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
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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

’Adeesdíilgo dibé sits’ą́ą́’ dah diijéé’.

3-thunder.P-GO sheep 1-away-from start-3-run.Pl.P
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When thunder rumbled the sheep stampeded on me, ran away from me.

’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

’Ashkiísh ’at’ééd yiyiiłtsą́?

boy-Q girl 3-3-see.P
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Did the boy see the girl?

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ch’iyáán ’ ádayiilaa léi’ ła’ ’ánáádeiilyaa.

long.ago food pl-3-3-make.P Indef. some again-pl-3-1dpl-make.P

’índa

-dę́ę́’

-níká

bik’ídazhdidoodis

pl-3DO-4dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

ch’į́į́góó

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everything possible without result, failure in spite of every effort, to no avail

Chidí kǫ́ǫ́ ndaajeehígíí t’áá ’ániidígo dahodeezlįįd.

car here 3-run.pl.I-COMP just recently pl-3-become.P
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These cars that run around here just recently came into existence, cars are a recent invention.

Da’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?

Q car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NI

Da’ Ron saad neiskáá’?

Q Ron word 3-3-investigate.P

Dah díníilghaazh ’áshįįh bik’ídíínił.

fry.bread salt 3-on-3-2-sprinkle.PlO.F
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You will sprinkle salt on the fry bread. Sprinkle salt on the fry bread.

Daniel hahgosh hidilníísh?

Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.I

dazhdidoołhįh

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.F

deiidą́

pl-3DO-1dpl-eat.it.I

Dibé yah ánádanołkaad!

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

Dichin nínízin ya’?

hungry 2-want.NI Q

dideididoołjah

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

Diiłts’į́į́h nidishní! LOOK up mode for first verb

3-2-start.? 1-say.I

I said start it!

Díí mósí yázhí hooghangóó nááshtééł.

this cat little home-towards 3-1-carry.Prog

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.I NEG

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG
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I don’t want to lend you a car.

Doo łá’í ndi naash’áa da.

NEG one but 3-1-hold.SRO.CI NEG
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I haven’t a single one, I have not even one.

Dził bit’ááhgi bįįh halzheeh.

Mountain 3-close.to-at deer 3-3-hunting.CI
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He’s deer hunting over near the mountain.

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

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

hadínéeshchał

3DO-1-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

Hádą́ą́’ Jáan Tó Hónaanígóó naayá?

When past John ocean across-to 3-go.P

Háidíígíísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?

which.one-ÍGÍÍ-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

Hoozdohdi ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó deesdoi.

Phoenix-at TOP extremely 3-hot.SPN

Jáan naalnishísh?

John 3-work.I-Q

jiłhį́į́h

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

Jį́į́dą́ą́’ t’óó k’asídą́ą́’ nihee nahóółtą́.

today just very.nearly 1dpl-with areal-rain.P
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It came awfully close to raining today, it very nearly rained today.

Náá’íídéeshtah nisin doodago t’óó siláogóó deeshááł.

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

Náshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.

wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NI
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Wildcats are dying off and it is said that soon they’ll become extinct.

Niba’ sézį́.

2-wait 1-stand.SPN
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I’m waiting for you.

Nichxǫ' doo ájíníi da.

stop NEG 4-say.thus.NI NEG
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Stop, don’t say it!

Nichxǫ' t'áadoo baa nánít’íní.

stop NEG 3-about 2-bother.I-Í

Nishą́? Náádilyeed ho’dooniid.

2-Q It. 2-run 3-2-said.P
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What about you? You run over there too. He said to him.

Níwe, bíni'dii ’ałwosh!

stop 3-let 3-sleep.I
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Stop, let it sleep!

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

Shíká ’anilyeed, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

1-for 2-run.F Obi-Wan Kenob

T’áá ká nóosh’į́į́’

Neg 1-see.O
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Don’t let me see it.

Tį’ ninádeiilnish.

let’s.go again-pl-1dpl-work.R

Tó dílchxoshí sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́lágo.

soda 1-from 3-1-drink.O don’t
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I hope you don’t drink my soda.

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąs yę́ędą́ą́’ shi’dizhchį́.

wagon 3-with pl-3-drive.I past 1-pass-born.P

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ni’shéłhaazh.

night-past 1-rest.P

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ńléí dził bine’jí ’adildííl yiits’a’ ni’.

night-past there mountain 3-behind-way thunder 3-sound.P recall

Ła’ nídeezid yę́ędą́ą́’ ’áajigo niséyá.

one month past that-way-GO 1.go.P