In Chewa (Nyanja), the third person singular pronoun “he/she” is expressed as iye. Unlike English, Chewa does not distinguish between masculine and feminine in third-person pronouns—iye can mean both “he” and “she” depending on context. This gender neutrality is a characteristic feature of many Bantu languages.
As a pro-drop language, Chewa often omits the freestanding pronoun iye because the verb already contains the subject prefix a- (or w- in the Perfect tense) that indicates third person singular. The pronoun iye is typically used only for emphasis or clarity: iye akudya means “HE/SHE is eating” with emphasis on who is eating.
The subject prefix a- attaches directly to the verb to indicate “he/she” in most tenses. For example: akudya (he/she is eating), adapita (he/she went). In modern standard Chichewa, there is no difference between third person singular and plural except in the Perfect tense, although some dialects still maintain this distinction.
This lesson explores how iye and the a- prefix function across 30 examples, from basic statements to complex narrative contexts, demonstrating their usage in everyday Chewa communication.
Link to course index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
FAQ: What does “he” mean in Chewa? In Chewa, “he” (or “she”) translates to iye as a freestanding pronoun. The subject prefix a- on verbs indicates third person singular action. Chewa does not distinguish gender in third-person pronouns—iye can refer to any person regardless of gender.
Key Takeaways: -
iye = he/she (gender-neutral third person singular pronoun) -
a- = subject prefix for “he/she” in most tenses (w- in Perfect tense) -
Pro-drop language: iye often omitted since verb shows subject -
No grammatical gender distinction in Chewa pronouns -
Used for emphasis or clarity when freestanding pronoun appears
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iye [i.je] - pronounced “ee-yeh,” stress on first syllable. The ‘y’ is pronounced like English ‘y’ in “yes.”
a- [a] - subject prefix, pronounced as short “ah” sound, attached directly to verb stem
w- [w] - Perfect tense subject prefix, pronounced like English ‘w’ in “we”
Note: Chewa is a tonal language, but tones are not typically marked in standard orthography. Stress usually falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable in Chewa words.
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16.1a Iye akudya nsima 16.1b Iye (i.je) he/she akudya (a.ku.dʒa) is-eating nsima (n.si.ma) corn-porridge
16.2a Akupita ku msika 16.2b Akupita (a.ku.pi.ta) is-going ku (ku) to msika (m.si.ka) market
16.3a Iye ali ndi mwana 16.3b Iye (i.je) he/she ali (a.li) is ndi (ndi) with mwana (mwa.na) child
16.4a Adapita ku sukulu 16.4b Adapita (a.da.pi.ta) went ku (ku) to sukulu (su.ku.lu) school
16.5a Iye akugona 16.5b Iye (i.je) he/she akugona (a.ku.go.na) is-sleeping
16.6a Akufuna madzi 16.6b Akufuna (a.ku.fu.na) wants madzi (ma.dzi) water
16.7a Iye wapita kale 16.7b Iye (i.je) he/she wapita (wa.pi.ta) has-gone kale (ka.le) already
16.8a Akudzera m’mudzi 16.8b Akudzera (a.ku.dze.ra) is-passing m’mudzi (m.mu.dzi) in-village
16.9a Iye akusewera 16.9b Iye (i.je) he/she akusewera (a.ku.se.we.ra) is-playing
16.10a Akuona nyumba 16.10b Akuona (a.ku.o.na) is-seeing nyumba (ɲu.mba) house
16.11a Iye adalankhula nane 16.11b Iye (i.je) he/she adalankhula (a.da.la.ŋkhu.la) spoke nane (na.ne) with-me
16.12a Akumwa mowa 16.12b Akumwa (a.ku.mwa) is-drinking mowa (mo.wa) beer
16.13a Iye akuyenda msanga 16.13b Iye (i.je) he/she akuyenda (a.ku.je.nda) is-walking msanga (m.sa.ŋga) quickly
16.14a Akuphika chakudya 16.14b Akuphika (a.ku.phi.ka) is-cooking chakudya (tʃa.ku.dʒa) food
16.15a Iye wabwera kuchokera ku Lilongwe 16.15b Iye (i.je) he/she wabwera (wa.bwe.ra) has-come kuchokera (ku.tʃo.ke.ra) from ku (ku) to Lilongwe (li.lo.ŋgwe) Lilongwe
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16.1 Iye akudya nsima → “He is eating corn porridge”
16.2 Akupita ku msika → “He is going to the market”
16.3 Iye ali ndi mwana → “She has a child”
16.4 Adapita ku sukulu → “He went to school”
16.5 Iye akugona → “She is sleeping”
16.6 Akufuna madzi → “He wants water”
16.7 Iye wapita kale → “She has already gone”
16.8 Akudzera m’mudzi → “He is passing through the village”
16.9 Iye akusewera → “She is playing”
16.10 Akuona nyumba → “He sees the house”
16.11 Iye adalankhula nane → “She spoke with me”
16.12 Akumwa mowa → “He is drinking beer”
16.13 Iye akuyenda msanga → “She is walking quickly”
16.14 Akuphika chakudya → “He is cooking food”
16.15 Iye wabwera kuchokera ku Lilongwe → “She has come from Lilongwe”
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16.1 Iye akudya nsima
16.2 Akupita ku msika
16.3 Iye ali ndi mwana
16.4 Adapita ku sukulu
16.5 Iye akugona
16.6 Akufuna madzi
16.7 Iye wapita kale
16.8 Akudzera m’mudzi
16.9 Iye akusewera
16.10 Akuona nyumba
16.11 Iye adalankhula nane
16.12 Akumwa mowa
16.13 Iye akuyenda msanga
16.14 Akuphika chakudya
16.15 Iye wabwera kuchokera ku Lilongwe
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These are the grammar rules for “he/she” in Chewa:
The Pronoun iye: The freestanding pronoun iye serves as the third person singular pronoun meaning both “he” and “she.” Chewa does not have grammatical gender, so one pronoun covers both masculine and feminine referents. The gender is understood from context—who or what is being discussed.
Pro-Drop Nature: Chewa is a pro-drop language, meaning the freestanding pronoun iye is frequently omitted because the verb already contains a subject prefix that indicates who is performing the action. The pronoun iye appears mainly for emphasis or when clarity is needed about who is being discussed.
Subject Prefixes: The key to understanding “he/she” in Chewa is the subject prefix system: -
a- is the standard third person singular subject prefix used in most tenses (Present Continuous, Past Simple, etc.) -
w- is used specifically in the Perfect tense (completed actions with present relevance)
These prefixes attach directly to the verb stem, immediately before any tense markers.
Verb Structure Formula: Subject prefix + Tense marker + Verb root
Examples: -
a-ku-dya = a (he/she) + ku (present continuous) + dya (eat) = “he/she is eating” -
a-da-pita = a (he/she) + da (past simple) + pita (go) = “he/she went” -
w-a-bwera = w (he/she) + a (perfect) + bwera (come) = “he/she has come”
Singular vs. Plural: In modern standard Chichewa, the third person singular (he/she) and third person plural (they) use the same subject prefix a- in most tenses. The distinction only appears in the Perfect tense: -
Singular Perfect: w-a-pita “he/she has gone” -
Plural Perfect: a-pita “they have gone”
Some dialects, such as Town Nyanja spoken in Lusaka, Zambia, maintain a distinction where plural uses ßa- or va- instead of a-.
Word Order: Basic Chewa word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). When the pronoun iye appears, it typically comes first: -
Iye akudya nsima = “He is eating corn porridge”
However, since Chewa is pro-drop, the more common form omits iye: -
Akudya nsima = “He is eating corn porridge” (subject understood from context)
Common Mistakes for English Speakers: -
Adding gender where none exists: English speakers often try to distinguish “he” from “she,” but Chewa uses iye for both. Don’t invent separate forms. -
Overusing the pronoun: English requires pronouns, but Chewa omits them when the verb prefix is clear. “Akupita” alone means “he/she is going”—adding iye every time sounds unnatural and overly emphatic. -
Confusing tense markers with subject markers: The a- prefix is the subject marker (who), while -ku-, -da-, etc. are tense markers (when). They work together but serve different functions. -
Expecting plural distinction: English speakers expect “he” and “they” to look different. In most Chewa tenses, both use a-, differing only in Perfect tense. -
Missing the Perfect tense prefix change: Remember that “he has gone” is wapita (not aapita), using w- instead of a-.
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Frequency and Usage: The pronoun iye and its associated prefix a- are fundamental to daily Chewa communication. As a third person pronoun, it’s used constantly in storytelling, gossip, news reporting, and any narrative about someone not present in the conversation. The pro-drop nature means you’ll hear the prefix a- far more often than the full pronoun iye.
Gender Neutrality: The lack of gender distinction in Chewa pronouns reflects a different way of organizing social reality compared to English. Chewa speakers don’t categorize people grammatically by gender when using pronouns. This doesn’t mean gender is unimportant in Chewa culture—it simply isn’t encoded in the pronoun system. Context, cultural knowledge, and sometimes noun class markers on other words (like bambo “father” vs. amayi “mother”) make the referent’s gender clear when relevant.
Emphasis and Discourse: When iye does appear, it often serves important discourse functions: -
Introducing a new person into the narrative -
Contrasting one person with another (”Iye akupita, koma ine ndikukhalabe” = “He is going, but I am staying”) -
Emphasizing who performed an action when there might be confusion -
Responding to questions about who did something
Regional Variations: The pronoun system described here reflects modern standard Chichewa as used in Malawi. In parts of Eastern Zambia where Chewa is spoken (called Nyanja there), you may encounter: -
Retention of separate plural markers (ßa- or va-) -
Different tonal patterns on pronouns -
Urban varieties influenced by English that may use pronouns more frequently
In Mozambique, where Nyanja/Chewa is also spoken, similar variations exist with local Portuguese influence.
Respect and Social Hierarchy: While the third person pronoun itself doesn’t encode respect levels (unlike the second person iwe/inu distinction), the way people talk about others using iye reflects social values. Adults are typically referred to with their relationship term (bambo “father,” amayi “mother”) or title before using iye, showing respect even when the person isn’t present.
Evolution of Usage: Historical Chewa maintained more elaborate noun class distinctions that affected pronoun usage. Modern standardization, heavily influenced by literacy education and Bible translation work during the colonial period, simplified some distinctions. The choice of -da- vs. -na- for past tense in different regions reflects these historical developments, with Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s language standardization efforts establishing -da- as the written standard.
In Storytelling: Chewa has rich oral literature traditions where iye and the a- prefix are essential. Traditional nthano (folk tales) constantly use these pronouns to track multiple characters. The ability to drop pronouns while keeping subjects clear through verb prefixes allows for fluid, fast-paced narrative that would be impossible in English without constant pronoun repetition.
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Part F-A: Interleaved Text
16-Fa.1a Kalulu adapita ku dambo 16-Fa.1b Kalulu (ka.lu.lu) Hare adapita (a.da.pi.ta) went ku (ku) to dambo (da.mbo) swamp
16-Fa.2a Iye anakumana ndi fulu 16-Fa.2b Iye (i.je) he anakumana (a.na.ku.ma.na) met ndi (ndi) with fulu (fu.lu) tortoise
16-Fa.3a Fulu adati “Ndikupitako bwanji?” 16-Fa.3b Fulu (fu.lu) Tortoise adati (a.da.ti) said Ndikupitako (ndi.ku.pi.ta.ko) how-am-I-going bwanji (bwa.ɲi) how
16-Fa.4a Iye adayankha “Ndikupita bwino” 16-Fa.4b Iye (i.je) he adayankha (a.da.ja.ŋkha) answered Ndikupita (ndi.ku.pi.ta) I-am-going bwino (bwi.no) well
Part F-B: The Text from F-A
16-Fa.1 Kalulu adapita ku dambo → “Hare went to the swamp”
16-Fa.2 Iye anakumana ndi fulu → “He met Tortoise”
16-Fa.3 Fulu adati “Ndikupitako bwanji?” → “Tortoise said, ‘How are you?’”
16-Fa.4 Iye adayankha “Ndikupita bwino” → “He answered, ‘I am well’”
Part F-C: Original Chewa Text of F-A Only
16-Fa.1 Kalulu adapita ku dambo
16-Fa.2 Iye anakumana ndi fulu
16-Fa.3 Fulu adati “Ndikupitako bwanji?”
16-Fa.4 Iye adayankha “Ndikupita bwino”
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This excerpt from a traditional Chewa folktale demonstrates typical narrative use of iye and the a- prefix. Notice how: -
Character introduction: “Kalulu adapita” establishes Hare as the subject, using his name with the a- prefix (adapita = went). -
Pronoun continuation: The second sentence uses Iye to maintain Hare as the subject while introducing a new action. The iye is necessary here for clarity since we’re introducing a second character (Fulu). -
Shifting subjects: Fulu becomes the new subject in sentence 3, marked by the a- prefix in “adati” (said). No iye needed here because the noun Fulu makes the subject clear. -
Back to original subject: Sentence 4 returns to Kalulu with Iye plus “adayankha” (answered). The pronoun signals we’re back to the original subject. -
Past tense markers: Notice the -da- marker appears throughout (adapita, adati, adayankha), showing these are completed past actions. -
Greeting formula: The phrase “Ndikupitako bwanji?” literally means “How am I going?” but functions as “How are you?” This is a standard Chewa greeting where the -ko suffix on -pita adds a sense of general state/manner.
This passage shows natural Chewa storytelling style where pronouns and subject prefixes work together to track multiple characters efficiently.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
16.16a Iye akuyenda m’munda akufuna chakudya 16.16b Iye (i.je) he/she akuyenda (a.ku.je.nda) is-walking m’munda (m.mu.nda) in-field akufuna (a.ku.fu.na) looking-for chakudya (tʃa.ku.dʒa) food
16.17a Adaona nyama yayikulu 16.17b Adaona (a.da.o.na) saw nyama (ɲa.ma) animal yayikulu (ja.ji.ku.lu) big
16.18a Iye adathamanga mwamsanga 16.18b Iye (i.je) he/she adathamanga (a.da.tha.ma.ŋga) ran mwamsanga (mwa.m.sa.ŋga) quickly
16.19a Adabisala m’mtengo 16.19b Adabisala (a.da.bi.sa.la) hid m’mtengo (m.mte.ŋgo) in-tree
16.20a Iye anayamba kuopa 16.20b Iye (i.je) he/she anayamba (a.na.ja.mba) began kuopa (ku.o.pa) to-fear
16.21a Nyama idayenda pafupi 16.21b Nyama (ɲa.ma) animal idayenda (i.da.je.nda) walked pafupi (pa.fu.pi) nearby
16.22a Iye adakhala chete 16.22b Iye (i.je) he/she adakhala (a.da.kha.la) stayed chete (tʃe.te) quiet
16.23a Adapemphera kuti asawoneke 16.23b Adapemphera (a.da.pe.mphe.ra) prayed kuti (ku.ti) that asawoneke (a.sa.wo.ne.ke) not-be-seen
16.24a Nyama idapitiriza kuyenda 16.24b Nyama (ɲa.ma) animal idapitiriza (i.da.pi.ti.ri.za) continued kuyenda (ku.je.nda) to-walk
16.25a Iye adakhalabe m’mtengo 16.25b Iye (i.je) he/she adakhalabe (a.da.kha.la.be) remained m’mtengo (m.mte.ŋgo) in-tree
16.26a Patapita nthawi, adatsika 16.26b Patapita (pa.ta.pi.ta) after-passing nthawi (n.tha.wi) time adatsika (a.da.tsi.ka) climbed-down
16.27a Iye adaona kuti nyama yapita 16.27b Iye (i.je) he/she adaona (a.da.o.na) saw kuti (ku.ti) that nyama (ɲa.ma) animal yapita (ja.pi.ta) has-gone
16.28a Adapuma momasuka 16.28b Adapuma (a.da.pu.ma) breathed momasuka (mo.ma.su.ka) with-relief
16.29a Iye adabwerera ku mudzi 16.29b Iye (i.je) he/she adabwerera (a.da.bwe.re.ra) returned ku (ku) to mudzi (mu.dzi) village
16.30a Adafotokoza zonse kwa amayi ake 16.30b Adafotokoza (a.da.fo.to.ko.za) explained zonse (zo.nse) everything kwa (kwa) to amayi (a.ma.ji) mother ake (a.ke) his/her
Part B: Natural Sentences
16.16 Iye akuyenda m’munda akufuna chakudya → “He is walking in the field looking for food”
16.17 Adaona nyama yayikulu → “He saw a big animal”
16.18 Iye adathamanga mwamsanga → “He ran quickly”
16.19 Adabisala m’mtengo → “He hid in a tree”
16.20 Iye anayamba kuopa → “He began to be afraid”
16.21 Nyama idayenda pafupi → “The animal walked nearby”
16.22 Iye adakhala chete → “He stayed quiet”
16.23 Adapemphera kuti asawoneke → “He prayed that he would not be seen”
16.24 Nyama idapitiriza kuyenda → “The animal continued walking”
16.25 Iye adakhalabe m’mtengo → “He remained in the tree”
16.26 Patapita nthawi, adatsika → “After some time passed, he climbed down”
16.27 Iye adaona kuti nyama yapita → “He saw that the animal had gone”
16.28 Adapuma momasuka → “He breathed with relief”
16.29 Iye adabwerera ku mudzi → “He returned to the village”
16.30 Adafotokoza zonse kwa amayi ake → “He explained everything to his mother”
Part C: Chewa Text Only
16.16 Iye akuyenda m’munda akufuna chakudya
16.17 Adaona nyama yayikulu
16.18 Iye adathamanga mwamsanga
16.19 Adabisala m’mtengo
16.20 Iye anayamba kuopa
16.21 Nyama idayenda pafupi
16.22 Iye adakhala chete
16.23 Adapemphera kuti asawoneke
16.24 Nyama idapitiriza kuyenda
16.25 Iye adakhalabe m’mtengo
16.26 Patapita nthawi, adatsika
16.27 Iye adaona kuti nyama yapita
16.28 Adapuma momasuka
16.29 Iye adabwerera ku mudzi
16.30 Adafotokoza zonse kwa amayi ake
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This narrative demonstrates advanced usage of iye and the a- subject prefix in extended storytelling:
Discourse Tracking: Notice the strategic use of iye (sentences 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29) to maintain focus on the main character while other subjects (nyama “animal”) are introduced. When the narrative shifts to the animal’s actions, it uses “Nyama idayenda” (21, 24) with the noun class prefix i- instead of a-, showing that Chewa tracks different noun classes systematically.
Tense Consistency: The narrative uses the -da- past tense marker throughout (adapita, adaona, adathamanga, etc.), creating a consistent simple past narration. This is typical of folktales and personal experience narratives.
Complex Verb Phrases: Several sentences show complex verb constructions: -
“akuyenda...akufuna” (16) - two present continuous verbs describing simultaneous actions -
“anayamba kuopa” (20) - aspectual verb “began” + infinitive “to fear” -
“adapemphera kuti asawoneke” (23) - matrix verb + complementizer kuti + subjunctive negative
Adverbial Phrases: The narrative includes rich adverbial expressions: -
“mwamsanga” (18) - manner: quickly -
“pafupi” (21) - location: nearby -
“chete” (22) - manner: quietly -
“momasuka” (28) - manner: with relief
Pronoun Placement: The pattern of pronoun use here is pedagogically valuable—iye appears at key narrative moments (beginning new episodes, emphasizing the protagonist, returning focus after discussing the animal), while being dropped when the subject is continuous and obvious. This reflects authentic Chewa narrative style.
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The Letter ‘Y’: In Chewa orthography, ‘y’ functions both as a consonant and as part of the letter combination ‘ny’. As a consonant at the start of words or between vowels, it sounds like English ‘y’ in “yes”: iye [i.je], yayikulu [ja.ji.ku.lu]. When combined with ‘n’ to form ‘ny’, it represents the palatal nasal sound [ɲ], similar to Spanish ‘ñ’ or English ‘ny’ in “canyon”: nyama [ɲa.ma].
The Prefix a-: The subject prefix a- is always short and unstressed, pronounced [a] like the ‘a’ in “about.” It never receives tonal accent on its own, though the tone pattern of the entire verb may vary. Don’t pronounce it like English “ay”—keep it brief.
Stress Patterns: Chewa stress typically falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: -
a-ku-DY-a (eating) -
a-da-PI-ta (went) -
a-ku-ye-ND-a (walking)
When suffixes are added, stress shifts: -
a-da-kha-LA (stayed) → a-da-kha-la-BE (remained), with stress shifting to -la- because -be makes it no longer penultimate.
Tone (Advanced): Although not marked in standard orthography, Chewa is tonal. The pronoun iye carries high tone on both syllables in citation form. Verb forms have complex tone patterns that distinguish tenses and aspects. For learning, focus on stress patterns first; natural tone will develop through listening and practice.
Regional Pronunciation: -
In Malawi, pronunciation tends to be clearer with distinct syllable boundaries -
In Zambian Nyanja, there may be more vowel reduction and faster speech -
Mozambican varieties show Portuguese influence in rhythm and intonation
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This Chewa course follows a frequency-based vocabulary progression, teaching the 1000 most common words that account for approximately 80% of everyday communication. Lesson 16 focuses on the third-person pronoun “he/she” (iye), ranked as the 16th most frequent word in English and equally fundamental in Chewa communication.
Each lesson employs the construed reading method, where every word receives individual glossing with pronunciation guidance. This transparency allows you to understand not just what sentences mean, but how they work—revealing the morphological architecture of Chewa’s subject prefix system, tense marking, and noun class agreement.
Chewa (also called Chichewa or Nyanja) is spoken by over 12 million people across Malawi, Eastern Zambia, and Northern Mozambique. It serves as Malawi’s national language and as a lingua franca throughout the region. Learning Chewa opens doors to rich oral literature traditions, provides practical communication skills for travel or development work in the region, and offers insights into Bantu linguistic structures shared by hundreds of languages across Africa.
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