Chapter 1: Getting Started

Attaching Pronouns to Verbs

See how Dholuo pronouns join verbs as prefixes and suffixes, as in adhi (I go) and odhi (he/she goes), with dialogue and practice.

📚 Theory: Basic Pronouns

Pronouns can be attached to verbs to show the subject of the verb (i.e., the person doing the verb) or the object of the verb (i.e., the person the verb is being done to). To attach a pronoun to a verb, you remove the ‘n’ at the end of the pronoun and attach the remaining part to the verb. For example: ‘An’ means ‘I’ and ‘dhi’ means ‘to go’. To say ‘I go’, you would say ‘Adhi’ – you remove the ‘n’ from ‘An’ and attach ‘A’ to the verb ‘dhi’.

Dholuo	Literal	English	Notes
An + dhi = Adhi	I + go = I go	I go	Remove ‘n’ from ‘An’, attach ‘A’ to ‘dhi’
In + dhi = Idhi	You + go = You go	You go	Remove ‘n’ from ‘In’, attach ‘I’ to ‘dhi’
En + dhi = Odhi	He/She + goes = He/She goes	He/She goes	The third person singular is unique. The ‘e’ turns to ‘o’.
Wan + dhi = Wadhi	We + go = We go	We go	Remove ‘n’ from ‘Wan’, attach ‘Wa’ to ‘dhi’
Un + dhi = Udhi	You (plural) + go = You go	You go	Remove ‘n’ from ‘Un’, attach ‘U’ to ‘dhi’
Gin + dhi = Gidhi	They + go = They go	They go	Remove ‘n’ from ‘Gin’, attach ‘Gi’ to ‘dhi’
O + hero + an = Ohera	He/she + loves + us = He/she loves me	He/she loves me.	Pronouns can also be attached at the end of verbs to show who the action is being done. In this case, you remove the ‘n’ from ‘an’ and attach it to the end of the verb.
O + hero + in = Oheri	He/she + loves + you = He/she loves you	He/she loves you.
O + hero + en = Ohere	He/she + loves + us = He/she loves him/her	He/she loves him/her.
O + hero + wan = Oherowa	He/she + loves + us = He/she loves us	He/she loves us.
O + hero + un = Oherou	He/she + loves + you = He/she loves you	He/she loves you.
O + hero + gin = Oherogi	He/she + loves + them = He/she loves them	He/she loves them.

Grammar note: The third person singular ‘En’ takes the form ‘O’ when it is the subject of the verb but the form ‘e’ when it is the object.

💬 Conversation Practice

Yambo

Idhi kanye?

You go + where?

Where are you going

Akinyi

Adhi limogi

I go + visit them

I’m going to visit them

Yambo

Iherogi

You love them

Akinyi

Ang’eyo

I know

Yambo

Gin be giherou

They + also + they love you.

They love you as well.

📚 Vocabulary from the Conversation

Dholuo	English	Type
Hero	To love	Verb
Be	Also	Pronoun

🎯 Practice Exercises

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