iwe
The English word 'you' is translated as iwe in Venda.
The word is used as a subject pronoun to refer to the person being addressed.
Meaning: subject pronoun: the person being addressed (pron)
Which one should you use?
While iwe is the default form, the term Wena is also used to mean 'you'.
Did you know?
- Using iwe to address an elder or a person of high status can be considered disrespectful in Venda culture.
- The word iwe shares a common ancestor with the Swahili word wewe, meaning they are distant linguistic cousins.
- Unlike English, which uses 'you' for both one person and a group, Venda distinguishes between the singular 'you' and the plural 'you'.
Examples in context
- Iwe uya?Are you coming?
Example conversation
Tshilidzi and Ndivhuwo are meeting at the market.
- TshilidziIwe u tshi vha u tshi vha vho vhuya?Have you arrived?
- NdivhuwoEe, ndo vhuya zwino.Yes, I have just arrived.
- TshilidziU vha u tshi vha u tshi vhea?Where are you going now?
- NdivhuwoNdi khou ya kha vhafu.I am going to the ancestors.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries iwe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
