Lesson 21

Singular Personal Pronouns

In Pali, the use of personal pronouns is fundamental to understanding sentence structure and communication. These pronouns are categorized based on the person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), and number (singular or plural). Below is an overview of the key personal pronouns in Pali and their usage in various grammatical cases.

1st Person Pronouns: amha (I, we)

• Singular (Ahaṃ): This is the pronoun used for "I." It is used when referring to oneself.

  • Example: Ahaṃ nagaraṃ gacchāmi (I am going to the city).

• Plural (Mayaṃ): This is used for "we." It is used when referring to a group of people, including oneself.

  • Example: Mayaṃ gāmamhi piṇḍāya carāma (We go on alms round in the village).

2nd Person Pronouns: tumha (you)

• Singular (Tvaṃ): This is the pronoun used for addressing a single person informally.

  • Example: Tvaṃ kālaṃ jānāti (You know the time).

• Plural (Tumhe): This form is used when addressing more than one person or showing respect to one individual.

  • Example: Tumhe dhammaṃ desessāmi (I will teach you the Dhamma).

3rd Person Pronouns: ta (he, she, it, they)

• Masculine (So/Syo): Refers to a male individual, used for "he."

  • Example: So bhikkhu gāmamhi piṇḍāya carati (He, the monk, goes for alms in the village).

• Feminine (Sā): Refers to a female individual, used for "she."

  • Example: Sā pokkharaṇiyaṃ padumāni apassi (She saw the lotuses in the pond).

• Neuter (Taṃ): Refers to an inanimate object or a neutral subject, used for "it."

  • Example: Taṃ amhākaṃ mātulassa gehaṃ (It is our maternal uncle's house).

Grammatical Cases of Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Pali also change based on the case they appear in within the sentence. Here is a breakdown of the various cases for so (he), sā (she), and taṃ (it).

1. Nominative Case:

   • Masculine: So (singular), Te (plural)

   • Feminine: Sā (singular), Tā / Tāyo (plural)

   • Neuter: Taṃ (singular), Te / Tāni (plural)

   Example: Gahapati taṃ passati (The householder sees him).

2. Accusative Case:

   • Masculine: Taṃ (singular), Te (plural)

   • Feminine: Tā (singular), Tāyo (plural)

   • Neuter: Taṃ (singular), Tāni (plural)

   Example: Gahapati bhikkhuṃ vandati (The householder greets the monk).

3. Instrumental Case:

   • Masculine: Tena (singular), Tehi (plural)

   • Feminine: Tāya (singular), Tāhi (plural)

   • Neuter: Tena (singular), Tehi (plural)

   Example: Kassakassa puttā nadiyaṃ nahāyiṃsu (The farmer’s sons bathed in the river).