im
The English phrase "him" is translated into Jamaican as im.
im serves as the direct object (accusative). It can also be used in the phrase him deh to indicate the location of someone.
Meaning: accusative / direct object (pron)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses distinct words for the object and the possessive, in Jamaican Patois im often replaces both the accusative "him" and the possessive "his".
How does it change in a sentence?
In many Jamaican Patois dialects, im is used for both the object form (him) and the possessive form (his).
Did you know?
- In Jamaican Patois, im is often gender-neutral and can be used to refer to a person regardless of whether they are male or female.
- When referring to a group of people, dem is added to im to create im dem, which functions as a plural pronoun.
- Jamaican Patois frequently uses im in a way that mirrors West African languages, where the distinction between 'he' and 'him' is absent.
Examples in context
- Mi a go meet im.I'm going to meet him.
- Tell heem fi come ya.Tell him to come here.
- Im deh deh.He is there.
- Mi see im.I saw him.
- Yuh know im well.You know him well.
- Dat a im.That is him.
Example conversation
Tanesha and Ricardo are looking for a friend in a crowd.
- TaneshaWah happen? Mi no see im.What happened? I don't see him.
- RicardoLook deh! Im deh by di car.Look there! He is there by the car.
- TaneshaOh, mi see im now.Oh, I see him now.
- RicardoGuh tell im we deh yah.Go tell him we are here.
