ba - subject concord

In Sesotho nouns are divided into various noun classes. The noun class determines the subject concord for instance - this is very important in the construction of sentences.

Class Prefix Subject 
concord
Example Translation
of example
1 mo- o mosadi woman
2 ba- ba basadi women
1a - o ntate father
2a ba- ba bontate fathers
3 mo- o mose dress
4 me- e mese dresses
5 le- le leleme tongue
6 ma- a maleme tongues
7 se- se sefate tree
8 di- di difate trees
9 - e ntja dog
10 di- di dintja dogs
Classes 11, 12 and 13 are mainly used in languages such as isiZulu and isiXhosa
14 bo- bo bohobe bread
15 ho- ho ho tsamaja to walk
16 - ho fatshe down
17 ho- ho hodimo up
18 mo- o mose abroad

Sesotho word (South African orthography): ya
Sesotho word (Lesotho orthography): ea

Possessive concord

This possessive concord joins two nouns or pronouns to indicate possession.
For example: Bana ba ka (My children)

Class Subject
concord
Possessive
concord
1 o wa (SeSA) / oa (SeL)
1a ba ba
2 o wa (SeSA) / oa (SeL)
2a ba ba
3 o wa (SeSA) / oa (SeL)
4 e ya (SeSA) / ea (SeL)
5 le la
6 a a
7 se sa
8 di tsa
9 e ya (SeSA) / ea (SeL)
10 di tsa
14 bo ba
15 ho ha