UNIT 4 ISI NKE ATỌ NKỌWA ONWE NA NDị ỌZỌ (introducing self and others)

Objective

Ihe mmụta (Objectives): By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to: 1. Learn to introduce oneself to others. 2. Learn to introduce others. 3. Learn to use the personal, possessive, and interrogative pronouns.

Introduction

Nkọwa (introduction) Generally in Igboland, when people meet, they want to be comfortable with one another. They ask of one’s name, occupation, residence, nationality, parents’ names, nicknames, and other questions that come to mind. People usually do not ask about age, marriage and status but often times people voluntarily talk about their status.

Lesson Vocabulary

ụlọ akwụkwọ		School
abodo		Town/city/country
Afọ		Year
Aha		Name
Bi		Live
Bụ		Is/are
Deskị		Desk
Dị		Is/are
enyi		Friend
ịnọdụ		To sit
isụ		To speak
Kita/ugbu a		Now
kwa		Also, every
M bụ		I am
M bụrụ		i was
Mahadum		University
Mkpịsị ode		pen
Na		And/in/on/at
Nile		All
Nọdụ		Sit
Nwa		Child
Nwa akwụkwọ		Student
Obodo		Town/city/country
Obodo/ala		Country
ọbụla		Any
Oche		chair
Oche ndebe ihe		Table
Ogologo		Tall
Okwu dị mkpa		Vocabulary
Onye a		This person
ọrụ		Work/job
ọrụ		Work/job
Pensụl		Pencil
Prọfesọ		Professor
Si		From
Sọsọ		Only
sụ		Speak
Uhie		Brown
ụwa		World

Lesson Conversation:

Amaka	Kedụ, ehihie ọma.	Hello, how are you? Good afternoon.
Ada	Ọ dị mma. Kedụ maka gi?	Very well. How about you?
Amaka	Ọ dị mma. Biko kedụ aha gi?	Very well. Please what is your name?
Ada	Aha m bụ Ada	My name is Ada
Amaka	Ada onye?	Ada who?
Ada	Ada Obiọra. Kedụ aha gi?	Ada Obiora. What is your name?
Amaka	Aha m bụ Amaka Nwosu	My name is Amaka Nwosu.
Ada	Ị bi na Bostin?	Do you live in Boston?
Amaka	Mba, m bi na Chikago. Ị bi na Boston?	No, I live in Chicago. Do you live in Boston?
Ada	Eee, m bi na Bostin.	Yes, I live in Boston
Amaka	Kedụ ọrụ ị na–arụ?	What is your job?
Ada	M bụ nwa akwụkwọ	I am a student
Amaka	Kedu aha ụlọ akwụkwọ gi?	What is the name of your school?
Ada	Aha ụlọ akwụkwọ m bụ Mahadum Harvard	The name of my school is Harvard University
Amaka	M nọkwa na Mahadum Harvard	I am also at Harvard University
Ada	Ị gba afọ ole?	How old are you?
Amaka	M gba afọ iri na asatọ	I am 18 years old
Ada	M gbakwa afọ iri na asatọ	I am also 18 years old
Amaka	Anyi ga ahụ ọzọ	We will see again
Ada	Ka emesia	Till then. Bye.
Amaka	Ka emesia.	Bye

Lesson Monologue

Basic introduction | Nkọwa

Kedụ, aha m bụ Amaka Obi. M bi na kembriji. M na-asụ Igbo na bekee. M nakwa aga ụlọ akwụkwọ ebe a na kembriji. M bụ nwa akwụkwọ na m nwe ọtụtụ enyi si ụwa nile.

Hello, my name is Amaka Obi. I live in Cambridge and I speak Igbo and English. I also go to school here in Cambridge. I am a student, and I have a lot of friends from all over the world.

Adamma na akọwa onwe ya. ( The passage below shows Adamma introducing herself. )

Aha m bụ Adamma. M gba afọ iri na asatọ. (OR) m dị afọ iri na asatọ Aha Obodo m bụ Achina na Naijiria. M bi na Bostin. Aha nne m bu Nneka. Aha nna m bu Obi. Aha ụlọ akwụkwọ m bụ Mahadum Harvard. M na asụ Igbo. M to ogologo.

My name is Adamma. I am eighteen years old. The name of my town is Achina in Nigeria. I live in Boston. My mother’s name is Nneka. My father’s name is Obi. The name of my school is Harvard University. I speak Igbo. I am tall. Note: one can also say “M bu __.” instead of “Aha m bụ __.”

Introducing the Other (Nkọwa onye ọzọ). Amaka introduces her friend Ada

Aha enyi m bụ Ada. O bi na Chikago. Ọ bụ nwa akwụkwọ. Aha ụlọ akwụkwọ ya bụ Mahadum Harvard. Ọ gba afọ iri na asatọ.

My friend’s name is Ada. She lives in Chicago, She is a student. The name of her school is Harvard University. She is 18 years old. Note: please note the underlined above are pronouns used in place of the noun, Ada.

Lesson Note

Grammar Notes

Ụtọ Asụsụ (Grammar) Pronouns (Nnọchiaha)

A pronoun is that which is used in place of a noun. There are different types of pronouns – personal pronouns, impersonal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, emphatic pronouns, etc. We will deal with some of them in this unit

Nnochionye (Personal Pronoun) This is a pronoun that shows by its form whether it refers to the person speaking, person spoken to or person spoken about.

Person Singular Plural
1st
Person speaking M, mu = I anyị = we/us
2nd
Person spoken to i, ị, gi = you unu = you all
3rd
Person spoken of o, ọ, ya = he/she/it ha = they

Note: Pronouns i, ị, o, and ọ are always used as subjects, never as objects. “gị” can be used as a subject as well as an object.
e.g. gi na ya (you and him); mu na gi (me and you or you and I).

Nnọchionye (Personal Pronouns): Examples

Singular Plural
Aha m bụ Ada. My name is Ada. Anyi bi na Lagọs. We live in Lagos.
Aha gi bụ Obi. Your name is Obi. Unu bi na Lagọs. You all live in Lagos.
Aha ya bụ Nneka. Her name is Nneka. Ha bi na Lagọs. They live in Lagos.
Ọ na–agba ọsọ. He is running. Ha na agba ọsọ They are running.
O bi na Lagos. He lives in Lagos.

Impersonal Pronouns

There are only 2 in Igbo. They are a and e, and they both represent the word “it.”
Examples
1. E riela ya – It has been eaten.
2. A tụfuola ya – It has been thrown away

Possessive Pronouns Possessive pronouns are expressed in Igbo by the use of “nke,” which is immediately followed by the personal pronouns.

Pronouns Example
Nke m Mine Akwa bụ nke m. The cloth is mine.
Nke ha Theirs Ego bụ nke ha. The money is theirs.
Nke anyi Ours Akwụkwọ bụ nke anyi. The book is ours.
Nke unu yours (plural) Ụlọ bu nke gi. The house is yours.
Nke gi Yours (singular) Nri bụ nke gi. The food is yours.
Nke ya His/hers/it Ite bụ nke ya. The pot is his/hers.

Lesson Exercise

Activity A

Now let us look at some of the questions Amaka and Ada asked each other. Say, repeat, and write the following down with their responses as it applies to you.

1. I bi na Bostin?

2. Kedụ, ehihie ọma.

3. Ada onye?

4. Biko, kedụ aha gi?

5. Kedụ ọrụ ị na–arụ?

6. Ị gba afọ ole?

7. Kedụ aha ụlọ akwụkwọ gị?

8. i bi na Chikago?

9. ị no na mahadum Harvard?

10. ka emesia

Activity B

Using the monologue and dialogue above as guides, introduce yourself to a classmate or have a dialogue introduction with a classmate.

Activity C

Introduce someone you know to a friend e.g. sister, teacher, brother, etc.

Example:

1. Ada, onye a bụ nna m. Nna, onye a bụ enyi m, Ada.

2. Amaka, onye a bụ Obi. Obi bi na Lagọs.

3. Onye a bụ profesọ Mugane. O si Kenya

Let practice:

1. My country is Nigeria, what is yours? 1) Obodo m bụ Naijiria. Kedụ obodo gi?

2. I live now in cabridge, where do you live? 2) M bi ugbu a na Kembriji, kedụ ebe i bi?

3.Who is your teacher? Mine is Professor Ritz. 3) Onye bụ onye nkuzi gi? Nke m bụ Prọfesọ Ritz.

4. Do you have any pen? I only have pencils. 4) i nwe mkpịsị ode penụ ọbụla? M nwe sọsọ pensụl.

5.Is that seat hers? 5) Oche ahụ, ọ bụ nke ya?.

6.The brown desk is mine. 6) Deski uhie bụ nke m.

7. Elisa’s food is on the chair 7) Nri Elisa di na oche.

Class Exercises

Exercise 1:

Read the following simple sentences. You may substitute the underlined expression to fit your situation.

1. Aha m bụ Ada Nwosu.

2. M gba afọ iri na asato.

3. M bi na Chikago.

4. Aha nne m bụ Ụzọka.

5. Aha nna m bụ Obika.

6. M na–aga ụlọ akwụkwọ na Mahadum Harvard.

Exercise 2

Please answer the following questions

2. Afọ ole ka ị gba?

3. Kedụ ebe ị bi?

4. Kedụ aha nne gi?

5. Kedụ aha nna gi?

6. Ị bi na Bọstịn?

7. Ị na–aga ụlọ akwụkwọ na mahadụm Harvard?

8. I to ogologo?

9. Ị na–asụ igbo?

Exercise 3:

Form sentences with the following words.

1. ụlọ akwụkwọ ………………………………………………………………………………….

2. ịga ………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. ibi ………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. ogologo ………………………………………………………………………………………

5. bia ………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. onye ……………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Aha ……………………………………………………………………………………………

8. mahadum ………………………………………………………………………………………

9. afọ ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. Bostịn ………………………………………………………………………………………….

Exercise 4:

Translate these sentences to English.

1. Obi na Ada bi na Lagọs.______________________________________________________

2. Ụlọ akwụkwọ anyi dị na Bọstịn._______________________________________________

3. Nne m na nna m bịa taa. ______________________________________________________

4. Ha to ogologo. _____________________________________________________________

5. Unu na–aga ụlọ akwụkwọ. _____________________________________________________

6. Nke m bụ nke ha. _____________________________________________________________

7. Nke ha bụ nke anyị. ____________________________________________________________

8. Ọrụ ha dị na ụlọ akwụkwọ._______________________________________________________

9. Biko, bịa na ụlọ m._____________________________________________________________

10. Anyị na–asụ igbo. ______________________________________________________________

Exercise 5:

Substitute the underlined with appropriate pronouns

a. Obi na Nneka na aga ụlọ akwụkwọ.

b. Ada na agba ọsọ.

ch. Nne Obi na nna Ngozi na agba egwu.

d. Obodo Uju na Onyema mara mma.

e. Nnanna jere ahịa.

Exercise 6: Write six sentences about yourself Imagine you have visited your parents with a friend, introduce that person to them.