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
Naaltsoos aseezį́ yíníshtaʼ.
paper gossip 3-1-read.I’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin díínii’.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.PI didn’t eat this morning, so my head started to ache.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- díínii’ ache, be in painfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
’Ahwééh ła’ wóshdlą́ą́’.
coffee some 3-1-drink.O’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.
RFLX-1-get.into.trouble.F perhaps 1-think.CI-GO NEG among 1-say.P NEGI didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.
bookmark- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ádihodiisht’ééh get oneself into troublefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- sha’shin perhapsfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- haasdziih speak, exclaimfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Asdzání ní’jookąąhgo kintahdi nijighá.
woman-NOM Rep-3a-beg.I-GO town-at about-3a-walk.IAshkii tó nílinígíi yiih dzółhaał.
Boy flowing.water-ÍGÍÍ 3-in 3-3-fall.OBaa tįįh náádiikah.
3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.IChidí nidabinóołtłáád.
car pl-3-2dpl-stop.ODa’ dichinísh nínízin?
Q hunger-Q 2-feel.NIdajiyą́
pl-3DO-4dpl-eat.it.Idajííyą́ą́’
pl-3DO-4dpl-eat.it.PDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.
Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.Pdeiilbéézh
pl-3DO-1dpl-boil.it.IDibé tóógóó neeshkał.
sheep water-toward 3-1-herd.ProgDichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh dzinízin?
hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NIdididiiljah
3DO-1dpl-start.fire.FDíí yihahígíí biyi’, háísh tówónaanígóó ch’aa deeyá?
this year.IGII within who overseas.GOO travel 3-going.F-QDíí éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ lá.
this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive DiscI want to buy this dress because I like it but it is expensive.
bookmark- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nahashniih buy, sellfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áko ndi even so, even thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- lá I discoveredfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Dziłgóó ’o’ooldee’ yę́ę ná’ooldah.
mountain-to 3-go.pl.P past 3-return.pl.IHaashíyee’ díí naak’ee sinilí biniitááh t’áá daats’í bee hoot’į́.
try.and.find.out this eyeglasses 3-2-try.IP just maybe 3-with area-pas-see.Prog.Nhadaoołgizh
pl-3DO-2dpl-cut.it.out.Phadííłtééł
3DO-2-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fhainiłchaad
3DO-3-card.it.(as.in.wool).IK’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół doo yę́ę ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’asétł’ǫ́ǫ da.
now half-toward 1-weave.Prog future past one Sunday when.past NEG 1-weave.P NEGI could have been halfway through weaving, but last week I didn’t weave at all.
bookmark- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashtł’ó weavefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad nowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- time
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
Na’azhǫǫshgi díkwíí shį́į́ shaa woobįįh?
hoop.and.pole.game-at how.much 1-to pass-win.INaalyéhé bá hooghandi t’ah doo dá’deelkaałdą́ą́’ nisingo na’ńle’dii tsį́į́ł shiisxį́ (siisxį́).
trading.post-at just NEG 3-PASS-close.I-past 1-think.N-GO dismay speed 1-3-kill.PThinking that the trading post would not be closed I rushed (to get there), but I was out of luck.
bookmark- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- time
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- na’ńle’dii to my dismay, out of luckfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sisxé killfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Neel’ą́ą le’.
term-3-reach.up.to.NI LE’Nida’iilyéego ’áłt’ąą yiską́ągo ’índa yínááł doo.
pass.pay.I-go after.all tomorrow only.then 2-come.Prog futureAfter all, you’ll finally show up for payday tomorrow.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áłt’ąą after all, in spite of unfortunatelyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- yiską́ągo tomorrowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’índa and only thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo, dooleeł futurefind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
nisoołkáá’
3DO-2dpl-investigate.it.Pnisélá
3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pnizhdooleeł
3DO-4-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.FSaad biihi’níłí doo bee neilnish da.
word computer NEG 3-with pl-2-du.work.I NEGShicheii bighangóó yishááł.
1-grandfather house-toward 1-go.ProgShicheii naalyehe bahooghandi chʼiiyaan nayiiłniih.
maternal.grandfather grocery 3-house-at food 3-3-buy.Ishéłbéézh
3DO-1-boil.it.PSiláo yik’ee noochééł.
police account 3-flee.ProgT’áadoo ná’iilwoshí.
NEG 2-sleep.RT’ą́ą́tsoh táá’góó yoołkáłę́ędą́ą́’ ’ałdó’ Tóta’góó tádííyá.
May three-góó day-past also Farmington-góó 1-went.PTł’éé’go doo ’ízh’dísóół da.
night-GO NEG 4-whistle.O NEGTł’óo’di kǫ’ diltłi’ bikáa’gi chéch’il ła’ dináádísh’nííł.
outside-at fire 3-burn.NI 3-on-at oak some fire-again-3-1-move.PlO.II put some more oak on top of the fire burning outside.
bookmark- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- diltłi’ burnfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dináádish’nííł put more of them into the firefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- tł’óo’di outsidefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
woohgish
3DO-2dpl-make.one.cut.in.it.Iyiidlą́ą́’
3DO-1dpl-drink.it.Pyiilzhóó’
3DO-1dpl-brush/comb.it.PYiską́ągo díí doo ’íídííłtah da. (K’ad tsxíiłgo ’ííníłta’.)
tomorrow this NEG 3-2-read.F NEG (now quickly 3-2-read.I)Don’t read this tomorrow. (Read it now.)
bookmark- Command, negative
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- Command, affirmative
- Imperfective
- yiską́ągo tomorrowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad nowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- tsxį́įłgo quickly, fastfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes




