Subject and Object Pronouns

1. Subject and Object Pronouns

Zande distinguishes between personal (human/general indefinite) and animal classes, while neuter (inanimate) nouns do not have distinct personal pronoun listings in these categories

Pronoun Class / Meaning Subject Form Object Form

I / me (1st sg.) mi / re

you (sg.) / thee (2nd sg.) mo / ro

he / him (3rd masculine) ko / ko

she / her (3rd feminine) ro / ri

he/she/him/her (indefinite) ni / ni

we / us (1st plural) ani / rani

you (2nd plural) oni / roni

they / them (3rd human plural) i / yo / yo

it (animal) (3rd singular animal) u / ru

they / them (animal) (3rd plural animal) ru / ra

Note: The objective forms of animal pronouns (like ru for singular) are also regularly suffixed to nouns to denote intimate genitive relationships, such as body parts. When suffixing to a noun ending in the syllable -se, that syllable is dropped (e.g., ngbaduse "chest" becomes ngbadure "my chest").

2. Possessive Pronouns

In the possessive class, Zande introduces a dedicated neuter (inanimate) category alongside human and animal categories.

Possessor Class & Number Form

mine (1st sg. human) gimi

yours (sg.) / thine (2nd sg. human) gamo

his (3rd masculine sg.) gako

hers (3rd feminine sg.) gari

his / hers (indefinite) (3rd indef. sg.) gani

its (animal) (animal sg.) gau

its (neuter) (inanimate sg.) gaa

ours (1st plural) gaani

yours (2nd plural) gaoni theirs (3rd plural human) gayo

theirs (animal) (animal plural) gaami

Note: Possessive pronouns in Zande can also be functionally used as reflexive pronouns, such as in the phrase Mi ye ti gimi ("I have come myself").

3. Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used when an action is performed back onto the subject. Zande has singular reflexive forms for human, animal, and neuter classes.

Class / Person Singular Form Plural Form

1st Person (myself / ourselves) tire / tirani

2nd Person (yourself / yourselves) tiro / tironi

3rd Person Masculine (himself / themselves) tiko / tiyo or tira

3rd Person Feminine (herself / themselves) tiri / tiyo or tira

Animal (itself / themselves) tiru / —

Neuter (itself / themselves) tie / —

(For plural third-person reflexives, the forms tiyo and tira are both used in the general plural list.)