Mode

The mode of a Navajo verb conveys information about the timing of an action or condition. There are seven modes: Imperfective, Perfective, Future, Iterative, Usitative, Optative, and Progressive. This website provides descriptions of each mode and provides example sentences that illustrate the modes. Certain adverbial expressions are compatible with only some of the modes. Examples of these are included also.

Here is one example with a verb in the optative mode:

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t
listenloadingplaying

Don’t go to sleep.

Each sentence is displayed with the Navajo text on the first line, an English translation on the third, and a gloss of words and word parts on the second. The verb stem is in italics and indicates the mode. There is also a red button which, when clicked, will allow you to hear a recording of a speaker saying the sentence. For more information on the gloss of words and word parts visit this link. For this project we draw on previous work by Fernald & Perkins (manuscript), Young & Morgan (1987), Young, Morgan & Midgette (1992), and others cited in References [link].

In the box below you can search for sentences by verb, mode, or adverb.

An example search has returned 50 entries

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

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

’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

’azhą́ndi

’Ałk’idídą́ą́’ kin ’áshłaa ńt’éé’ ’éí t’ahdii bii’ shighan.

quite.long.ago house 3-1-make.P past it still 3-in 1-home

-chą́’

-k’i

-kéé’

Ch’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.

watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.R
listenloadingplaying

I eat watermelon then I drink water.

Chidí nidabinołtłáád.

car pl-3-2dpl-stop.I
listenloadingplaying

You all stop the car!

daohtł’ó

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

Dá’ák’eh góyaa yishwoł.

cornfield down.that.way 1-run.Prog
listenloadingplaying

I’m running along beside the cornfield.

dideidiłjeeh

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

dishhį́į́h

3DO-1-melt.it.F
listenloadingplaying

melt it, 1st person singular

Díí 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 NEG

Díí tł’éé’ ’índa hazhó’óó ’iideeshwosh.

this night only.then uninterrupted 1-sleep.F
listenloadingplaying

I will sleep well tonight.

doochǫǫł --- dooleeł

Dooshą’ gah t’áá gééd náshdááh lá.

ensure rabbit just without 1-return.I DISC

dołhį́į́h

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.I

Dziłgóó ’o’ooldee’ yę́ę ná’ooldah.

mountain-to 3-go.pl.P past 3-return.pl.I

Díidí háísh bichidí?

this who-Q 3-car

Ha’a’aahjíísh ’éí doodago ’e’e’aahjíísh nighan?

east-from-Q 2-home TOP or west-from-Q 2-home

Ha’át’éegoshą’ ’ayóo náníldzid?

why-Q very 2-fear.I

Hahgo hooghan ’ádíílííł?

when hogan 3-2-make.F

Haidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ nishishnish ńt’éé’ --- doo sh yá’áhoot’éeh da.

winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.P past neg 1-with 3-good.N neg

Hak’az ’ayóo bich’į’ sidziil.

cold really 3-towards 1-strength

há’at’é-go

Háadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?

where-at 2-under area-grow.P
listenloadingplaying

Where did you grow up?

Háádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?

where-from-Q water pl-3-2-haul.LPB.I

Hádą́ą́’sh Mary ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

when-past-Q Mary school-from 3-return.P

Joe dóó Louise hataał.

Joe and Louise 3-sing.CI

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

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

K’os hóle’!

cloud 3s-become.O
listenloadingplaying

I wish for clouds

Mary ha’át’íí nayiisnii’?

Mary what 3-3-buy.P

Náá’íídéeshtah nisin doodago t’óó siláogóó deeshááł.

again-1-go.school.F 1-want or merely military-to 1-go.F

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

Níwe, doo mósí nidziłtseed da!

stop NEG cat 3-4-kill.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, one should not kill cats!

Shilééch’ąą’í bits’ąą ńdínésht’į́į́’.

1-dog 3-away.from 1-hide.P

Shiyáázh shaa yógháah le’ nissingo sédá.

my.son 1-for 3-arrive.O hope 3-1-want.CI-GO 1-sit.I
listenloadingplaying

I’m here wishing my son would visit me.

Shiye’, t’áadoo nikídíltałí.

1-son NEG 2-stomp.IR-Í

Shizhé’é ńléí dá’ák’ehdi naayiishgo yish’į́.

1-father there cornfield-at 3-stoop.Prg-GO 3-1-see.Prg
listenloadingplaying

I can see my father moving about there in the field.

Sitsóí yik’i sidáhí béé’éshdlééh.

1-grandchild 3-on 3-sit.SPN-nom 3-1-copy.I

T’áadoo ’anit’íní!

neg 2-do.NI-Í

T’áá ká tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkááł.

NEG water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.OC.F

Tóshjeeh yah ’adíí’ááł nidishnínéesh yah’ííní’ą́?

water.jug into 3-2-take.in.F 1-say-PP-Q.P PP-3-2-take.in.P.SRO
listenloadingplaying

I told you to bring in the water jug, did you bring it in?

Tł’éédą́á’ dibé ch’íníjéé’ yiists’ą́ą́’ ’áádóó t’óó ńléí tsé deez’áhí bizánághah góne’ ’ahosoolts’ą́ą́’.

last.night sheep out-3-run-Pl.P 3-sound.P and then merely there rock point 3-around areal-in out-are
listenloadingplaying

Last night the sheep got out of the corral and the sound they made disappeared around the point of the ridge.

yiishjį́į́ł

Progressive Mode: 1-become.black.Prog
listenloadingplaying

I am in the process of becoming black, getting sunburned

Yiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi háadish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?

tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CI

Yiską́ągo níléí Tóhajiileehgóó shigáál deizt’i’.

tomorrow.GO over.there Tóhajiileeh-toward 1-physical.being pl-3-path.extend.P

yíníyą́ą́’

3DO-2-eat.it.P

Łahda sibéeso (shibéeso) ’ádin łeh.

sometimes 1-money 3-not.exist.NI usually
listenloadingplaying

At times, I have no money.