Shi yana son ruwa.

He wants water.

Breakdown of Shi yana son ruwa.

• ne: to be
• shi: he
• so: to want
• ruwa: the water

Questions & Answers about Shi yana son ruwa.

What does each word in Shi yana son ruwa do?

A simple breakdown is:

• Shi = he / him
  An independent pronoun. In this sentence, it points to he.
• yana = a 3rd person singular masculine marker used in the imperfective/present-type pattern
  Very roughly, this is the part that matches he is / he does depending on context.
• son = liking / wanting / loving
  This is the form used here after yana.
• ruwa = water

So the structure is roughly:

• Shi
  • yana
    • son
      • ruwa
• he
  • present/imperfective marker + like/want/love
    • water

Why are both shi and yana there? Don’t they both mean he?

That is a very common question.

Yes, yana already tells you the subject is 3rd person singular masculine: he.

So why add shi?

• yana son ruwa = a complete, normal sentence
• shi yana son ruwa = adds emphasis, contrast, or topical focus

So shi is often like: