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

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin díínii’.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.P

’Ahbínígo gohwééh dííłbish.

morning-GO coffee 3-2-boil.F
listenloadingplaying

Youʼll boil coffee in the morning.

’Atiin bąąhgóó doo ch’il ’ahwééh ’ájíléeh da.

road 3-beside-along NEG plant coffee together 3-4-gather.SFO.I NEG

’Atsiniltł’ish dóó tó dayókeedígíí baa ’áłah ’aleeh lá.

electricity and water pl-3-request.I-NOM 3-for meeting DISC

’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.

1-eat.O wish hunger 1-3-kill.I

At’ééd aní shí k’ad naalyéhé báhooghango déyá. Nit’éé’ bimá aní k’adee’ da’iigháásh.

girl 3-say.IP 1-now goods 3-for-home-GO directional-go. past 3-mother 3-say.IP now time-sleep.

bik’ídísdis

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.I

Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo sh bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd sh báá hózin.

formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CI

Da’ shééhonísin?

Q 1-2-know.NI

dadidíníilkał

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

dadoołhį́į́’

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

Dah nóóljííd lágo.

up 2-jump.O don’t

dajishóóh

pl-3DO-4dpl-brush/comb.it.I

dajíí’aal

pl-3DO-4dpl-chew.it.P

dajííłhį́į́’

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

daohsą́

pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.I

Dibé yah ánádanołkaad!

sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.R

Dibé yázhi bimá doo boosáni da, biʼnootsaał.

sheep little 3-mother NEG 3-love.I NEG 3-starve.O
listenloadingplaying

Don´t let the lamb starve to death because itʼs mother is rejecting it.

dideidííłjéé’

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

dizhdiłjeeh

3DO-4-start.fire.I

Doo kingóó diit’ash da.

NEG town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog NEG

Doo t’áá k’ad nich’i’ hasdzíí da.

do.not.want.to towards.you.pos 1-speak.P NEG

Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ bgo daats’í nínízin?

coffee only TOP or milk 3-with-GO perhaps 3-2-want.NI

Ha’at’iish náádaadi’ní?

what-Q again-pl-3-say.I

hadaoołgizh

pl-3DO-2dpl-cut.it.out.P

haidoołtééł

3DO-3-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hainííłchaad

3DO-3-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

haníłchaad

3DO-2-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

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

jííłhį́į́’

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

Kintahgóó diit’ash.

town-to 1dpl-go.du.Prog

KinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.

Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P disc

Kwii sínídáa dooleeł.

here 2-sit.SPN will.be.F

Na’azhǫǫshgi díkwíí shį́į́ shaa woobįįh?

hoop.and.pole.game-at how.much 1-to pass-win.I
listenloadingplaying

How much will I lose at the hoop and pole game?

Nichxǫ’ báhádzid.

stop 3-P-be.dangerous
listenloadingplaying

Stop, it is a bad thing!

Nichxǫ’ t’áadoo baa nánít’íní.

stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-Í

nidajizlá

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

nizhdooleeł

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

Níwe, doo ch’il bikáá’ nijigháa da!

stop NEG plant 3-on 3-4-walk.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop it, one does not walk on plants!

Shiyáázh niʼíłtááh. Bá daʼdiidííł; ʼákohgo chʼiyáán ʼálʼį́įgi shiká ʼadoojah.

1-son 3-graduate.I 3-for 1pl-eat.F so-then food indef-make-at 1-after 3pl-help.F
listenloadingplaying

My son is graduating, let’s have a dinner, I need everyoneʼs help preparing the meal.

Shił dó’eeł!

1-with 3-float.O
listenloadingplaying

Let it float (with me).

Shí hanii t’éiyá Naasht’ézhí bizaad sh bééhózin.

I contrary only English 3-language 1-with 3-know.P

Sohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh lágo.

prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O LÁGO

T’áadoo hosh niyą́ní.

T’ÁADOO cactus 3-2-eat.I-Í
listenloadingplaying

Don’t eat cactus.

T’áá ká ’ooshháásh lágo.

neg 1-go.to.sleep.O LÁGO

T’áá shǫǫ da la’ da’adą́ądi diné bich’iiyą’ hólǫ́ǫ́ .

at.least such.as some restaurant-at Navajo 3-food 3-exist.NI DISC

Ts’éénídzííd, t’ah ’íinda ’iidííłhosh.

2-wake.up.I future only.then 2-sleep.F

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

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

yidíníłkaad

3DO-3-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

yíníyą́ą́’

3DO-2-eat.it.P