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
’Ahwééh ła’ yishdlą́.
coffee some 3-1-drink.I’Azháánee’ shi dibé hólǫ́ǫ ndi, dibé ła nahiideeshnih.
even.though my sheep 3-exist.NI sheep one 1-buy.F’Ániid ’iiyą́ą́’ ’áko ndi t’ah dichin nisin.
recently 1-eat.P even then still 3-hungry 1-want.NII recently ate even then I am still hungry.
bookmark- ’ániidígo recently, not long agofind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áko ndi even so, even thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -t’ah in a recess, pocket or enclosed space, undercoverfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
Bich’ah haini’ą́, "díí bee yisdádíínááł," hałní jiní.
hat 3-2-give.P with.this.PP pl-2-survive.F 3-to.say.I they.saybik’ídisoodiz
3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.Pbik’ídóhdis
3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.ICh’iyáán bá hooghandi béeso bideená naashnish.
food.store-at money 3-in-exchange.for 1-work.CICh’į́į́góó ch’ééh tádííyá.
fail in.vain 1-go.PCh’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.ICh’ééh la’ baa ntséskees.
in.vain puzzlement 3-about 1-think.IDa’ dichinísh nínízin?
Q hunger-Q 2-feel.NIDa’adánídi ’áts’ą́ą́’ deeshghał.
restaurant-at ribs 3-1-eat.Fdadiilyį́į́h
pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.Ideiidą́ą́’
pl-3DO-1dpl-eat.it.Pdeiit’aal
pl-3DO-1dpl-chew.it.PDibé yah ánáádanołkaad!
sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.Idiidiłjeeh
3DO-3-start.fire.Idizhdínóołkał
3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).FDíí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.
this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.ProgDíí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.
this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEGDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not LÁGODíí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.
this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.díníłkaad
3DO-2-start.to.herd.them.(animals).IGohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ biłgo daats’í nínízin?
coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NIhadajiłgéésh
pl-3DO-4dpl-cut.it.out.Ihadeidééłbįįd
pl-3DO-3dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.PHazhóʼí sínídá. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.
careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-íHáí shą’ bił nanilnish?
who Q 3-with 2-work.Ijidooyį́į́ł
3DO-4-eat.it.FNa’azhǫǫshgi díkwíí shį́į́ shaa woobįįh?
hoop.and.pole.game-at how.much 1-to pass-win.Ineilé
3DO-3-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.INichxǫ’ doo ájíléeh da.
stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEGnideiskáá’
pl-3DO-3dpl-investigate.it.Pnisiilyá
3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.PNíwe, doo ch’il bikáá’ nijigháa da!
stop NEG plant 3-on 3-4-walk.I NEGNíyolgo t’áá ’áko niishch’ił.
wind-GO immediately 3-blink.USha’áłchíní Toohgóó bił ’eesbąs.
1-children Shiprock-to 3-with 1-drive.ProgShínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.
1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEGI wanted my older brother to help me but unfortunately he didn’t come.
bookmark- -ká after, forfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áłt’ąą after allfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- 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
- nishááh come, arrivefind in Navajo Verb Modes
T’ah doo kintahgóó diit’aash da.
not.yet store-to 1du-go.I NEGT’áá ’ákwíízhíní tó dah siyínígóó ’ałnánáshdááh.
every summer lake-toward again-1-go.RTsxį́įłgo łees’áán ádíílííł; nimásání nihaa yíghááh!
quickly tortilla 2-make.F 2.poss-mat.grandma-NOM 1.pl-to 3-come.FTł’éédą́ą́ łééchąą’í léi’ nihił ’yaííyá’ii’ neeztį́.
last.night dog strange 1dpl-with 3-come.inside.P-and lie.down.SNPLast night, a (strange) dogs came walking in on us and lay down.
bookmark- tł’éédą́ą́’ last nightfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishááł walkfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ii’ and, and thereuponfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Si-Perfective Neuter (SPN)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- sétį́ lie downfind in Navajo Verb Modes




