LESSON 48

Personal Pronouns

Vocabulary

101. Personal pronouns. Though the personal pronouns as subjects do not have to be, expressed other than by the personal prefixes (i.e. ndagenda - n is the personal prefix), these pronouns exist and are needed in many instances.

The we in parentheses after wowe is to indicate that sometimes this pronoun is simply we. The third person singUlar welooks the same as this short form of the 2nd person, but in pronunciation it is clipped off a bit shorter than the 2nd person. Get an African to say both sounds for you.

Caution: Do not try to use these words as objects of verbs. One would never say “ndabona wowe” for “I see you”. You will learn later how to say that correctly.

These pronouns may be used as subjects of verbs when emphasis is desired; e.g. Jyewe nzaguma aha ariko wowe uzagenda - I shall stay here, but you will go.

102. Muri and kuri. The prepositions mu and ku change to muri and kuri before: 1). proper names, 2) most words beginning with consonants, 3) the personal pronouns, 4) the demonstratives (these will be taught in a later lesson). e.g. muri Yesu - in Jesus kuri twe - to us, unto us

Exceptions: 1) With certain names of places they remain mu and ku. e.g. mu Kirambo is the form used for “at Kirambo”.

2) Before infinitives it does not change. e.g. ndi mu gusoma - I am reading right now. This form is often used to express the idea of “to be in the act of … “ like the French “en train de.”

Exercises:

I. Translate into English:

1. Jyewe ndashaka kuguma muri Yesu Kristo Umukiza wanjye. 2. Muri mwe hari benshi (insert “whom”) Yesu ashaka gukiza. 3. Imana ifite ubushobozi bwinshi bwo (do not translate bwo) gutsinda Satani. 4. Twebwe tuzi Yesu; tuzinjira mu bwami bw’Imana, ariko abanyabyaha bazabona urupfu. 5. Yesu ni Umukiza wacu; abantu bose (insert “who”) bazagenda kuri we bazakizwa. 6. Ni wowe (insert “who”) ukunda gufasha ababyeyi cyane. 7. Jyewe nkunda ibigori, ariko wowe ukunda cyane inyama. 8. Subira kuri Petero vuba; ari mu gupfa. 9. Abantu bashobora kugwa mu cyobo kuko kiri hafi y’inzira. 10. Bara abigishwa bose; umwe muri bo afite indwara mbi.

II. Translate into Kinyarwanda:

1. Jesus does not want sin in His people; He will forgive everyone his sins. 2. Come to Jesus; He wants to save every person. 3. We can all receive new life in Jesus, but death is in Satan. 4. You (s., emphasis) are you abiding (staying) in Jesus? Do you have His peace in your heart? 5. Send a letter to Matayo. 6. Among you (pl.) there are rich people and poor people, men and women. 7. Come to me; I will buy your eggs. 8. We (emphasis) want to have power (insert bwo) to defeat sin and (no) to enter the kingdom of God. 9. The old man will die soon; we want to go to him to speak words of love. 10. Do you (pl.) see the people over there? My child is among them.