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
Shíká | ’anilyeed. |
1-for | 2-run.I |
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.) |
Second Person Negation
Optative
Mósí | ch’óółt’e’. |
cat | out-3-2-take.Opt |
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]] |
Optative + lágo
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-í
T’áadoo | ’anit’íní! |
neg | 2-do.NI-Í |
Don’t do that! |
Fourth Person Affirmative
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
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
’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ ch’iyáán ’áshłaago dajííyą́ą́’.
yesterday food 1-make.P-GO pl-4-eat.P’Ahwééh ła’ yishdlą́.
coffee some 3-1-drink.I’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Naayéé’ Neizghání ha’a’aahjigo ’atsiniltł’ish bił dah yizdéél jiní.
long.ago Monster Slayer east-to lightning 3-with up 3-move.SFO.P 4-say’Áádóó hainidzaa?
and.then what-3-2-do.P’Áshįįh Bii’ Tóodi níyáago dził bąąh hanáádeesh’nah.
Salt.Lake.City-at 1-go.P-GO mountain 3-on again-1-climb.R’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.
meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.I’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.
1-eat.O wish hunger 1-3-kill.I'Áłahji’ tó dilchxoshí síníł’ą́.
always water popping-Í 3-2-keep.SPN-ee
Asdzání ní’jookąąhgo kintahdi nijighá.
woman-NOM Rep-3a-beg.I-GOtown-at about-3a-walk.Ibik’ídadeediz
pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.Pbik’ídeediz
3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.Pdaohsą́
pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.IDichin nínízin ya’?
hungry 2-want.NI QDíidí háísh bichidí?
this who-Q 3-carDziłneeláagí nánisé’ ’azee’ háágeed.
mountain-end-at growing.herb medicine up-3-1-dig-1.PGohwééh doo ndi łikan da.
coffee NEG but 3-taste-good.NI NEGHa’át’íí biniiyé ’ákǫ́ǫ́ díníyá?
what 3-for.purpose there 2-start.go.PHa’ąądi dibé bighan.
areal-other.side sheep 3-corralhadazhdoołtééł
pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fcarry him/her up out of something, 4th person plural
bookmarkhadazhdééłbįįd
pl-3DO-4dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.Pfill something up with it, 4th person plural
bookmarkhadoołtééł
3DO-2dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fcarry him/her up out of something, 2nd person dual
bookmarkhahí
Hatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.
ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-Phayííłgizh
3DO-3-cut.it.out.Pháagi
Háágóó díníyá?
where-to 2-go.FHádą́ą́’sh Dibé Nitsaadę́ę́’ néínídzá?
when-past-Q Colorado 3-return.PHái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?
who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISCHoozdodę́ę́’ Łééchąąłgaii bee nááshdááłgo Kinłánídi da’jiyání góne’ sédáago shiyaa haalwod lá.
Phoenix-from greyhound.bus 3-with 1-return.Prog-GO Flagstaff-at cafe into 1-sit.SPN-GO 1-under 3-run.P DISCComing back from Phoenix by Greyhound bus I got left behind in the restaurant in Flagstaff.
bookmark- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sédá sitfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -yaa under, beneath, downfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
jidííłhį́į́’
3DO-4-melt.it.PKénídánííljeehgo, sin łah beehódíítał.
shoe.game-GO song some 2-sing.FNa’nishkaadgo nídíshchííyaagi hanáshyį́į́h ńt’éé’ ’iiłhaazh lá, t’ah nít’éé’ shilééchąą’í ch’ééshinísid.
1-herd.I-GO pinetree-under-at 1-rest.I past 1-slept.P DISC all.of.sudden 1-dog 1-woke.up.PWhen I was out herding I was resting under a pinetree and I went to sleep but suddenly to my surprise my dog woke me up.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- na’nishkaad herd, go out herdingfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -yaa under, beneath, downfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- hanááshyį́į́’ restfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’iishháásh sleepfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’ah ńt’éé’ all of a suddenfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’ééníssííd awaken him/herfind in Navajo Verb Modes