prefix for the noun "Mwana" (child)?
a) Va-
b) A-
c) Chi-
d) Mu-
2. What is the subject prefix for the noun "Vanhu" (people)?

a) A-
b) Va-
c) Ti-
d) Mu-

3. Which of the following sentences correctly uses the subject prefix for "Iwe" (you
singular)?

a) Iwe u-ri kufamba.

b) Iwe a-ri kufamba.
c) Iwe mu-ri kufamba.
d) Iwe ndi-ri kufamba.

4. Which possessive adjective is used to say "my book" in Shona?

a) Bhuku rako
b) Bhuku rangu
c) Bhuku ravo
d) Bhuku rako

5. What is the correct possessive adjective for "our drum" in Shona?

a) Ngoma yako
b) Ngoma yangu
c) Ngoma yedu
d) Ngoma yenyu

6. Which object suffix is used for "me" in the sentence "Anondi-ona" (He/She sees
me)?

a) -ti-
b) -mu-
c) -ndi-
d) -ku-

7. Which of the following is the correct object suffix for the noun "Shumba" (lion)?
 a) -mu-
b) -ri-
c) -a-
d) -zi-

8. In the sentence "Tiri kumubatsira mwana" (We are helping the child), which object
suffix is used?

a) -mu-
b) -ri-
c) -a-
d) -zi-

9. Which of the following is the correct subject prefix for the noun "Chikoro"
(school)?

a) Chi-
b) A-
c) Va-
d) Zvi-

10. Which object suffix is used in the sentence "Ndiri kuzvidya zvibereko" (I am eating
the fruits)?

a) -a-
b) -zi-
c) -mu-
d) -ri-

Answer List:

1. b) A-
2. b) Va-
3. a) Iwe u-ri kufamba.
4. b) Bhuku rangu
5. c) Ngoma yedu
6. c) -ndi-
7. b) -ri-
8. a) -mu-
9. a) Chi-
10. b) -zi-