Grammar
» Kinamuurningit

Personal pronouns are words that are used to identify people in a sentence who are involved in particular actions. In Inuktut, personal pronouns are used only occasionally for emphasis or to be clear about whom one is speaking.

Inuktut personal pronouns are either in first person (I, we) or second person (you). They have singular, dual and plural forms:

  Singular Dual Plural
first person uvanga
I
uvaguk
we (2)
uvagut
we(3+)
second person ivvit
you (1)
ilissik
you (2)
ilissi
you (3)

Uses of Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in their most basic form, can be used to answer
questions that start with kina? or kiap?

Kiap akiliqpauk?
Who paid for it?

Uvanga.
Me (I did).

Kina aqunniaqpa?
Who is going to drive?

Ivvit.
You (are).

Personal pronouns are also used to be clear about whom one is speaking:

Uvannit tigujanga.
It was me she took it from.

Ilissi piliqsiuk!
You guys take it!

Ilingnik nagligusuktuq.
It is you he loves; he loves you.

Ilissik qaigissik.
Come here, you two!

Uvaguk?
Us two?

When noun endings are added to personal pronouns, it changes the personal pronoun.
For example when -mit is added to uvanga, the word that results is: uvannit.

Uvattinnik ikajuqtuq
He is helping us.
uvagut + nik = uvattinnik
Iliktut uqallattiasuuq
She speaks well like you.
ivvit + tut = iliktut
Uvannut qailauqtanga
He/she gave it to me.
uvanga + mut = uvannut

Personal pronouns are also used to express the idea of a place that one calls home. The same form is used for the singular, dual and plural.

uvattinni
at my place / at our place

ilissinni
at your place

uvattinnut
to my place / to our place

ilissinnit
from your place

Tables: Personal Pronouns

First Person Singular
(I, me)
Dual
(the two of us)
Plural
(we) 3+
basic form uvanga uvaguk uvagut
as object uvannik uvattingnik uvattinnik
from uvannit uvattingnit uvattinnit
in uvanni uvattingni uvattinni
to uvannut uvattingnut uvattinnut
through uvakkut uvattigut uvattigut
like uvattut uvaktitut uvattitut
First Person Singular
(you)
Dual
you both
Plural
(you 3+)
basic form igvit ilissik ilissi
as object ilingnik ilissingnik ilissinnik
from ilingnit ilissingnit ilissinnit
in ilingni ilissingni ilissinni
to ilingnut ilissingnut ilissinnut
through ilikkut ilissigut ilissigut
like iliktut ilissiktut ilissitut