The Ten Pronouns
Ge'ez recognizes ten pronouns, organized by person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular and plural), and — in the 2nd and 3rd persons — gender (masculine and feminine). The 1st person (the speaker) does not distinguish gender: there is no masculine "I" or feminine "I" — the speaker is simply ʾAnä (I) or Nəḥnä (we).
The Ten Pronouns
- 1st Person — Speaker / Commander
- ʾAnä — I
- Nəḥnä — We
- 2nd Person — Receiver of command / Listener
- ʾAntä — You (m. sg.)
- ʾAnti — You (f. sg.)
- ʾAntämu — You (m. pl.)
- ʾAntin — You (f. pl.)
- 3rd Person — Absent (distant)
- Wuʿetu — He
- Yiʿiti — She
- Wuʿetomu — They (m.)
- Wuʿeton — They (f.)
Two structural distinctions emerge from this list:
- Distance: 2nd person pronouns are near (the listener is present), while 3rd person pronouns are distant (the one spoken of is absent). This spatial logic is woven into the grammar itself.
- Number: Every person has both singular and plural forms. The plural forms carry gender distinction (m. pl. vs. f. pl.) in the 2nd and 3rd persons, while the 1st person plural (Nəḥnä) does not distinguish gender.