← Ulendo wa Ziyankhulo: Kuyenda-yenda mu Chingerezi
"He" is one of the most frequent words in English. It is a pronoun: it takes the place of the name or the noun of a man or a boy who has already been mentioned. "My father is a teacher. He works in Zomba." The second sentence does not say "my father" again; "he" says it.
Chichewa does this work inside the verb. The verb carries a small piece at the front, a-, that means "he" (and also "she"):
- amagwira ntchito — he works (or she works) - akuphika — he is cooking (or she is cooking) - anapita — he went (or she went) - adzabwera — he will come (or she will come)
The separate word iye ("he, she") is used only for stress or contrast: Iye ndi mphunzitsi, "He is a teacher." English cannot leave "he" out. Every English sentence needs a subject word before the verb: "He works", never "Works".
English also has two words where Chichewa has one. Chichewa iye and a- mean both "he" and "she". English must choose:
- he — a man or a boy - she — a woman or a girl - it — a thing or an animal
"He" has other forms, and each one has its own job:
- he — the subject, before the verb: He works. - him — after a verb, or after "to, for, with": I see him. Talk to him. - his — belonging to him: his father, his house. - himself — he and no one else: He built the house himself.
Chichewa uses the verb for "him" (-mu-: ndikumuona, "I see him"), the ending -ake for "his" (bambo ake, "his father") and the word yekha for "himself" (anamanga nyumba yekha).
What does "he" mean in Chichewa? A man or a boy who is spoken about: the verb prefix a-, or iye when it is stressed. The same Chichewa word can also mean "she", so in English you must decide: "he" or "she".
Key Takeaways:
- "He" is for a man or a boy. English needs it before every verb: "He works", not "Works". - Do not say the name and "he" together: "John is a doctor" or "He is a doctor", never "John he is a doctor". - Chichewa iye and a- mean "he" and "she". English does not: use "he" for a man, "she" for a woman. - After "he" the present verb takes -s: he works, he goes, he has, he is, he does. - Subject "he", object "him", belonging "his": "He sees him" and "He sees his father".
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he — strong form /hiː/ (alone or stressed: "Who is it? He is." /ˈhuː ɪz ɪt | ˈhiː ɪz/); weak form /hi/ or /i/ in the middle of a sentence ("Where is he?" /ˈweər ɪz i/) him — /hɪm/; weak /ɪm/ his — /hɪz/; weak /ɪz/ himself — /hɪmˈself/ he's — /hiːz/ (he is, or he has); he'll — /hiːl/ (he will); he'd — /hiːd/ (he would, or he had)
The vowel /iː/ is long and tight, like a Chichewa i held for a little longer: /hiː/. Say "hee", not "hay": the English "he" is not read with the Chichewa e. The English word "he" rhymes with "she" /ʃiː/, "me" /miː/ and "we" /wiː/.
The first sound, /h/, is a soft breath out before the vowel. Do not say a hard "kh" as in Chichewa khala, and do not drop it when you speak slowly: "hee", not "ee".
In fast, natural speech the /h/ often disappears when "he" is in the middle of a sentence: "Did he come?" sounds like /dɪd i ˈkʌm/. This is normal, but at the start of a sentence "He" keeps its /h/: "He is my father" /hi ɪz maɪ ˈfɑːðə/.
"He" and "hi" are different words. "He" /hiː/ is the pronoun; "hi" /haɪ/ is a greeting. "He'll" /hiːl/ sounds like "heal" and "heel".
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16.1 He (iye) is ndi my father bambo anga
16.2 He (iye) is ndi a - teacher mphunzitsi
16.3 He (a-) works -ma-gwira ntchito every day tsiku lililonse
16.4 He (a-) is cooking -ku-phik- nsima nsima
16.5 He (a-) is well -li bwino
16.6 He (a-) lives -ma-khala in ku Zomba Zomba with ndi his wife mkazi wake
16.7 Yesterday dzulo he (a-) went -na-pita to ku the - market msika
16.8 He (a-) does not (sa-) speak -ma-lankhula English Chingelezi (Samalankhula Chingelezi)
16.9 Tomorrow mawa he (a-) will come -dza-bwera to my house kunyumba kwanga
16.10 He (a-) built -na-mang- the - house nyumba himself yekha
16.11 Is kodi he (ndi) your friend mnzako
16.12 Who ndani is ndi he iye
16.13 He (a-) says -ku-ti that (no word) he (wa-) is tired -topa (Akuti watopa)
16.14 If he (a-) comes -ka-bwera I (ndi-) will tell -dza-uza him (-mu-) (Akabwera, ndidzamuuza)
16.15 I (ndi-) do not (si-) see -ku-on- him (-mu-) but koma I (ndi-) know -ku-dziwa that kuti he (a-) is -li here pano (Sindikumuona, koma ndikudziwa kuti ali pano)
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16.1 He is my father. Iye ndi bambo anga.
16.2 He is a teacher. Iye ndi mphunzitsi.
16.3 He works every day. Amagwira ntchito tsiku lililonse.
16.4 He is cooking nsima. Akuphika nsima.
16.5 He is well. Ali bwino.
16.6 He lives in Zomba with his wife. Amakhala ku Zomba ndi mkazi wake.
16.7 Yesterday he went to the market. Dzulo anapita ku msika.
16.8 He does not speak English. Samalankhula Chingelezi.
16.9 Tomorrow he will come to my house. Mawa adzabwera kunyumba kwanga.
16.10 He built the house himself. Anamanga nyumba yekha.
16.11 Is he your friend? Kodi ndi mnzako?
16.12 Who is he? Iye ndi ndani?
16.13 He says that he is tired. Akuti watopa.
16.14 If he comes, I will tell him. Akabwera, ndidzamuuza.
16.15 I do not see him, but I know that he is here. Sindikumuona, koma ndikudziwa kuti ali pano.
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16.1 He is my father.
16.2 He is a teacher.
16.3 He works every day.
16.4 He is cooking nsima.
16.5 He is well.
16.6 He lives in Zomba with his wife.
16.7 Yesterday he went to the market.
16.8 He does not speak English.
16.9 Tomorrow he will come to my house.
16.10 He built the house himself.
16.11 Is he your friend?
16.12 Who is he?
16.13 He says that he is tired.
16.14 If he comes, I will tell him.
16.15 I do not see him, but I know that he is here.
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These are the grammar rules for "he" in English:
1. "He" is the subject for a man or a boy. It stands before the verb and takes the place of a name or a noun already mentioned: "My father is a teacher. He works in Zomba." In Chichewa the prefix a- is in the verb, and there is usually no separate word: Amagwira ntchito (16.3), Akuphika nsima (16.4), Ali bwino (16.5). English always needs the pronoun: "He works every day", "He is cooking nsima", "He is well".
Chichewa has the word iye, and it is used for stress: Iye ndi bambo anga (16.1), Iye ndi mphunzitsi (16.2). In English the same stress is made with the voice: "HE is my father."
2. One subject only. When a name or a noun is the subject, "he" is not added: "John is a doctor" or "He is a doctor", never "John he is a doctor". In Chichewa one can say Yohane, iye ndi dokotala for stress; in English this sounds wrong in writing.
3. He, she or it. Chichewa a- and iye do not tell a man from a woman. English must choose:
- a man or a boy — he - a woman or a girl — she - a thing, a place or an animal — it
Many Malawian names, such as Chikondi and Temwani, are used for men and for women. An English speaker cannot tell from the name, so say it: "My friend Temwani is a teacher. He works in Zomba."
4. The verb after "he". In the present simple the verb takes -s: he works (16.3), he lives (16.6), he says (16.13). Three verbs are special: he is (16.1), he has, he does. In the past the verb has one form for every person: he went (16.7), he built (16.10). In the future "will" does not change: he will come (16.9).
