Introduction to Navajo Adverbs
This lexicon is built on a list from Young & Morgan (1987:12-17). This list is a heterogeneous collection of expressions that certainly belong to more than one syntactic category. For instance, it includes time expressions like ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ (‘yesterday’) and ’ałní’ní’ą́ (‘at noon’), but it also includes the negative frame doo…da and several expressions that are constructed with it, and it includes various particles that tend to appear before the verb (e.g., hah ’quickly’; dah ‘up’). These appear in various places within a clause. Oddly, ńt’éé (a particle denoting past time which is placed after the verb) is in the list, but dooleeł (a particle denoting future time which appears in the same position) is not in the list.
We constructed this tool using Young & Morgan’s list without making adjustments to it. There may be a future version that includes different selections.
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.
morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG 3-because soon hunger 1-3-kill.II did not eat this morning, so I am hungry now.
bookmark- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morning
- t’áadoo not
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- wónáásdóó soon, finally
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sisxé killfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin diniih.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.CII didn’t eat this morning, so my head is aching.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- díníshniih ache, be in painfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morning
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
’Awééh kweʼé ninishteeh, adaʼoogeeh.
baby here 3-carry.AnO.I 3-fall.O’ayóigo
’Ałk’idą́ą́’ dahane’ yę́ę bíneeshdlį́įgo yíłta’.
long.ago pl-story past 3-1-admire.I-GO 3-1-read.P’áyąą
’áłt’ąą
’Ííshją́ą́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
don’t forget this stew stove 3-top up 1-put.P.OCch’ínígóó
Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad éí t’ááshxǫǫd t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English NEG 1-understand.I NEG | now TOP at.least just 3-with 1-speak.IChidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.
car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEGdaats’í
de, deg
Díigi ’át’éego yigááł.
this-similar.to 3-walk.ProgDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo, dádiʼnítįįh.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not 3-2-close.gate.IDon’t let the bull get into the field tonight, so close the gate.
bookmark- Command, negativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Optative with t’áá ká and lágofind in Navajo Imperatives
- t’áá ká don’t
- lágo negative particle used with the optative mode
- Optative (O)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfectivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.
this tomorrow 3-2-read.FDlǫ́ǫ́’ ba’áán góne’ yah ’adeeshnii’go dlǫ́’áyázhí shishhash.
prairie.dog 3-hole into down1-3.to.reach.out.hand prairie.dog-little 1-bite.Pdoo --- le’ ’át’éégóó
Doo dibé ch’íi’niił da.
NEG sheep pl-3-2-du-take.out.I NEGDoo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.
NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CIDzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.
bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NPHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past NEG 1-with area-good.N NEGWhile I was working in the mine (shaft) last year and I didn’t like it (inside the place).
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past time
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
Hazhó’ó nidahísóotą́.
still pl-2dpl-sit.pl.PHoozdo hoolyéedi deesdoi sha’shin. ’Áyaańda (’áyąą) diné bi’éétsoh t’áá gééd ndaakai.
Phoenix areal-called-at hot possibly no.wonder person 3-coat without pl-3-go.pl.PK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó deg ’anool’ąął.
now wash area-down water up 3-move.ProgK’ad hooghangóó nááshdááł dooleeł.
now hogan-toward 1-go.Prog FUTK’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.
now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.Inaa
Náhookǫsdę́ę́’ níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.
north.from breeze-GO very cold.SPNNáneeskaadi t’áádoo naa’ółí bił yíyą́ą’da. ’Alóós t’éiyá yíyą́ą́’.
Tortilla-N (t’áá)doo-NEG Bean-N bił-3-with yíyą́ą’da-3o-1s-eat.P NEG Rice-N t’éiyá-only yíyą́ą’-3o-1s-eat.P.Náshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.
wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NINíwe, doo tsésǫ’ góne’ ch’ééjí’nah da!
stop NEG window 3-into 4-crawl.R NEGShá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’go yiishjį́į́’ lá.
sun proportionate 1-swim.CI-GO 1-sun.burn.I DISCShicheii t’áá ’íiyisíí hastihgo biniinaa kónááhoot’éhí doo na’ádódlíi da.
1-grandfather very 3-old.N-GO because next.year NEG 3-expect.live.NP NEGShidibé ’ąą’ dinót’į́į́ł laanaa ch’ééh nisin.
1-sheep expanse 3-increase.O wish in.vain 1-want.CIShilééchąą’í bił na’nishkaadgo jooł bá ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.
1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.RWhen I’m out herding with my dog I bat fly balls for him and he chases them.
bookmark- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- -kéé’ behind, followingfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- na’nishkaad herd, go out herdingfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Iterative (R)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Shilééchąą yázhí shikéé’ yildlosh ńt’éé’ hashtł’ish yiih yildloozh.
1-dog little 1-behind 3-walk.Prog past mud 3-into 3-walk.PShínaaí chidí bił dah diilwodgo bizánághah góne’ łeezh ’adzíísi’.
older.brother car 3-with up 3-run.I-GO 3-around areal-in dust 3-trail.PShoo, nahachagii t’óó ’ahayóí nihaa nínáá lá; ’áko shį́į́ baa ’ákodanosin dooleeł.
hey.look grasshopper merely many 1pl-to 3-migrate.P mirative then maybe 3-of 2pl-be.aware.NI FUTHey look! We have alot of grasshoppers migrating through here; be aware of them.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ’áko shį́į́ then maybe, then probablyfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áhonissin be awarefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- dooleeł future
Shí Kinłánígóó shił ’ayóó ’ánízáád ’áko ndi sitsóí ’éí bił ’áyídí.
I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearbyDenver is too far with me but to my grandson, it is close or nearby.
bookmark- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ’ayóigo very, extremely
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ’áko ndi even so, even thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon




