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:
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
’Ajótł’óół laanaa nissin ndi ’aghaa’ shee ’ádin.
4-weave.O hope 3-1-want.CI but wool 3-1-with.me 3-none.NI’Oółháásh lágo.
2-sleep.O don’t-tsąąh
Chidí naat’a’íísh hooghankáá’góó ch’ínísaal ’éí doodaii’ dziłghą́ą́’góó daats’í?
airplane house-over-along over-3-fly.P TOP or mountain-attached-along perhapsDa’ 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.NIDibé tóógóó neeshkał.
sheep water-toward 3-1-herd.ProgDiné nishłį́į ndi Bilaagana bizaad t’éí bee yáshti’.
Navajo 1-be.NI but English language only 3-with 1-speak.IDíidí háísh bichidí?
this who-Q 3-cardoo deighánígóó
Ha’át’íí biniinaa náníldzid?
what 3-cause 2-fear.IHa’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?
what Q man and girl 3-3-make.PHa’át’íísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?
who-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NIHáádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?
where-from-Q water pl-3-2-haul.LPB.IJį́į́dą́ą́’ t’óó k’asídą́ą́’ nihee nahóółtą́.
today just very.nearly 1dpl-with areal-rain.PJooł nits’ą́ą́’ nídiish’aah.
ball 2-away.from up-begin-1-lift.IK’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.
now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.RKintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz
areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.PMary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.
Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DIMary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?
Mary when-past-Q school-from 3-return.PNaadą́ą́’ lá haa néelą́ą́’ nida’ak’eh biyi’ góne’?
corn Q how 3.much.N 2-cornfield 3-in thereNáhookǫsdę́ę́’ níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.
north.from breeze-GO very cold.SPNNíléí dá’ák’ehdi ła’ joogááł.
there corn.field-at some 4-walk.ProgŃléí ’asdzą́ą́ sáníshą’ háí ’át’į́?
there woman old-Q what 3-be.NRonísh saad neiiłkaah?
Ron-Q word 3-3-investigate.ISaad naashkaahgo baa naashá.
word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.ProgSáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.
women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.NShizhé’é bidá’ák’eh ’éí shicheii bidá’ák’eh táadi yilááh ’ánáníłtso.
1-father 3-field TOP 1-grandfather 3-field three-at 3-big 3-again-big.NIShí Kinłánígóó shił ayóó ánízaad ’ako ndi sitsoi éí bił ayídi.
I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearbyDenver is too far with me but to my grandson, it is close or nearby.
bookmark- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ’ayóigo very, extremelyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon