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’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin diniih.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.CI’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’Ałk’idídą́ą́’ kin ’áshłaa ńt’éé’ ’éí t’ahdii bii’ shighan.
quite.long.ago house 3-1-make.P past it still 3-in 1-home-chą́’
craving, addicted to, fond of
bookmark-k’i
-kéé’
Ch’ééh jiyáán náshdį́į́h ’áádóó tó náshdlį́į́h.
watermelon again-1-eat.R then water again-1-drink.RChidí nidabinołtłáád.
car pl-3-2dpl-stop.IDá’ák’eh góyaa yishwoł.
cornfield down.that.way 1-run.ProgDíí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.
this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEGThey say this car is fast but even so I don’t have any expectation for it.
bookmarkDíí tł’éé’ ’índa hazhó’óó ’iideeshwosh.
this night only.then uninterrupted 1-sleep.FDooshą’ gah t’áá gééd náshdááh lá.
ensure rabbit just without 1-return.I DISCDziłgóó ’o’ooldee’ yę́ę ná’ooldah.
mountain-to 3-go.pl.P past 3-return.pl.IDíidí háísh bichidí?
this who-Q 3-carHa’a’aahjíísh ’éí doodago ’e’e’aahjíísh nighan?
east-from-Q 2-home TOP or west-from-Q 2-homeHa’át’éegoshą’ ’ayóo náníldzid?
why-Q very 2-fear.IHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ nishishnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.P past neg 1-with 3-good.N negI worked in the mine (shaft) last year and I didn’t like it.
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- naashnish work
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon