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

’Ashkii bi’éé’ hazhó’ó ’ayíyiishchid dóó ’ólta’ góne’ yah ’ííyá.

boy 3-shirt nicely 3-3-tuck.in.P and school into into 3-go.P

’At’ééd t’áá shǫǫ kinaasda’.

girl just good 3-puberty.P

’Ayóo la’ deesdoi, nahóółtą́ą́’ laanaa.

very disc 3-hot.SPN 3-rain.O hope

’Ałah ’aleehgóó deesháál nínízinísh doodago béésh nitsíkeesí daats’í bee nidoonááł ’éí doodago t’áá hooghanídi daats’í KTNN yídíiłts’iił?

meeting-to 1-go-F 3-2 want.NI-Q or computer possibly 2-watch.F or just home-at possibly KTNN 3-2-listen.F

’Áshįįh Bii’ Tóógóó náádísdzáago dziłghą́ą́’ hanáádeesh’nah.

Salt.Lake.City-toward again-1-go.F-GO mountain-back again-1-climb.R

Ashkii hooghan gone’ ałhosh.

boy hogan inside 2-sleep.NI
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The boy is sleeping inside the hogan.

At’ééd na’abąąs yíhooł’ą́ą’go bimá yił ’oołbąs.

girl driving 3-3-learn.P-GO 3-mother 3-with 3-drive.Prog

Bibee’eldǫǫh haiyííłhan’ii’ ’bįįh yił ’adeesdǫǫh.

gun 3-jerk.out.P-and deer 3-shot.P

Bíla’ashdla’ii nishlį́.

3-hand-five-NOM 1-be.NI
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I am a five-fingered being (= a person).

Chahash’ohjí ch’ínááhoníshóó’.

brush arbor-JÍ out-again-area-sweep.R
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I swept the brush arbor again.

dayííłhį́į́’

pl-3DO-3dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

dazhdoołbish

pl-3DO-4dpl-boil.it.F
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boil it, 4th person plural

deiilbéézh

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

Dibé dził binaashii nanishkaad.

sheep hill 3-across.from 3-1-herd.CI

Díí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.

this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.
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I wish I could lead this dog on a leash.

Doo ’atiin bąąhgóó ch’il ’ahwééh ’áłah ’ájíléeh da.

NEG road 3-beside-along plant coffee together 3-4-gather.SFO.I NEG

Doo ’áłah deiidleeh da.

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

Doo tó tsíídkáá’ dididííkáał da.

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

doołhį́į́’

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.P

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

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

hadeneeshchaad

pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Háí shą’ ’ałhosh?

who Q 3-sleep.I

Hooghan binááshwoł ńt’éé shimá sání shich’ahóóshkeed.

hogan 3-encircling-1-run.Prog past 1-grandmother 1-3-scold.P

Hoozdodę́ę́’ Łééchąąłgaii bee nááshdááłgo Kinłánídi da’jiyání góne’ sédáago shiyaa haalwod lá.

Phoenix-from greyhound.bus 3-with 1-return.Prog-GO Flagstaff-at cafe into 1-sit.SPN-GO 1-under 3-run.P DISC

Mexicogóó daashinyáa ni’.

Mexico-to was.it 2-go.I NI’

Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.

cat out-3-2-carry.O LÁGO
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Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

Mósísh nił ya’át’ééh?

cat-Q 2-with 3-be.good.NI
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Do you like the cat?

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

Na’nízhoozhígóó nihił ’adeeswod ’áko shį́į́ ’adiidį́į́ł chidí nihá ’ánálnéehgo.

Gallup-to 1-with INDEF-drive.P then maybe 1-dual-eat.F car 1-for 3-fix.I-GO

Na’níle’dii béeso ła’ haaníníl, t’áadoo tł’oh nidziisnii’ da.

dismay money some 4-3-1-give.PlO.P NEG hay 3-4-buy.P NEG

Na’nízhoozhídi yíníyáago t’áá ła’ bił ’ahóókááh lágo.

Gallup-at 2-go.P-GO see.to.it some 3-with 3pl-meet.O NEG

nidííleeł

3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F
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carry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular

nijiskáá’

3DO-4-investigate.it.P

Nimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́dooleeł.

your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUT

Shá bíighah ’azee’ál’į́įdi sédá.

sun proportionate medicine 3-make.I 1-sit.SPN

shiilbéézh

3DO-1dpl-boil.it.P

Shimá dóó shizhé’é bił dibé dóó tł’ízí ta’nda’díígish nt’éé’.

1-mom and 1-dad 3-with sheep and goats 3-pl.shear.I past

Shimá dóó shizhe’é ’éiyáhá Kin Łánígóó naazh’áázh.

1-mother and 1-father TOP building many-to 3-roundtrip.pl.SP
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My mother and my father made a trip to Flagstaff.

Shíká ’anánílwo’ doodago’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’į́ní!

1-after indef-help.R or just-neg 1-about 1-2-bother.NI-neg

Shínaaí 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 NEG

Shį́įgo ch’ééh jiyáán yishį́į́h ’áádóó tó lą’í yishdlį́į́h.

summer-GO watermelon 3-1-eat.U and.then water lots 3-1-drink.U
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Every summer, I eat watermelon then I drink a lot of water.

T’ah doo la’ nimá bich’į’náah da.

still NEG surprise 2-mother 3-toward 2-go.I NEG

T’áá binaa naasháa dooleeł

just 3-nearby 1-walk.I FUTURE

Tsé bikáa’gi béésh dah si’ą́.

rock 3-on-at knife up 3-sit.SNP

Tł’éédą́ą́’ ’iiłhaazh.

night-past 1-sleep.P

yidooyį́į́ł

3DO-3-eat.it.F

yidííłhį́į́’

3DO-3-melt.it.P

yiishjį́į́h

Imperfective Mode: 1-become.black.I
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I am becoming black, getting sunburned

Łį́į́’ bí’diidlį́į́d sh bééhózin.

horse 3-3-brand.P 1-with 3-of-3-conceive.I