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
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ ch’ééh niba’ hasht’e’ ’ádííníszin.
morning-Past in.vain 2-wait ready REFL-1-keep.CI’ałk’idą́ą́’
’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.
long.ago very areal-rain.I past’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Naayéé’ Neizghání ha’a’aahjigo ’atsiniltł’ish bił dah yizdéél jiní.
long.ago Monster Slayer east-to lightning 3-with up 3-move.SFO.P 4-say’Ałk’idą́ą́’ tł’oh naadą́ą́’ dant’į́įhgo łį́į́’ doodaii’ béégashii da há hadahwiił’éés ńt’éé’.
long.ago grass corn 3-ripen.I-GO horse or cow etc. 4-for 3-stomp.I past-ba-
to the point of exhaustion, used up, completed
bookmark-góó
to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
bookmarkCh’ééh jiyáán hooghangóó dah dii’ągo shee nikihoníłt.
watermelon home-toward up 3-1-move.SRO.P 1-with area-start-rain.PCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo shił bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd shił báá hózin.
formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CIChidí bąąh dah sitání bąąh dah shishtįįh ńt’éé’ ’ił adaagizí doo ’éí da lá.
car license plate 3-1-put. I SSO past Sup-with screw neg that neg Disc.Dá ák’ehdi shizhé’é bił nishishnish j́į́į́dą́ą́. (YM 1968: 598)
Plant.field-at 1-father with 3-1-worked.P today.pastdeididínóołkał
pl-3DO-3dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Fstart to herd them (animals), 3rd person plural
bookmarkDibé bitsį’ doodago béégashii bitsį’ daats’í nínízin?
sheep 3-meat or cow 3-meat possibly 3-2-want.NIDiné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyéégóó niha’áłchíní bił ’adahineet’į́į́’.
Navajo 3-land 3-on-at pl-areal-3-flee.pl.P past Navajo.Mountain areal-be.called.NI-to 1pl-children 3-with pl-1dpl-sneak.off.PAt the time people were on the run in Navajoland, fleeing in small groups, we sneaked away with our children one group after another, to Navajo Mountain.
bookmark- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
Dziłghą́ą́’góó deeshááł nissin.
mountain-top-toward 1-go.F 1-want.CIHa’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?
how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.F DISChaa’í
Haa’ísh neezgai?
where-Q 3-hurt.Nhadeeshtééł
3DO-1-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fcarry him/her up out of something, 1st person singular
bookmarkhah
Haidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.
winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GOHáádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?
where-from-Q water pl-3-2-haul.LPB.IHáágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?
where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI JohnHoozdodę́ę́’ 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 DISCComing back from Phoenix by Greyhound bus I got left behind in the restaurant in Flagstaff.
bookmark- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- instrumental
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -yaa under, beneath, downfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
Naakiiskánídą́ą́’ dibé tó ła’ bá niníyį́.
two.days.ago sheep water INDEF 3-for 3-1-haul.PNibéézh bee hane’ doo ndi naalnish da.
2-cellphone NEG but 3-work.P NEGNichidí lá háadi nííníłbą́ą́z?
2-car-Q where-at 3-2-park.PNidlóóhísh doodaii’ dooísh nidlóoh da?
2-cold.X-Q or NEG-Q 2-cold.X-Q NEGNihimásání ha’át’íí lá yinízin?
1dpl-grandmother what LÁ 3-3-want.NIÓlta’di ndeii’néego ’ashkii ła’ kin bizánághahdę́ę́’ shich’į’ ch’élwodgo bił ’ahídégoh.
school-at 1pl-play.I-GO boy some building-3-around-from 1-to out-3-run.P-GO 3-with 3-1-collide.PWhen we were playing at school a boy came running at me around the corner of the building and I collided with him.
bookmark- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -zánághah aroundfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ch’į’ to, towardfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon