In Igbo, pronouns are used in place of nouns.
We’ll be looking at:
Personal pronouns
Possessive pronouns
Relative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Interrogative pronouns
Personal Pronouns
I/me - M/mụ. Eg: I’m coming - M na-abịa. Give me - Nye m. Mụ na di m
jere. I and my husband went.
You - Ị/gị. Are you coming? - Ị na-abịa?. And you? – Gị kwanụ? I’m calling you – M na-akpọ gị.
She/he/it - Ọ/O. She’s coming. Ọ na-abịa. She went - O jere. Him/her/it – Ya. Give him - Nye ya.
We/us – Anyị. Anyị na-abịa. Nye anyị.
They/them – Ha. Ha na-abịa. Nye ha.
You (plural) – Unu. Unu na-abịa. I will give you - M ga-enye unu.
Possessive Pronouns
My - m. My chair – oche m. Mine – nke m
Our – anyị. Our chair – oche anyị Ours – nke anyị
Your – gị Yours – nke gị
Your (plural) – unu Yours – nke unu
His/her/its – ya His/hers/its – nke ya
Their – ha Theirs – nke ha
Relative Pronouns
Who/whom/whose - Onye. The one who came – Onye bịara.
Who/whom/whose (plural) - Ndị. The ones who came – Ndị bịara.
Whoever/whomever - Onye ọbụla. Whoever wants ... Onye ọbụla chọrọ
Whoever/whomever (plural) – Ndị ọbụla. Whoever wants ... Ndị ọbụla chọrọ
Which – Nke. This is the bag which I gave him. Nke a bụ akpa nke m nyere ya Whichever - Nke ọbụla. Whichever you want ... Nke ọbụla ị chọrọ...
Whichever (plural) – Ndị ọbụla. Ndị ọbụla ị chọrọ...
Demonstrative Pronouns
This - A, nke a. Eg: this chair – oche a.
This one – nke a
These - Ndị a. Eg: these chairs - oche ndị a
That - Ahụ, nke ahụ. Eg: that chair - oche ahụ.
That one – nke ahụ
Those - Ndị ahụ. Eg: those chairs - oche ndị ahụ
Indefinite Pronouns
Anyone – Onye ọbụla. Eg: onye ọbụla chọrọ, nye ya.
Everyone – Onye ọbụla, Ndị niile (mmadụ niile). Eg: Onye ọbụla bịara. Anything – Ihe ọbụla, nke ọbụla
Everything – Ihe niile
Something – Ihe. M hapụrụ ihe - I left something.
Someone – E/A. Eg: A saala ya – it has been washed (by someone)
E mere ya – it was done (by someone)
Some - Ụfọdụ. Ụfọdụ mmadụ bịara – Some people came. Many - Ọtụtụ. Ọtụtụ mmadụ bịara.
Reflexive/emphatic Pronouns
Myself – Onwe m. M mere ya n’onwe m – I did it myself
Mụnwa. Eg: Mụnwa? - Myself? Mụnwa mere ya – I did it (myself) Ourselves – Onwe anyị. Anyịnwa
Yourself – Onwe gị. Gịnwa Yourselves – Onwe unu. Ununwa.
Himself/herself/itself – Onwe ya. Yanwa Themselves - Onwe ha. Hanwa
Interrogative Pronouns
These are used in asking questions eg: who, what, which etc. Learn more in the blog and video titled: ‘ How to ask questions in Igbo’.
References
1. Godson Echebima. A Textbook of Igbo Grammar