In Cilubà, one of the few points you need to understand and master, it’s the stressed and possessive pronouns.
We’re already seen the personal pronouns:
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| n-/nyi | je | I |
| u- | tu | you |
| ù- | il, elle | he, she |
| tu- | nous | we |
| nu- | vous | you |
| ba- | ils, elles | they |
Here are the corresponding possessive pronouns. They are also used as possessive adjectives:
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| wanyì | mon, mien | my, mine |
| webà | ton, tien | your(s) |
| wendà | son, sien | his, her(s) |
| wetù | notre, nôtre | our(s) |
| wenù | votre, vôtre | your(s) |
| wabù | leur | their(s) |
Exemples: mulongeshi wanyi, Taatu weba, mulunda wenda, etc…
The corresponding stressed pronouns go as follows:
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| mêma | moi | me |
| wêwa | toi | you |
| yêya | lui, elle | he, she |
| twêtu | nous | us |
| nwênu | vous | you |
| bôbu | eux, elles | them |
Why is it important to know them? It’s because they are used in many expressions.
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| naanyì | avec moi | with me |
| neebà | avec toi | with you |
| nendà | avec lui, elle | with him, her |
| neetù | avec nous | with us |
| neenù | avec vous | with you |
| naabù | avec eux, elles | with them |
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| bwànyì | pour moi | for me |
| bwèbà | pour toi | for you |
| bwèndà | pour lui, elle | for him, her |
| bwètù | pour nous | for us |
| bwènù | pour vous | for you |
| bwàbù | pour eux, elles | for them |
You can even mix them:
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| mêma pàànyì | moi aussi | me too |
| wêba pèèbà | toi aussi | you too |
| yêya pèndà | lui, elle aussi | him, her too |
| twêtu pèètù | nous aussi | us too |
| nwênu pèènù | vous aussi | you too |
| bôbu pààbù | eux, elles aussi | them too |
| Cilubà | Français | English |
| (mêma) nkàyaanyì | moi seul(e) | on my own |
| (wêwa) nkàyeebà | toi seul(e) | on your own |
| (yêya) nkàyendà | lui, elle seul(e) | on his, her own |
| (twêtu) nkàyeetù | nous seul(e)s | on our own |
| (nwênu) nkàyeenù | vous seul(e)s | on your own |
| (bôbu) nkàyaabù | ils, elles seul(e)s | on their own |
Used prefixes:
WÀ- = de / belonging to
NE- = avec / with
BWÀ- = pour / for
PÀ- = aussi / too
NKÀÀYÀ- = seul / only or alone
Exemple: mêma pàànyì ndi mvwa nzala / moi aussi j’ai faim / I’m hungry too
Note that these are only the pronouns regarding people. There are also a whole range of pronouns that are used for objects. The subject is vast enough to post several articles about it. So keep coming back for more Cilubà classes…
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