7. Possession (my, your, his...)
Add a suffix to the end of the noun to express possession.
In Kabyle, we don't use a separate word for "my", "your", "his". We add a suffix directly to the end of the noun. The suffix changes according to the person and sometimes their gender.
7.1. The possessive suffix table
| Personne | Suffixe | axxam (house, m.) | taddart (village, f.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (1sg) | -iw | axxam-iw | taddart-iw |
| You (2sg m.) | -ik | axxam-ik | taddart-ik |
| You (2sg f.) | -im | axxam-im | taddart-im |
| He (3sg m.) | -is | axxam-is | taddart-is |
| She (3sg f.) | -is | axxam-is | taddart-is |
| We (1pl) | -nneɣ | axxam-nneɣ | taddart-nneɣ |
| You (2pl m.) | -nnwen | axxam-nnwen | taddart-nnwen |
| You (2pl f.) | -nnkent | axxam-nnkent | taddart-nnkent |
| They (3pl m.) | -nsen | axxam-nsen | taddart-nsen |
| They (3pl f.) | -nsent | axxam-nsent | taddart-nsent |
7.2. In context
7.3. Key takeaways
- The suffix attaches directly to the noun, without a visible space or hyphen in speech.
- Some feminine nouns ending in -t may undergo a slight vowel change (vowel harmony).
- For a feminine noun, the suffix form is the same as in the masculine, but the noun keeps its gender: taddart-iw, not taddart-u.
- The suffixes -nneɣ, -nnwen, -nsen, -nsent are longer and easier to recognize in speech.
Practice
60 sentences · 4,682 matchesAmdakel n Tom isem-is Pierre.
Ruḥ si ger wallen-iw !
Isem-is n tidet d Lisa.
Ad dduɣ d temdukal-iw azekka.
Rzan ar tferkiwin-nsen ad ten-neqcen
Yebna i yiman-is axxam amaynut.
Xedmen yemdukal-iw annect-a mebla nekki.
Ibna i yiman-is axxam amaynut.
Tom ur yekkis ara tamart-is.
Ad serseɣ afus-iw ɣef ul-ik.
Ad serseɣ afus-iw ɣef ul-im.
Ul-iw d kem i yessaram.
Tom ixeddem-d aɣṛum-is s yiman-is.
Imawlan n imawlan-iw d ijedditen-iw.
Dina i iɛac akk tudert-is.
Dina i iɛac meṛṛa tudert-is.
Ttekkseɣ tamart-iw abrid i ssmana.
Leɛmeṛ walaɣ argaz-a di ddunit-iw.
Leɛmeṛ walaɣ-t wergaz-a di ddunit-iw.
Ur seṭṭleɣ ara ɛad tamart-iw.
Ur kkiseɣ ara ɛad tamart-iw.
Uṭṭun-iw n tiliɣri d 9876-5432.
Ul-is, yeldi-t akk i medden.
Lukan ɣas ddiɣ di rray-ik.
Aderɣal yella ittemduduε akked uqjun-is.
Ikad-iyi-d tesruḥayeḍ kan di lweqt-ik.
Baba yerra agaraj-is d tanarit.
Amecḥaḥ iskiccir, imweṛten-is ttṣerrifen kan.
Amεellem-iw ur t-iqenneε ara uneqqis-iw.
Tom yesselmed tarusit i warraw-is.
Tom yesselmed tarusit i warraw-nnes.
Marie tesselmed tarusit i warraw-is.
Marie tesselmed tarusit i warraw-nnes.
Ayen-nniḍen, yal wa d ṛṛay-is.
Tom yeṭṭef Mary gar iɣallen-is.
Ḥulfaɣ s yiman-iw d abeṛṛani.
Illa d aselmad-iw n tusnakt.
Saḥit i mi tzewwqeḍ axxam-iw.
Tanemmirt i mi tcebbḥeḍ axxam-iw.
Aql-ik tura tettedduḍ ad teḥluḍ.
Lliɣ ssenṭaḍeɣ tiwlafin-iw ɣer lḥiḍ.
Yella yettkellix kan i iman-is.
D ass-is amenzu deg uɣerbaz.
Ad teččeḍ tiḥebbuyin-iw n ččina.
Udem-is yeččur akk d tidi.
D netta i d axṣim-iw.
Isebbaḍen-iw ḍlan akk d aluḍ.
Taɣect-im tesmektay-iyi-d tamerḥumt-nni n ssetti.
Ǧǧet kan ifassen-nwen deg leǧyub!
Azrem-nni yessebleε aqjun s lekmal-is.
Isem-iw ssnen-t merra deg uɣerbaz.
Aqjun-iw iteẓẓel dima ɣef leḥcic.
Ad tili annect-iw deg teɣzi.
Ruḥ ad tessardeḍ tuɣmas-ik !
Ccɣel-is d tafarast deg urti.
Ḥusseɣ s yiman-iw d aɣersiw.
Alɣem ur yeţwali ara tasaεrurt-is.
Tuget n yimedukal-is d arrac.
Tom ur yufi ara nnwaḍer-is.
Tom yesbeɣ taxxamt-is s umellal.
Practice exercises
1. How do you say 'my house'?
2. What does 'taddart-nneɣ' mean?