Object Pronouns: Suffix Form

01

Forms of the Object Pronouns

These suffixes change based on person, gender, and number. Note that these forms are identical to possessive suffixes (e.g., "his book"), with the major exception of the first-person singular ("me").

First Person (Speaker)

• ⁧⁧ـنِي⁩⁩ (nīnīniyny) - me (used with verbs)
• ⁧⁧ـنَا⁩⁩ (nānānāna) - us

Second Person (Addressee)

• ⁧⁧ـكَ⁩⁩ (kạkakak) - you (masculine singular)
• ⁧⁧ـكِ⁩⁩ (kịkikik) - you (feminine singular)
• ⁧⁧ـكُمَا⁩⁩ (kụmākumākumākma) - you two (dual)
• ⁧⁧ـكُمْ⁩⁩ (kụmkumkumkm) - you (masculine/mixed plural)
• ⁧⁧ـكُنَّ⁩⁩ (kụnnạkunnakunnakn) - you (feminine plural)

Third Person (Absent)

• ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (hụhuhuh) - him / it
• ⁧⁧ـهَا⁩⁩ (hāhāhāha) - her / it
• ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (hụmāhumāhumāhma) - them two (dual)
• ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (hụmhumhumhm) - them (masculine/mixed plural)
• ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (hụnnạhunnahunnahn) - them (feminine plural)

02

Attaching to Verbs (Direct Objects)

When you attach these suffixes to a verb, they function as the direct object. The verb is the action, and the suffix is who the action is happening to.

• ⁧سَأَلَهُ.⁩

  sạʼạlạhụ.saʾalahu.saˈalahu.sˈalh.

  He asked him.

• ⁧يُسَاعِدُنَا.⁩

  yụsāʕịdụnā.yusāʿidunā.yusāʿidunā.ysaʕdna.

  He helps us.

• ⁧أُحِبُّكِ.⁩

  ʼụḥịbbụkị.ʾuḥibbuki.ˈuḥibbuki.ˈaḥbk.

  I love you (to a female).

03

The Special Case of "Me" ⁧ـنِي⁩ (nī)

This is the most important distinction between object pronouns and possessive pronouns.

• Possessive (with nouns): To say "my book," you use the suffix ⁧⁧ـي⁩⁩ (īīiyy). Example: ⁧⁧كِتَابِي⁩⁩ (kịtābīkitābīkitābiyktaby).
• Object (with verbs): To say "he helped me," you must use ⁧⁧ـنِي⁩⁩ (nīnīniyny). The extra "n" is called the "protective nun" ⁧⁧نون الوقاية⁩⁩ (nūn ᵃlwịqāyạẗnūn ᵃlwiqāyahnuwn ᵃlwiqāyaẗnwn ᵃlwqayẗ). It protects the verb's final vowel from being swallowed by the "ī" sound.

• ⁧عَلَّمَنِي.⁩

  ʕạllạmạnī.ʿallamanī.ʿallamaniy.ʕlmny.

  He taught me.

• ⁧يَسْمَعُنِي.⁩

  yạsmạʕụnī.yasmaʿunī.yasmaʿuniy.ysmʕny.

  He hears me.

04

Attaching to Prepositions

These pronouns also attach to prepositions to express concepts like "with him," "for her," or "from us."

• ⁧هَذِهِ الهَدِيَّةُ لَكَ.⁩

  hặḏịhị ᵃlhạdịyyạẗụ lạkạ.hād͟hihi ᵃlhadiyyatu laka.hāḏihi ᵃlhadiyyaẗu laka.hḏh ᵃlhdyẗ lk.

  This gift is for you (masc).

• ⁧تَكَلَّمْتُ مَعَهَا.⁩

  tạkạllạmtụ mạʕạhā.takallamtu maʿahā.takallamtu maʿahā.tklmt mʕha.

  I spoke with her.

05

Vowel Harmony in Third Person

The third-person pronouns that normally start with a u sound ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (hụhuhuh), ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (hụmhumhumhm), ⁧⁧ـهُمَا⁩⁩ (hụmāhumāhumāhma), ⁧⁧ـهُنَّ⁩⁩ (hụnnạhunnahunnahn) undergo a sound change for easier pronunciation. If the letter immediately before the pronoun has a ⁧⁧كَسْرَة⁩⁩ (kạsrạẗkasrahkasraẗksrẗ) (i vowel) or is the letter ⁧⁧يَاء⁩⁩ (yāʼyāʾyāˈyaʼ) (⁧⁧ي⁩⁩ (y)), the vowel in the pronoun changes from u to i.

• ⁧⁧ـهُ⁩⁩ (hụhuhuh) becomes ⁧⁧ـهِ⁩⁩ (hịhihih)
• ⁧⁧ـهُمْ⁩⁩ (hụmhumhumhm) becomes ⁧⁧ـهِمْ⁩⁩ (hịmhimhimhm)

This does not change the meaning, only the pronunciation.

• ⁧فِي بَيْتِهِ.⁩

  fī bạytịhị.fī baytihi.fiy baytihi.fy byth.

  In his house. (Not baytihu)

• ⁧إِلَيْهِمْ.⁩

  ʼịlạyhịm.ʾilayhim.ˌilayhim.ˌilyhm.

  To them. (Not ilayhum)