Chichewa changes the prefix for the time (amagwira, anapita, adzabwera). English changes the end of the verb only in the present, and only after he, she, it.
5. The forms of "he". The pronoun changes with its job:
- he — subject: He works. - him — object, after a verb or a small word (to, for, with, about): I will tell him (16.14), I do not see him (16.15) - his — belonging: his wife (16.6), his father - himself — he and no one else: He built the house himself (16.10)
Chichewa puts "him" inside the verb: -mu- in ndidzamuuza (16.14) and sindikumuona (16.15). "His" is the ending -ake or -wake: mkazi wake (16.6), bambo ake. "Himself" is yekha (16.10), which also means "alone": "He built the house himself" is also "He built the house alone." After "to, for, with" English says "him", not "he": "talk to him", "buy it for him", "go with him". Chichewa says naye (ndi + iye): kulankhula naye, "to talk to him".
Never use "he" for the object: "I see he" is wrong. Say "I see him."
6. Questions with "he". English changes the order: He is your friend. — Is he your friend? (16.11). The helper or "be" goes before "he". Chichewa starts with kodi: Kodi ndi mnzako? With a question word: "Who is he?" (16.12), "Where is he?", "What does he want?" The question word comes first, then the verb, then "he". When "do" is the helper (Lesson 15): "Does he work?", "Did he come?"
A short answer repeats the verb: "Is he your friend?" — "Yes, he is." / "No, he isn't." Chichewa answers Inde or Ayi.
7. "He" in two parts of one sentence. When two parts are joined, English says "he" in each part: "He says that he is tired" (16.13), "I know that he is here" (16.15). Chichewa does not need a second pronoun, because the prefix in each verb already says who it is: Akuti watopa, ndikudziwa kuti ali pano.
8. Short forms. In speech and informal writing: he is — he's; he has — he's; he will — he'll; he would or he had — he'd. "He's a teacher" (he is); "He's finished" (he has). The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letters. "He's" is never written "hes".
Common Mistakes:
- "John he is a doctor." Correct: John is a doctor. / He is a doctor. Use the name or "he", not both. - "Is a teacher." / "Works in Zomba." Correct: He is a teacher. / He works in Zomba. Chichewa leaves out the pronoun (Amagwira ntchito); English cannot. - "She is my father." Correct: He is my father. Chichewa iye is both "he" and "she"; English is not. - "He work every day." Correct: He works every day. After he, she, it the present verb takes -s. - "He have a wife." Correct: He has a wife. "Has", not "have". - "I see he." / "Tell he." Correct: I see him. / Tell him. After a verb use "him". - "Him is my brother." Correct: He is my brother. "Him" is not a subject. - "He is your friend?" (as a written question) Correct: Is he your friend? In writing the "be" goes first. - "He no work." Correct: He does not work. (Lesson 15) - "He built the house him." Correct: He built the house himself. "Himself", not "him".
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"He" is among the twenty most frequent words of English. You will hear it every time someone talks about a man or a boy who is not in the room.
One word for he and she. Chichewa does not say whether the person is a man or a woman. In Chichewa you can talk about someone for a long time without it being clear, and this is normal. In English it is not: after the first sentence the listener expects "he" or "she". When you talk to English speakers, say the sex of the person early: "my brother", "my sister", "he", "she". Chichewa names such as Chikondi and Temwani are for both men and women, and English speakers cannot tell which one you mean.
Respect in Chichewa. In Chichewa the prefix a- is also used for one elder person, to show respect: Bambo anga akubwera, "my father is coming". English does not mark respect in the pronoun. You say "he" for an elder, as for anyone: "My father is coming. He is old." Respect is shown with the title and the manner: "Mr Banda", "sir", "please".
When the sex is not known. If you do not know whether a person is a man or a woman, English today often uses "they" for one person: "Someone is at the door. They want to see you." Older books use "he" for any person, but it is no longer the usual way. "He or she" is also correct in careful writing.
"He" for God. Many Christian writers in English write "He" with a capital letter when they mean God. The King James Version (1611) does not: it writes "he", and the reader knows from the context who is meant. Section F shows this.
Common expressions with "he":
- he or she — a man or a woman, when we do not know which - Who is he? — a question about a man whose name you do not know - he who… — a formal, old way of saying "the person who…": "He who laughs last laughs best." - he said, she said — a quarrel in which each person tells a different story - He's right. — he is right; the short form is common in speech
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Psalm 23:2–3, the psalm of the shepherd. English: King James Version (1611). Chichewa: Buku Lopatulika, Masalimo 23:2–3.
"He (a-) maketh me to lie down (andigonetsa) in green pastures (kubusa lamsipu): he (a-) leadeth me (anditsogolera) beside the still waters (kumadzi odikha). He (a-) restoreth (atsitsimutsa) my soul (moyo wanga): he (a-) leadeth me (anditsogolera) in the paths of righteousness (m'mabande a chilungamo) for his name's sake (chifukwa cha dzina lake)." - Psalm 23:2–3 (KJV)
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." "Andigonetsa kubusa lamsipu, anditsogolera kumadzi odikha. Atsitsimutsa moyo wanga; anditsogolera m'mabande a chilungamo, chifukwa cha dzina lake." (Masalimo 23:2–3, Buku Lopatulika)
The psalm begins with a name: "The LORD is my shepherd" (verse 1; Chichewa Yehova ndiye mbusa wanga). From verse 2 the name is not said again. The word "he" carries it through three lines, and the reader always knows who "he" is. This is how "he" works in every English text: the noun comes first, and the pronoun follows it. The shepherd leads, the sheep rest, and the poem is a picture of a flock brought to green grass and quiet water. The speaker, the sheep, says only "me" and "my"; "he" does everything. The Chichewa shows the same thing in a different way. The three verbs, andigonetsa, anditsogolera, atsitsimutsa, each begin with a-, and in each the "he" is inside the verb. In andigonetsa and anditsogolera the a- (he) is followed by -ndi- (me): "he — me — leads".
- "Maketh", "leadeth" and "restoreth" are old English. Today the verb ends in -s: "He makes me lie down… he leads me… He restores my soul." The old ending -eth and the modern -s are the same thing: the verb form for "he". - "Maketh me to lie down" is old style. Today we say "He makes me lie down", without "to". - "Me" and "my" are the object and the belonging form of "I", as "him" and "his" are of "he". The psalm has "his name's sake": his — belonging. - "For his name's sake" means "for the sake of his name", "because of who he is". Chichewa says chifukwa cha dzina lake, with chifukwa cha as in Lesson 14. - "He" is repeated three times, at the start of each part of the sentence. In English each part with its own verb needs its own subject. Chichewa needs no repeated word, because the prefix a- is in every verb. - The colon (:) joins two parts of one thought. The Chichewa uses a comma after kubusa lamsipu and a semicolon after moyo wanga.
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16.16 Temwani Temwani Chikondi Chikondi where kuti is he (a-li) your brother m'bale wako Is kodi he (a-) at home kunyumba
16.17 No ayi he (a-) is working -ku-gwira ntchito He (a-) works -ma-gwira ntchito at ku the - hospital chipatala Chikondi Chikondi
16.18 Is kodi he (ndi) a - teacher mphunzitsi Temwani Temwani
16.19 No ayi he (ndi) is a - doctor dokotala He (a-) helps -ma-thandiza sick people anthu odwala Chikondi Chikondi
16.20 Does kodi he (a-) come -ma-bwera home kunyumba in the - evening madzulo Temwani Temwani
16.21 Yes inde but koma he (a-) comes -ma-bwera late mochedwa and ndipo he (wa-) is always nthawi zonse tired -topa Chikondi Chikondi
16.22 Does kodi he (a-) have -li ndi a - wife mkazi Temwani Temwani
16.23 Yes inde he (a-) has -li ndi a - wife mkazi and ndi two awiri children ana His name dzina lake is ndi Joseph Joseph Chikondi Chikondi
16.24 I (ndi-) want -ku-funa to talk kulankhula to him naye Temwani Temwani
16.25 I (ndi-) am calling -ku-yimbira him (-mu-) now tsopano phone foni He (sa-) is not answering -ku-yankha Chikondi Chikondi
16.26 Perhaps mwina he (a-) is -li with ndi a - patient wodwala Temwani Temwani
16.27 Wait dikira he (a-) is calling -ku-yimbira me (-ndi-) phone foni He (a-) says -ku-ti he (a-) is coming -ku-bwera now tsopano Chikondi Chikondi
16.28 Good chabwino Does kodi he (a-) like -ma-konda tea tiyi Temwani Temwani
16.29 Yes inde he (a-) likes -ma-konda tea tiyi but koma he (sa-) does not like -ma-konda sugar shuga Chikondi Chikondi
16.30 Then ndiye I (ndi-) will make -dza-pangira tea tiyi without wopanda sugar shuga for him (-mu-) Everyone aliyense says -ku-ti that kuti he (ndi) is a - good wabwino man munthu Temwani Temwani
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16.16 Temwani: "Chikondi, where is your brother? Is he at home?" Temwani: "Chikondi, m'bale wako ali kuti? Kodi ali kunyumba?"
16.17 Chikondi: "No, he is working. He works at the hospital." Chikondi: "Ayi, akugwira ntchito. Amagwira ntchito ku chipatala."
16.18 Temwani: "Is he a teacher?" Temwani: "Kodi ndi mphunzitsi?"
16.19 Chikondi: "No, he is a doctor. He helps sick people." Chikondi: "Ayi, ndi dokotala. Amathandiza anthu odwala."
16.20 Temwani: "Does he come home in the evening?" Temwani: "Kodi amabwera kunyumba madzulo?"
16.21 Chikondi: "Yes, but he comes late, and he is always tired." Chikondi: "Inde, koma amabwera mochedwa, ndipo nthawi zonse watopa."
16.22 Temwani: "Does he have a wife?" Temwani: "Kodi ali ndi mkazi?"
16.23 Chikondi: "Yes, he has a wife and two children. His name is Joseph." Chikondi: "Inde, ali ndi mkazi ndi ana awiri. Dzina lake ndi Joseph."
16.24 Temwani: "I want to talk to him." Temwani: "Ndikufuna kulankhula naye."
16.25 Chikondi: "I am calling him now. He is not answering." Chikondi: "Ndikumuyimbira foni tsopano. Sakuyankha."
16.26 Temwani: "Perhaps he is with a patient." Temwani: "Mwina ali ndi wodwala."
16.27 Chikondi: "Wait, he is calling me! He says he is coming now." Chikondi: "Dikira, akundiyimbira foni! Akuti akubwera tsopano."
16.28 Temwani: "Good. Does he like tea?" Temwani: "Chabwino. Kodi amakonda tiyi?"
16.29 Chikondi: "Yes, he likes tea, but he does not like sugar." Chikondi: "Inde, amakonda tiyi, koma samakonda shuga."
16.30 Temwani: "Then I will make tea without sugar for him. Everyone says that he is a good man!" Temwani: "Ndiye ndidzamupangira tiyi wopanda shuga. Aliyense akuti ndi munthu wabwino!"
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16.16 Temwani: "Chikondi, where is your brother? Is he at home?"
16.17 Chikondi: "No, he is working. He works at the hospital."
16.18 Temwani: "Is he a teacher?"
16.19 Chikondi: "No, he is a doctor. He helps sick people."
16.20 Temwani: "Does he come home in the evening?"
16.21 Chikondi: "Yes, but he comes late, and he is always tired."
16.22 Temwani: "Does he have a wife?"
16.23 Chikondi: "Yes, he has a wife and two children. His name is Joseph."
16.24 Temwani: "I want to talk to him."
16.25 Chikondi: "I am calling him now. He is not answering."
16.26 Temwani: "Perhaps he is with a patient."
16.27 Chikondi: "Wait, he is calling me! He says he is coming now."
16.28 Temwani: "Good. Does he like tea?"
16.29 Chikondi: "Yes, he likes tea, but he does not like sugar."
16.30 Temwani: "Then I will make tea without sugar for him. Everyone says that he is a good man!"
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The dialogue uses the main jobs of "he":
- Subject before a "be" verb: "He is working" (16.17), "He is a doctor" (16.19), "He is always tired" (16.21), "He is calling me" (16.27). Chichewa: akugwira ntchito, ndi dokotala, watopa, akundiyimbira. - Subject before a present verb, with -s: "He works" (16.17), "He helps" (16.19), "He comes" (16.21), "He likes" (16.29). Chichewa: amagwira, amathandiza, amabwera, amakonda. - "He has" (16.23): the special form of "have". Chichewa says "he is with": ali ndi mkazi. - Questions with "he": "Is he at home?" (16.16), "Is he a teacher?" (16.18), "Does he come home in the evening?" (16.20), "Does he have a wife?" (16.22), "Does he like tea?" (16.28). After "does" the verb is the base form (Lesson 15): "Does he come", not "Does he comes"; "Does he have", not "Does he has". - Negatives: "He is not answering" (16.25), "he does not like sugar" (16.29). Chichewa puts the negative in the verb: sakuyankha, samakonda. - Other forms: "his name" (16.23), "talk to him" (16.24), "calling him" (16.25), "for him" (16.30). Chichewa: dzina lake, kulankhula naye, ndikumuyimbira, ndidzamupangira. - "He says that he…" (16.27, 16.30): "He" is repeated in the second part. Chichewa: akuti akubwera, aliyense akuti ndi munthu wabwino.
"He" is not repeated without need. In 16.17, "He is working. He works at the hospital", the two sentences say two different things, the work he is doing now and the place where he works every day. In a longer text, English uses the name once at the start (Joseph), and then "he".
Names and sex. In this dialogue Chikondi and Temwani are friends and could be a man or a woman. Joseph is a man's name in English, so "he" is the right pronoun for him. When the sex of a person is not clear, the writer must say it: "my brother".
Writing a dialogue. Each speaker's words go inside quotation marks, after the speaker's name and a colon.
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- Weak and strong: "Where is he?" /ˈweər ɪz i/ — the /h/ is lost in the middle of a sentence; "He works every day" /hi ˈwɜːks ˈevri ˈdeɪ/ — at the start of a sentence "he" keeps its /h/. - Short answers: "Yes, he is" /jes hi ˈɪz/ — "he" is weak, but "is" at the end is strong. - "Him" /hɪm/ and "his" /hɪz/ are weak in speech: "I told him" /aɪ ˈtəʊld ɪm/; "his wife" /ɪz ˈwaɪf/. - He's /hiːz/ can be "he is" or "he has"; he'll /hiːl/ sounds like "heal" and "heel". - Spelling: he (the pronoun), hi (a greeting), hey (a call to get attention). Do not write "hi" for the pronoun. - "He" is written with a capital letter only at the start of a sentence (or at the start of a line of verse). In the middle of a sentence it is "he": "I know that he is here". (The word "I" is always a capital.) - "He" is always a separate word in English, although Chichewa puts its meaning inside the verb: "he works", never "heworks"; compare amagwira. - Names of people take a capital letter in both languages: Joseph, Chikondi, Temwani, Banda, and the places Zomba and Lilongwe.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)