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

’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
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I wish to weave, but I don’t have any wool.

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t
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Don’t go to sleep.

-aa

-tsąąh

bik’ídadeediz

pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.P

bik’ídiidis

3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

bik’ídísdis

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.I

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 perhaps

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

deiyą́

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

Dibé tóógóó neeshkał.

sheep water-toward 3-1-herd.Prog

didíłjeeh

3DO-2-start.fire.I

Diné nishłį́ndi Bilaagana bizaad t’éí bee yáshti’.

Navajo 1-be.NI but English language only 3-with 1-speak.I

dizhdidoołjah

3DO-4-start.fire.F

Díidí háísh bichidí?

this who-Q 3-car

doo deighánígóó

dó’ --- -ísh łí

Ha’át’íí biniinaa náníldzid?

what 3-cause 2-fear.I

Ha’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what Q man and girl 3-3-make.P
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What did the man and the girl make?

Ha’át’íísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?

who-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

haiłgéésh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.I

hanii

hanoołchaad

3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

Háádę́ę́’shą’ tó ndahohheeh?

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

jidíníłkaad

3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).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.

Jooł nits’ą́ą́’ nídiish’aah.

ball 2-away.from up-begin-1-lift.I

K’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.

now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.R
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When it is nearly noon, I get shaky from hunger.

Kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz

areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.P

Mary bimá sání yá ’ata’ halne’.

Mary 3-grandmother 3-for indef.between 3-talk.DI

Mary hádą́ą́’sh ’ólta’dę́ę́’ nádzá?

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

Naadą́ą́’ lá haa néelą́ą́’ nida’ak’eh biyi’ góne’?

corn Q how 3.much.N 2-cornfield 3-in there

Náhookǫsdę́ę́’ níłch’igo ’ayóo deesk’aaz.

north.from breeze-GO very cold.SPN

ndi --- doo

Níléí dá’ák’ehdi ła’ joogááł.

there corn.field-at some 4-walk.Prog
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Someone is walking in the cornfield way over there.

Ńléí ’asdzą́ą́ sáníshą’ háí ’át’į́?

there woman old-Q what 3-be.N

Ronísh saad neiiłkaah?

Ron-Q word 3-3-investigate.I

Saad naashkaahgo baa naash.

word 3-1-research.CI-GO 3-to 1-go.Prog

Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.

women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.N

Shizhé’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.NI
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My father’s farm is three times as big as my grandfather’s.

Shí Kinłánígóó shił ayóó ánízaad ’ako ndi sitsoi éí bił ayídi.

I Denver to 1-with 3-far.NI but 1-grandsongranddaughter 3-with nearby

Sitsóí éí ’ashiiké nidaanéego ’atah nijóne’ laanaa nízin.

my.grandson TOP boy pl-3pl-play.I-GO join 4-play.O hope 3-3.want.CI
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My grandson is wishing to participate in the boys game.

t’áá ’íiyisíí

Tsé ’ayóí ’áníłtso léi’ tsékooh góyaa hadah ch’ééłmááz.

rock remarkably large INDEF canyon areal-down areal-edge out-3-1-roll.P

Tsékooh góyaa shilééchąą’í hadah (’adah, bidah) ’abikéé’.

canyon areal-down 1-dog areal-down 3-trail-out:NI
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My dog’s tracks lead down into the canyon.

Tsinaabąąs bee nida’abąąsgo shi’dizhchį́.

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

yaa

yiidlą́ą́’

3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

Yiską́ągoósh ’adeestsił nínízingo bee na’anishí hasht’enilééh?

tomorrow-Q 1-make.F 2-want.NI-GO tool 3-2-prepare.I

Yóó’ ’anáshyeed.

away 1-run.I
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I’m running away.