Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

ʼAshiiké ’éí ʼatsʼos bee ʼazhish biniiyé chahashʼoh ʼádeidoolííł.

boy-pl TOP feather 3-means-of dance 3-reason shade-house 3-3-pl-build.F

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ísh tł’óo’di nanilnishgo nee ’ałní’ní’ą́?

yesterday-Q outside-at 2-work.CI-GO 2-with noon

’At’ééd t’áá ’áhánídi ’ółta’ ’éí biniinaa doo hah dah nídiidáah da.

girl just far-at school TOP 3-cause NEG quickly up start-3-go.I NEG

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.P-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister RECP-equal-GO 3-for RECP-for 3-lie.aligned.PlO.NP

’Áádę́ę́’ nánísdzáago łį́į́’ bá nida’deeshjoł.

from.there 1-return.P-GO horse 3-for pl-1-set.out.NCM.F

’Áde’óóyą́ą́’ lágo.

self-2-eat.O don’t

Ániid ’iiyą́ą́’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.

recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NI

’Áłah ’aleehgo ch’iyáán ’ádadiilnííł ’áko shį́į́ ’índa diné ndahidookah.

meeting-Comp food 3-1-Pl-make.F CONJ people 3-Pl.will-arrive.F

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ ndi naalnish da.

woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEG

Beeldléí danołtsóós.

blanket pl-3-2dpl-bring.FFO.I

Ch’il t’áadoo yishnizhí t’óó 'ahayóí hanáánáájéé’.

plant NEG 3-1-rip.P-NEG just many 3-again.return.P
listenloadingplaying

I hadn’t pluck the weeds before a lot grew back again.

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫ t’áá bee yáshti’.

formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-I

Chidí bik’ee heesh’ááł.

car 3-tire 3-1-move.SRO.Prog

Da’diidį́į́ł.

pl-1dpl-eat-pl.F

dadidoołhįh

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.F

dajííłhį́į́’

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

dazhdidoołhįh

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.F

deiyííyą́ą́’

pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.P

Dibé dził binaashii nanishkaad.

sheep hill 3-across.from 3-1-herd.CI

dideidiłjeeh

pl-3DO-3dpl-start.fire.I

didiilyįh

3DO-1dpl-melt.it.F

Díkwíí jį́ shą’ nanilnish?

how.many Q days 2-work.I

Doo t'áá k'ad nimasii yiyą́ą́ da.

do.not.want.to potatoes 1-eat.P NEG

Haa'íyee' shinááł Diné bizaad bíhwiidííł'aał.

lets.see 2-1-watch.Prog Navajo language 3-2-learn.F

hadajizgeed

pl-3DO-4dpl-dig.it.out.P

hadééłbįįd

3DO-1-fill.something.up.with.it.P

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

jididoołhįh

3DO-4-melt.it.F

jidiłhį́į́h

3DO-4-melt.it.I

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.I

Naaltsoos yiníshta’go shíni’ shaa ’áyiilaa.

book 3-1-read.I-GO 1-mind 1-for 3-3-make.P
listenloadingplaying

The book I was reading established my thoughts.

nideilé

pl-3DO-3dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.I

nidiilyeeł

3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

nisiilkáá’

3DO-1dpl-investigate.it.P

nitł’ó

3DO-2-weave.it.I

niyą́

3DO-2-eat.it.I

nizhdooleeł

3DO-4-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

N bééhózinísh ’éí doodaii’ nicheii daats’í b bééhózin?

2-with 3-know.CI-Q TOP or 2-grandfather perhaps 3-with 3-know.CI

Níwe, bíni'dii ’áyą́!

stop 3-let 3-3-eat.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, let it eat!

Náhíínááłgo yadiizíní niłjizh.

around-2-go.I-GO can 3-2-crush.Prog

Sha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.

1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.Prog

Shichidí t’ahdii yá’át’ééh, ’át’ah ’índa ła’ ninááhideeshnih.

1-car still 3-good.NI later one again-3-1-buy.F

Shilééchąą’í b na’nishkaadgo jooł b ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.

1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.R

Shiyáázh nih ’oołbąs dooleeł.

1-son 1pl-with 3-drive.Prog will.be

Shí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.

I TOP just work-from town-to 1-go.I

Shíká ’anilyeed.

1-for 2-run.I
listenloadingplaying

Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

T’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.

neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-Í

Tó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áhoot’ééh dooleeł.

water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI future

Tł’éédą́ą́ łééchąą’í léi’ nihił ’yaííyá’ii’ neeztį́.

last.night dog strange 1dpl-with 3-come.inside.P-and lie.down.SNP

yiyííshóó’

3DO-3-brush/comb.it.P