Manchu/Lesson 3 - Nouns, Script

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Personal pronouns
As with nouns, personal pronouns in Manchu also have different cases. The normal form of Manchu personal pronouns is expressed by using the nominative case. See following table for list of all personal pronouns in the 5 different cases:


 * The personal pronoun in the nominative case is the ordinary form of the pronoun, e.g. ᠪᡳ = I, ᠰᡳ = you, ᡳ = he/she/it, ᠪᡝ = we (excl.), ᠮᡠᠰᡝ = we (incl.), ᠰᡠᠸᡝ = you (plural), ᠴᡝ = they/them
 * For the singular first personal pronoun "I" the different forms are: nominative ᠪᡳ "I"; genitive ᠮᡳᠨᡳ "my"; dative/locative ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ "to/at me"; accusative ᠮᡳᠮᠪᡝ "me"; ablative ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ "from me". All the other personal pronouns follow the same pattern.
 * As with Chinese, Manchu has two versions of the 1st plural personal pronoun: an exclusive version 〈ᠪᡝ〉, and an inclusive version 〈ᠮᡠᠰᡝ〉.
 * To express the idea of oneself, you would use the genitive form of the personal pronoun and follow it with the word 〈ᠪᡝᠶᡝ〉 (body). E.g. ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ (myself), ᠰᡳᠨᡳ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ (yourself).
 * The possessive pronoun is formed by adding the suffix 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉 after the genitive form of the personal pronoun. E.g. ᠮᡳᠨᡳ᠊᠊᠊ᠩᡤᡝ (mine). ᡝᡵᡝ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ (this book is mine).
 * The suffix 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉 is a possessive suffix which does not change with the rules of vowel harmony. When written it is proceeded by the genitive case and therefore becomes one of 〈᠊ᡳᠩᡤᡝ〉 or 〈᠊ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ〉 . In the case of use with personal pronouns, it is already proceeded by the genitive form of the pronoun so remains 〈᠊ᠩᡤᡝ〉 . It can be translated as belong to, and is often written separately from the noun. E.g. ᡝᠵᡝᠨ ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡝ - belonging to the master.

Now for some examples of the different cases:

Nominative
 * ᠪᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡤᡳᠰᡠᠨ ᠪᡝ ᡨᠠᠴᡳᠮᠪᡳ - I study the Manchu language
 * ᡳ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ - He is Manchu

Genitive
 * ᠮᡳᠨᡳ ᡤᡠᠴᡠ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ - My friend is Manchu
 * ᠮᡝᠨᡳ ᡝᠮᡝ ᠣᠴᡳ ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ - Our mother is the fatherland

Dative/Locative
 * ᠰᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠠᡳ ᠪᠠᡳᡨᠠ ᠪᡳ᠉ - What issue do you (at) have?
 * ᡨᡝᡵᡝ ᡝᠮᡠ ᡩᡝᠪᡨᡝᠯᡳᠨ ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝ ᠪᡝ ᠮᡳᠨᡩᡝ ᠪᡠᡴᡳ (to give imp) - Can you please give this book to me

Accusative
 * ᠮᠠᡶᠠ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ ᠮᡝᠮᠪᡝ ᡠᠵᡳᠮᡝ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᡧᠠᠪᡠᡥᠠ - The fatherland raised us (object)
 * ᠪᡳ ᠴᡝᠮᠪᡝ ᡝᠮᡠ ᠪᡳᠶᠠ ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠯᠣ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᡥᠠ - I met him (object) one month ago

Ablative
 * ᡳ ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ ᠵᡠᠸᡝ ᠰᡝ ᠠᠵᡳᡤᡝ - He is two years younger than me
 * ᠰᡳ ᠮᡳᠨᠴᡳ ᡨᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᡝᠨ ᠸᡝ ᡨᠠᡴᠠᠸᠪᡳ᠉ - Apart from me who do you know?

Demonstrative pronouns
The demonstrative pronouns in Manchu are:

Interrogative pronouns
The main interrogative pronouns in Manchu are (note the cases):

 Lesson 2, Script (Nouns) Contents  Lesson 4 (Numerals)